HSV to stay on in Oz after Holden ceases production in 2017

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We all know that the Holden brand will stop domestic production in 2017, but the Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) performance company will keep plugging away after Holden Commodore production ceases.

Image credit: www.hsv.com.au
Image credit: www.hsv.com.au

According to the blog post by GM Authority, HSV has just re-hired former Chief Engineer Joel Stoddart after a 12-month hiatus.

Not revealing what type of vehicles and what engines will power them, the return of Stoddart is proof enough that the business is here to stay.

HSV is technically somewhat separate from Holden and is partially owned by the Walkinshaw family.  Concerns were raised regarding the future of HSV when the Walkinshaw family announced they were considering a move to Detroit to tune vehicles; however, the return of Stoddart means that HSV has a much brighter future.

“There is a future for us to keep making great cars, and that’s why I’m here,” Stoddart told Cars Guide.

“We’re looking to the future and trying to realise some of the opportunities that are out there.”

Stoddart was the one who oversaw the development of the fastest car to ever come from Oz, the SV GTS, but left the company just a couple of weeks before the GTS was launched, to work for caravan company Jayco.

Holden wants to have the most market share in the Australian market by 2020 and plans to import three new models from Opel in Europe, so keeping HSV alive is just the kind of help the company needs.