The end of an era: Holden axes its beloved Commodore after 40 years after sales slumped when the cars started being manufactured in Germany
Holden has axed the legendary Commodore after 40 years of production because of slow sales.
The iconic Australian model was the best selling car in the country for 15 years, with a peak of almost 95,000 sold in 1998.
So far this year there have been just 5,417 sales.
Despite its history, the continuing downturn in sales left the car giant with no choice but to announce the last Commodores would roll off the production line next year.
Holden has axed the legendary Commodore (pictured) after 40 years of production because of slow sales
In addition to the Commodore, Holden will also stop producing the popular Astra as it looks to shift its focus to SUV and four-wheel drives.
‘The company has elected to retire the ZB Commodore and the BK Astra in 2020,’ a statement released by Holden on Tuesday read.
The first Commodore hit the road in 1978 and since then has become an Australian icon.
Holden produced the cars in their South Australian plant until 2017, but a decision to move production to Germany did little to revive sales.
The car giant’s decision to axe the Commodore and Astra models follows a decline in sales over the last decade.
Less than 40,000 cars have been sold this year, compared to 106,000 in 2014.
This years result meant that more Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Hyundai i30’s were sold overall than Holden sold cars.
More to come