Significant changes are inbound to the Holden brand, but even more so to Holden Special Vehicles, or HSV.
The performance arm responsible for building hopped up Holden Commodore variants has yet to strike a deal beyond 2017, the same year the VF Commodore Series II will exit production. At this point, it’s unclear where HSV could, and would, move to following the departure of the rear-wheel drive, V8-powered Commodore.
Mark Bernhard, Holden chairman and managing director, told Car Advice discussions were ongoing with HSV.
“We see them as an important adjunct to the Holden business and we’re happy to work with them,” Bernhard said.
But he stated no agreement has been made, saying, “No, not at this point in time. The discussions are ongoing around a number of different products.”
However, Premoso Pty Ltd, HSV’s operating company, thinks there is definitely a space for HSV after the Zeta-based Commodore is finished. Peter Keley, Holden executive director of sales, and Premoso Pty director, said the future opportunity is significant.
“They [HSV] have been a great part of the Holden image for a long time. The opportunity… everyone thinks of HSV one-dimensionally, the list of opportunities is significant.”
HSV has no history in developing non-Commodore based performance models save for the HSV VXR, which was a souped-up, previous generation Vauxhall Astra VXR. But the potential is certainly there, especially with a confirmed V8 sports car coming to the Holden brand.
HSV and Holden have now issued a joint statement on future business together. It reads:
Holden and HSV greatly value their strong partnership. As both Holden and HSV’s businesses fundamentally change and transform for the long term, we are confident of finding a successful path in the future, together. As usual, we don’t talk about future programs or negotiations, but Holden and HSV are both working closely on expanding their vehicle portfolios for the future.
Before Holden says farewell to the current Commodore, HSV is preparing a few special edition vehicles which are rumored to include a reborn HSV GTS-R.
Comments
The first thing Holden needs is something worth the effort, fwd HSV what a waste.
After what Crennan said about Ryan Walkinshaw’s “monumental mistakes” – you think Walkinshaw has any future with GM ever again ever? Too roight too maaaaate!
Anyway, what a pathetic name for a hot car division “HSV”. The only worse name I ever saw was Ford Australia’s “FPV”. What do they stand for? “Hot S**t Vegetables”? “Future Poo Variations”? Gotta say Caddy’s “V” is also not right. Could stand for “Venerable” which is not the sort of association that Caddy wants now it is trying to youth-up its image. I would go with hot Caddy’s being called “Cunningham Edition” after Briggs. The hipsters will love it.
After what Crennan said about Ryan Walkinshaw’s “monumental mistakes” – you think Walkinshaw has any future with GM ever again ever? Too roight too maaaaate!
Anyway, what a pathetic name for a hot car division “HSV”. The only worse name I ever saw was Ford Australia’s “FPV”. What do they stand for? “Hot Shyt Vegetables”? “Future Poo Variations”? Gotta say Caddy’s “V” is also not right. Could stand for “Venerable” which is not the sort of association that Caddy wants now it is trying to youth-up its image. I would go with hot Caddy’s being called “Cunningham Edition” after Briggs. The hipsters will love it.
Well what would you have called it? For a start, tuning houses like HSV and what was FPV are completely different to the V line that Cadillac has. For instance, HSV are not available at all Holden dealers, but at a selected few like what HDT Special Vehicles was like. Yes, FPVs were available at all Ford dealerships, but that didn’t really matter to HSV as FPV didn’t have anywhere near the volume HSV had in the past, let alone the volume they have now (a much higher percentage of all VF Commodore/WN Caprice sales are from the HSV F Series range than it was even ten years ago). Another difference is the Cadillac’s V line are all just slapped together on their production lines, HSVs and FPVs were not. Yes, they put in stuff like drivetrains and suspensions on the line, but the final fitment of things like the bodykit and final assembly happen at HSV’s Clayton facility and in FPV’s case, what was their facility (although the last FPVs were completely put together on Ford Australia’s production line. But the Cadillac V models are developed by Cadillac. HSVs have always been developed outside of Holden, and FPV and Tickford Falcons before that were developed by Prodrive and Tickford respectively. Tickford Falcons used to even initially have their final assembly in the UK, with their own Australian facility coming along later (which Prodrive then took over the premises when the BA came around for FPV)
You failed to mention the HSV Jackaroo of the mid nineties (a friend of mine used to have one) and the earlier HSV Astra SV1800 (basically a late eighties Nissan Pulsar with a bodykit and different trim and not much else) which were very early on in HSV’s history.