Holden’s show car switch

A SECRET Holden-crafted show car that had been earmarked for the New York motor show in April has been switched to another event.

General Motors still plans to show the vehicle, but it now seems it will use another style of showcase to give the car its global airing.

The car was one of at least two Holden concept vehicles foreshadowed by GM vice-president for design, Ed Welburn, in an exclusive interview with GoAuto at the Los Angeles motor show in November.

One of the cars, the Chevrolet Adra mini SUV, was shown at the recent New Delhi motor show, where GM revealed that the project had been a joint venture between GM India’s fledgling design centre and Holden Design, which had a mentoring role.

The Adra show car was built at Holden’s Fishermans Bend technical centre, which is one of only two such GM facilities in the world capable of fabricating cars from scratch.

The next show vehicle – most likely carrying Chevrolet badges – is still likely to turn up at an event in the United States in the coming months.

Holden insiders have ruled out an appearance by the car at the upcoming Beijing motor show, which opens just a few days after the New York show in mid April.

They say the appearance of the Holden show car had been rescheduled to “a slightly different event”, meaning it could be anything from the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance to the Daytona 500.

In the past, Holden concept cars have appeared in a range of American events, from the Detroit motor show to the Woodward Dream Cruise, also in Detroit. In the latter, Holden design director Richard Ferlazzo drove his classic-styled Efijy show car – inspired by the original Holden ‘Humpy’ – in the annual parade through Detroit.

Holden Design will become one of the last significant remnants of Holden’s Australian production system in Australia once the local manufacturing and engineering operations cease in 2017.

Its future has been assured by Mr Welburn, who told GoAuto that the Melbourne-based team was a vital source of design expertise for GM’s global operations, working on a number of projects for Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac.

The Chevrolet Adra is one such vehicle, and is likely to go into production in India as a rival for the Ford EcoSport.