General Motors’ Australian unit Holden has begun exporting its latest Commodore to Brazil as the Chevrolet Omega.
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This is the 10th year of exports to Brazil from the company’s assembly plant in Elizabeth, South Australia state.
From next year, cars built by Holden will be sold around the world under five different nameplates, including a new Pontiac sports sedan line for the US.
GM Holden chairman and managing director, Chris Gubbey, said the automaker was able to invest $A1bn in the VE Commodore programme thanks to ongoing export opportunities. Both the VE and the longer wheelbase derivative WM Statesman and Caprice were developed as global cars, he said.
“VE and WM are generating a great response from our global GM partners, so much so that we expect to export 50% of the vehicles we make by the end of next year,” he added.
“At the end of 2007, our vehicle manufacturing operation will run at maximum capacity, thanks to the strength of our export programmes.”
Export manager Kristian Aquilina said the E24 ethanol mix-capable Omega is sold in Brazil as Chevrolet’s flagship model. Since 1998, Holden has shipped over 9,000 vehicles to Brazil.
Holden began exporting – to New Zealand – in 1954, six years after it was established as Australia’s national car brand. Volume peaked during the 1960s when the cars were sold worldwide in markets as diverse as Hawaii and Greece before tailing off after left-hand drive models were dropped in 1971.
The company resumed LHD exports about a decade ago with the Brazilian Omega and Chevrolet-badged models for the Middle East. It shipped a total of 46,074 vehicles overseas last year.
