Some more info about Opel leaving

[Theo]

Just some more info:- 11Sept2013

http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2013...ed-opels-38784
"Negotiations continue for possible return of Astra and other models from German brand’s failed retail bid


Opel’s discontinued Astra and other German-sourced Opel models could live on in Holden showrooms Down Under.

Having pulled out of Australia after less than a year of retailing under its own name, Opel could yet sell selected models in Australia badged as Holdens.

Negotiations have been underway since the German General Motors division announced its shock withdrawal from Australia in August, just 11 months after launching in the local market with the Corsa, Astra and Insignia.

“We are talking with Holden -- we are seeing what we can do,” Vice-President Opel/Vauxhall Communications Johan Willems told motoring.com.au at the Frankfurt motor show.

“There is no decision. But I can’t tell you where it is at right now because I am not close to it. ”

Willems declined to name the models that could potentially be under consideration for Holden, but possibilities include the high-performance Astra OPC (Opel Performance Centre) and the latest generation Combo van.

Based on the Astra GTC Coupe, the Astra OPC was launched in Australia alongside the OPC-fettled Barina and Insignia in February, acting as flagships for the Opel brand in Australia and the individual model lines they topped.

The 206kW Astra OPC would make some sense for Australia because Holden does not have access to a high-performance version of its small car, the locally-built Cruze. The Astra badge also carries some resonance because it was previously sold by Holden.

Another outside shot might be the new Opel Cascada because Holden does not have a convertible in its line-up, while the Zafira – which was days away from being launched when the axe fell on Opel in Australia, could provide it with a large people-emover.

The Combo van was sold by Holden before Opel came to Australia and the introduction of the latest generation, which remains unavailable in Australia, would fill another niche.

Willems said Opel’s withdrawal from Australia was driven by the realisation that a return on investment in the highly competitive and mature market would take many years to achieve.

The decision to axe Australia was made by new Opel MD Karl Thomas Neumann, the financially struggling company’s third boss in four years. He leads a management team totally reconstructed in the last 15 months.

“It was a pure business decision,” Willems said. “We just looked at it, like the new management has been looking into a lot of other things, and we need to get our business back to profit by mid-decade … so we are really trying to look into every aspect of the business.

“To be honest, on the Australian investment we couldn’t see anything positive coming out of it for a long, long time.”

Famously, former Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke told Australian journalists in 2011 he was targeting 15,000 sales for the brand in Australia in 2015. This year, to the end of August, it had sold 1215 cars.

“You can say ‘hey when you go into a market you know it’s going to take time to be profitable’ and we all understand that, but this case was so upside down we thought it better to make a short pain than struggling.”

Willems said he did not know how much money Opel stood to lose on its Australian venture, which included 15 head office staff and a 20 dealer network, but added “even if I knew I wouldn’t tell you”.

“Did we like the decision? No. But if you want to turn things around you need to make unpopular decisions and at first very averse. Nobody wants to do these sorts of things but we could not see how this could work.”

[hazrd]

The media is really dragging this on through a rapid pile of shyte

[Theo]

slow news week....

[rocky424]

The media is really dragging this on through a rapid pile of shyte

Yeah, I am more interested on how they would takecare of their customers...

[hazrd]

Yeah, I am more interested on how they would takecare of their customers...

Couldnt agree with you more there mate.

[kabel]

Would be a better idea to talk about their existing customer base who have actually handed over money during the last 11 months rather than trying to talk up getting new customers in the distant future.

Strange way to run a business.

Amazes me all these big companies who keep having major yearly management reshuffles only to find nothing actually improves !

[chris_r]

Yeah, I am more interested on how they would takecare of their customers...

I get the feeling this will be like how Hyundai Australia shaft their own customers in regards to warranty claims, only difference is Hyundai isn't playing pass the parcel and then just pissing off in a hurry.

[SAMARAI]

The lack of support and knowledge/willingness to work on the OPC's reminds me so much of the support/reaction that I get from mechanics/dealerships about my calibra.

Very ironic.. Minimal amount of sales in the OPC and calibra and then almost total customer service afterwards. Gotta fend for yourself sadly.. Since the calibra being introduced in Australia.. People haven't been having a good experience with Opel here in Oz