Opel Australia is to close its operations after less than a year of trading, General Motors has announced.
In a statement the automaker said the Australian market operations of Opel are “not financially viable” and it has therefore taken the decision to cease operations and commence winding down the sales network immediately.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Opel was intended to be a premium division in Australia; a rival for Volkswagen. Local buyers did not seem convinced by either the Corsa, Astra or Insignia, however, with just 989 cars sold in total during the first half of 2013, and only 541 in 2012. The Cascada had been due to be added to the range in January 2014.
Certain Opel models may yet be launched as Holdens in the future, the firm notes – a strategy that was employed with notable success for many years prior to 2012.
Author: Glenn Brooks
