If the Toyota Camry’s status as best-selling passenger vehicle in the US for the last several years is impressive, then the Holden Commodore is outright amazing. The Zeta-based series of GM’s Australian arm has been the top seller in the country for fourteen (1.4×10^1) consecutive years. Official numbers from Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries indicate Holden sold 44,387 of the domestically produced Commodore in 2009, maintaining the lead it has held since 1996.
The Commodore, introduced 30 years ago, was not alone in celebrating gains. Holden sold 119,568 vehicles in Australia in 2009, good for 12.8% of the market, second behind Toyota. Sales were 20% greater last month than they were a year ago. Moreover, the Cruze sold 12,590 units since its launch in June; the Captiva (aka Saturn Vue) sold 11,504 units, a 14% increase over 2008; the Colorado 4×4 sold 11,002 units.
January 2010 numbers further suggest increasing momentum for all of those models as well as the Barina, which sold 1,379 units in January. Holden’s Director of Sales and Marketing, John Elsworth, called January the best month on record since the same period in 2007. The Sydney Morning Herald notes that while the end of a tax break for small businesses limited sales somewhat, the strong results nonetheless will improve consumer confidence.
[Sources: GM 1, GM 2, Sydney Morning Herald, Automotive World]
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