Holden cars were made by General Motors, the American automaker that owned and operated the Australian brand from 1931 until it shut down local manufacturing in 2017 and retired the Holden name entirely in 2021.
Holden began as an Adelaide saddlery business before moving into car body building, and it eventually became Australia first large scale domestic car manufacturer under General Motors ownership.
General Motors closed the Holden brand after years of shrinking sales, a strong Australian dollar that made local manufacturing costly, and a small domestic market that could not support a dedicated factory.
This guide covers who made Holden, its founding history, why General Motors ended the brand, where Holden vehicles were built, its most famous models, and what replaced Holden in Australia.
Table of Contents
Who Made Holden Cars?
Holden was wholly owned and manufactured by General Motors, the publicly traded American automaker headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GM.
General Motors operated Holden as its dedicated Australian subsidiary, building cars specifically engineered and styled for Australian and New Zealand roads and conditions.
Holden was never an independent public company on its own; General Motors held full ownership from the 1931 merger until the brand final retirement in 2021.
| Brand Name | Holden |
| Parent Company | General Motors Company |
| Headquarters | Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Founded | 1856, as J. A. Holden and Co. |
| GM CEO | Mary Barra |
| Manufacturing Ended | October 2017 |
| Brand Retired | 2021 |
| Ownership Type | Discontinued, wholly owned GM subsidiary |
When Was Holden Founded and Who Started It?
Holden traces its roots to 1856, when James Alexander Holden opened a saddlery business in Adelaide, South Australia, long before automobiles existed.
The company moved into car body building under Holden Motor Body Builders in 1917, fitting locally made bodies onto imported chassis for the Australian market.
General Motors purchased the struggling business during the Great Depression in 1931, merging it with its existing Australian operations to form General Motors Holden.
The partnership produced the first fully Australian designed and built car, the Holden 48 215, in 1948, cementing Holden reputation as the national car brand.
Holden Corporate Milestones
James Alexander Holden opens a saddlery in Adelaide that later evolves into a body building firm.
General Motors merges with Holden Motor Body Builders to form General Motors Holden.
The Holden 48 215 becomes the first car designed and built entirely in Australia.
Holden partners with Tom Walkinshaw Racing to create high performance HSV variants.
The Elizabeth, South Australia plant builds its final Commodore on October 20, 2017.
General Motors formally retires the Holden nameplate and launches GM Specialty Vehicles in its place.
Why Did General Motors Shut Down Holden?
General Motors cited a strong Australian dollar, high local manufacturing costs, and a small domestic market as the main reasons it ended Holden production.
Sedan sales fell sharply across Australia as buyers shifted toward imported SUVs, making it harder for a dedicated local factory to stay profitable.
A planned rebadging strategy that relied on imported models diluted Holden identity and failed to replace the lost volume from the closed factory.
General Motors ultimately decided that continuing to sell a shrinking lineup of rebadged imports under the Holden name no longer made business sense.
Holden by the Numbers
Over more than 16 decades, Holden grew from a small saddlery into Australia most recognized car brand before General Motors wound it down.
Those figures reflect one of the largest manufacturing histories of any Australian company, which is part of why the closure drew such wide public attention.
Where Were Holden Vehicles Made?
Holden built most of its later vehicles at its Elizabeth plant near Adelaide, South Australia, which handled Commodore and Ute production until October 2017.
Earlier Holden manufacturing also took place at the Fishermans Bend and Pagewood plants in Victoria and New South Wales before operations consolidated in South Australia.
After 2017, General Motors continued selling Holden badged vehicles in Australia as imports until the brand fully retired in 2021, ending local design and engineering as well.
What Models Did Holden Make?
The Commodore was Holden best known model, serving as Australia top selling family car for much of the 1990s and 2000s.
The Holden Ute paired Commodore mechanicals with a pickup style bed, becoming a distinctly Australian vehicle style that few other markets offered.
Earlier icons included the Kingswood, Torana, and Monaro, with the Monaro name later reviving briefly as a performance coupe in the 2000s.
Holden Special Vehicles built high performance versions of these models, including the HSV GTS and Maloo, which remain sought after by collectors.
How Does Holden Compare to Other Discontinued GM Brands?
General Motors has retired several brands over the decades as it consolidated its global lineup, with Holden joining a list that includes Pontiac and Saab, both covered in our guides on who makes Pontiac and who makes Saab.
Like Pontiac, Holden built a loyal following around performance sedans, and like Saab, it operated largely as a regional brand serving one core market.
Each closure followed a similar pattern of shrinking sales, high fixed costs, and General Motors deciding the brand no longer fit its global strategy.
Is a Used Holden Worth Buying or Collecting Today?
- Strong local parts and mechanic knowledge across Australia and New Zealand
- V8 Commodore and HSV variants hold genuine collector interest
- Simple, robust mechanicals on most rear wheel drive models
- Large secondhand market with relatively affordable entry prices
- No factory warranty or official General Motors support remains
- Some badge engineered later models offer little collector appeal
- Parts supply for rare or imported era Holdens can be limited
- Values for common variants can be unpredictable without brand backing
A well maintained Commodore SS or HSV model can be a rewarding ownership experience, with strong enthusiast community support keeping many cars on the road.
Buyers should budget for independent mechanics rather than dealer service, since Holden no longer operates a factory backed dealer network in Australia.
What Replaced Holden in Australia?
General Motors launched GM Specialty Vehicles, known as GMSV, in 2020 to sell right hand drive converted Chevrolet models in Australia and New Zealand.
GMSV currently imports the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and Chevrolet Corvette sports car, filling part of the gap left by Holden departure.
Holden Special Vehicles, the performance partner behind many collectible Holdens, transitioned into GMSV engineering work rather than continuing under the Holden name.
Frequently Asked Questions About Who Makes Holden
Is Holden still owned by General Motors?
Holden remained a wholly owned General Motors brand throughout its history, though General Motors retired the nameplate entirely in 2021 and no longer uses it.
When did Holden stop making cars?
Holden built its last Australian made vehicle, a Commodore, at the Elizabeth plant on October 20, 2017, ending more than six decades of local manufacturing.
Can you still buy a new Holden?
No, General Motors stopped selling new Holden branded vehicles after 2020 and fully retired the brand name and dealer network in 2021.
What replaced Holden in Australia?
General Motors replaced Holden with GM Specialty Vehicles, which imports right hand drive Chevrolet Silverado and Corvette models to Australian buyers.
For background on the closure announcement, see the official Holden announcement page.
Additional company history is available on the Holden Wikipedia page, and coverage of the brand closure is available from Autocar.
Collectors researching a used Holden should always have a prepurchase inspection done by a mechanic experienced with the specific model generation, since factory support is no longer available for warranty or recall work.
Insurance and registration rules for older Holdens vary by state in Australia, so buyers should confirm requirements with their local transport authority before finalizing a purchase.
Despite the brand closure, Holden name recognition remains strong across Australia, and enthusiast clubs continue to preserve the cars and their engineering history.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.