Chevrolet SS

[philw]

 

ADELAIDE muscle will take on NASCAR racing as Holden today announces an export program to the US for the Commodore V8.

Though sales of the Elizabeth-produced sedan continue to slide in Australia, the powerful V8 will be exported to America where it will be sold with the Chevrolet SS Performance badge.

In that guise, it would also star for the heartland brand in the NASCAR stock car racing series, which runs second only to  Formula One in global  popularity.

The news follows Holden and the federal government's $1 billion, 10-year "co-investment" package announced in March.

That deal secured the long-term future for more than 2500 workers at Holden's Elizabeth plant and thousands of associated automotive industry workers throughout South Australia and interstate.
Holden has been testing left-hand drive cars on public roads in Victoria in recent weeks and running it head-to-head with one of its strongest potential rivals, the Dodge Charger, as it finalises its end of the important new deal.

Motorsport sources in the US hint an announcement about the new Chevrolet SS program is imminent, including the connection with Holden.

The dollar value of this historic deal is expected to be announced today.

Premier Jay Weatherill said: "The company is yet to confirm these reports, but Holden is an integral part of South Australia's manufacturing base and any opportunity the company can take to showcase itself on a world stage is excellent."

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary John Camillo said any increase in exports by Holden was a good thing for South Australian workers.

"The more they export, the better it is for workers at the Elizabeth," he said.

The Chevrolet connection is a revival of the major export deal that saw the Commodore sold in the US as the Pontiac G8 until the US brand was closed when General Motors was forced into bankruptcy in the global financial crisis. Numbers now are likely to be lower but the profile higher with the NASCAR connection.

Former GM Holden president Mark Reuss, now head of GM operations in the US, was yesterday dodging questions on a link between the SS program and Commodore.

Holden chairman Mike Devereux also refused to comment.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/motorsport/holden-commodore-to-become-nascar-star/story-e6frecuu-1226357727813

[sledgemeister]

Not a real fan of the later model SS.
Now if it was the Walkinshaw

[philw]

Not a real fan of the later model SS.

I am having driven one  ( and going to be going for a test drive in a HSV R8  or GTS soon )

Now if it was the Walkinshaw

you forgot HDT

[Timothy]

Sorry Phil but I'm unimpressed.

As to the article, GM wasn't forced into bankruptcy due to the global economic crisis.  They were forced due to poor management, terrible contracts with their unions, extensive debt and building really big, poorly designed, ugly trucks and automobiles with terrible reliability ratings!

I repeat an earlier story...my father worked for GM for thirty years and rarely drove one!

[Hazcat]

Phil, Just tell Holden to make sure they get paid BEFORE delivery.

[Sponsor]

[twyacht]

I'll take this one:


Or this one:


 

They put a V8 in that "little" sedan? The pistons must be really small.....

 

[philw]

Sorry Phil but I'm unimpressed.

Ford fan then 

As to the article, GM wasn't forced into bankruptcy due to the global economic crisis.  They were forced due to poor management, terrible contracts with their unions, extensive debt and building really big, poorly designed, ugly trucks and automobiles with terrible reliability ratings!

Holden survived and was still making good $$$   and are different to GM's 
and they are not ugly trucks 

I repeat an earlier story...my father worked for GM for thirty years and rarely drove one!

see first part of reply  hehe

[Pathfinder]

Looks like a Japo-box or Korea-kar



Yawn.

Except maybe for the whole V8 thing.

[Timothy]

Ford fan then 

Yes and for good reason.  I've owned them all at one point or another, new, used, free....etc...

I keep coming back to what works, gives me a good value and doesn't break very often.

The worst was Plymouth, GM was a close second and I've had little or no problem with the six or seven Fords I've had in the last forty years!  You're young...you don't remember the late 70's or 80's!  It was a really bad decade to say the least!

[blackwolfe]

Yes and for good reason.  I've owned them all at one point or another, new, used, free....etc...

I keep coming back to what works, gives me a good value and doesn't break very often.

The worst was Plymouth, GM was a close second and I've had little or no problem with the six or seven Fords I've had in the last forty years!  You're young...you don't remember the late 70's or 80's!  It was a really bad decade to say the least!

My first car was a hand me down Plymouth Fury I four door with a 318 before Chrysler messed that engine up.  Wasn't much on style or much to look at after 4 accidents that didn't get fixed (my brother was hit 3 times in a week), but got pretty good gas mileage for a 60's V-8.  Car was a real sleeper.  I surprised a lot of the sportier cars when I mashed the accelerator to the floor.  That car was better than subsequent Datsun PU, Chevy PU, Ford PU, and two Chrysler minivans with crap transmissions.  The older Toyota Jeep style Land Cruiser was in a seperate catagory altogether.  Have been very happy with two Hondas and two Subarus.
All that said, would love to have a muscle car from the 60's era.