GMSV rolls into action, starting with a familiar big pick-up

The Chevrolet Silverado has a new custodian – will it also get a new price?

THE big American pickup that saw out Holden Special Vehicles has returned to this market in identical form but with a new distributor, this time directly aligned with General Motors.

Confirmation that the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 - which landed in limited count from April - will lead the push by General Motors Specialty Vehicles, with the Silverado 2500 and Corvette C8 sports car to follow next year, has been expected.

 The new operation says it cannot yet release the 1500’s price yet. Does this raise speculation that the model under GMSV might not cost as much as it did under HSV, which laid down a base sticker of $123,990?

That’s yet to be clarified by the new operation – which has effectively picked up the HSV dealers network in NZ.

The changeover was long expected but could not be officially announced, let alone swung into action, until HSV ceased to be. That happened at the end of October.

 The Silverado we get now is as before, including how it is made. The vehicle is  remanufactured to right-hand-drive by Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Australia, at the same plant that does the same job on RAM trucks. 

The New Zealand operation involves Kiwis who were well known at Holden New Zealand. The general manager is Matthew Taylor, who joined Holden NZ in 2017 and was product marketing manager then national sales manager. Prior to that, he was with Bayford Group and had positions with BMW and Volkswagen in Australia.

GMSV’s NZ communications are in the hands of Ed Finn, who held the corporate communications role at Holden NZ.

Also, Marc Ebolo, the last boss of Holden NZ, is now the new managing director of General Motors in Australia and New Zealand. That position sees the Melbourne native leading Holden Aftersales operations in both countries, as well GMSV regionally.

GMSV see good potential for the Silverado, stating believe that North American full-size trucks are redefining the ute market here and in Australia.

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado comes with a 6.2 litre EcoTec3 V8 petrol engine married to a 10-speed auto transmission. The drivetrain has auto stop/start technology and a fuel management system. 

Towing capacity is 4.5 tonnes. It has a tow/haul mode, trailer sway control, hill start assist and auto grade and cruise grade braking.

Said Taylor: “Kiwis are renowned adventurers and love getting off the beaten track into the great outdoors, and the new Silverado 1500 will be the perfect vehicle to help enhance this experience.

“In addition to its all-wheel drive go-anywhere capability, it's also the ideal vehicle for people who want the ability to tow 4.5-tonnes as well as enjoy a wide range of creature-comforts.”

Holden taking stock

If you’re up for a new Holden fresh off the boat … then, good news.

SOME have moved on from the franchise, many have pulled down the signage – but for the few yards still sticking by Holden, there are still cars to sell …. including a surprise final shipment.

Talk about a last-minute consignment of Astras and a couple Commodores from Opel has been circulating the traps.

It’s thought these are cars Holden tried to cancel, only to be told by the Germans ‘you ordered ‘em, you’re getting ‘em’.

They should have been here well before now but had been further delayed by Covid-related assembly and shipping issues.

What happens next to the cars has not been made clear. Unsold Holdens here already are subject to clearance sale. There’s talk that this stock might be registered by the end of the month, then on-sold – perhaps firesaled – as used vehicles. 

It’s no use asking Holden New Zealand: That operation is down to skeleton staff and one of the first out the door, at the end of June, was its corporate affairs manager. It was just how the redundancy schedule rolled.

All this occurs as Holden goes into its death throe. While the brand doesn’t officially cease until December, the new vehicle sales side might well have resolved by then.

Certainly, quite a few franchises have also moved on. The country’s oldest Holden outlet, Wagg Motors in Masterton, is now selling Hyundais. The Auckland and Wellington retailers have pulled down their hoardings. It’s thought fewer than 10 franchises are still operating as sellers of new Holden cars. 

The special vehicles operations responsible for the Chevrolet Silverado truck and incoming product including the Corvette and – according to rumour – a hot Cadillac sedan, has yet to transfer from Holden Special Vehicles to new operator General Motors Special Vehicles. Some current HSV dealers in this country are already lining up to be GMSV agents. And GMSV has already appointed a general manager for New Zealand.

Appointed by GMNZ in August, Matthew Taylor is a former Holden NZ employee. HE joined that operation on 2017 and was product marketing manager then national sales manager. Prior to that, he was with Bayford Group and had positions with BMW and Volkswagen in Australia. He has declined to be interviewed.

In Australia, meantime, the winding down process has included the sale of the iconic GM Holden Proving Ground at Lang Lang in Victoria to Vietnamese automotive maker Vinfast, which has employed a number of Holden engineers.

Also, here and there, Holden's customer-facing website has dropped all references to its vehicles and now delivers the most basic information about the brand, including warranty and service information.

The company’s Melbourne head office has been silent about plans to farewell the brand internally. 

The upcoming Bathurst 1000 will mark the last Supercars race where Holden will feature as a factory team.