Chris Harris drives HSV GTS R W1

[Cdnguy]

https://youtu.be/K4z-bNSyeV4?si=6J1PQtdGRZummucO

[skaifeman]

Video doesn't really offer much.

Still shake my head that the Falcon and Commodore went the way they did. Great shame.

[Trevor]

One of the great Australian tragedy's, losing our car industry.  Governments decided they didn't want to prop up the industry anymore, whereas it happens all over the world

[skaifeman]

One of the great Australian tragedy's, losing our car industry.  Governments decided they didn't want to prop up the industry anymore, whereas it happens all over the world

Too right.

And have you been to a dealership recently?
Holden and Ford (and the others whilst here) kept the o/s manufacturers honest in parts pricing and lead times.
Not uncommon for cars to sit at dealerships for weeks, if not months waiting for parts ...and then the bill at the end.
Even the Jap stuff is getting harder.

3rd party conversion companies are borderline. Dodge is having plenty of issues with the RAM.
Issue is the RAM is a baseline vehicle in the States, we import it, pay the tax, then add on the conversion fees, it's $100,000+ by the time you get it on road. All for a US$38,000 truck.

Panels are getting thinner, paint is getting thinner. Panel beaters can barely match colours anymore because from factory they were applied so thin. Australia wasn't immune, VF's were terrible for it (even the W1 in the video above).

Some of the above the blame lies on the over-complicated tech used in lots of parts and of course ways to increase the profit margin (one less coat of paint), so Holden and Ford would've followed suit.
A single headlight assembly for example is commonly $600+ for a factory one (on something Euro). A VY (granted, yes, 20 years ago) was only $200 or so, but you can still buy a factory pair for $650.
Everything is getting 'smarter' however arguably more unreliable - people consider cars with 150,000km on them at the end of their years... what?

The new diesel stuff just isn't the same either. There's a reason all the big 4WD guys stick to their 80's Patrols and Cruisers. Simple mechanisms, easy to rebuild, and parts are everywhere.