Rüsselsheim/Melbourne. Opel will export vehicles to Australia and New Zealand as of next year. The cars will be offered under the name of the Australian GM brand Holden.The models will be the Astra GTC and the ultra-sporty Astra VXR, known as Opel Astra OPC. In addition, the elegant Cascada convertible and the top performance OPC version of the Insignia sedan will also be offered there.
Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann: “We at Opel/Vauxhall are pleased to manufacture these high-quality automobiles at our European plants for Holden. With their performance, design and quality, these vehicles will meet highest expectations. This is the second piece of good news regarding exports within just a few weeks. Around one month ago, we were able to announce that we will be manufacturing Buick vehicles for the American market in our Rüsselsheim plant."
Holden CEO Gerasimos Dorizas: "Thanks to the strong and long-established cooperation between the GM brands in Europe and Australia, we can offer our customers outstanding products with top technology. These cars will be niche models that are a perfect complement to our brand portfolio."
In August last year, Opel announced it would cease activities as an independent brand after the Australian market conditions deteriorated dramatically and it no longer made economic sense to continue its own operations. At the time Opel indicated it would consider selling Opel models under the local GM brand Holden in the future. Opel/Vauxhall and Holden enjoy a long history of sharing and exchanging technology and vehicles.
