That’s the key question that will be answered soon as GM and Walkinshaw Group continue to engage in high-level discussions about the future of their Holden Special Vehicles joint venture.
The Melbourne-based JV currently converts GM’s Silverado pickup and Camaro sports-coupe to right-hand-drive, along with a couple of hundred left-over RHD Colorado utes into the upmarket HSV Sportscat. These are wholesaled to 65 Australasian HSV dealers, including six located in New Zealand.
The branding issue is likely to be sorted first in the ongoing discussions between GM and Walkinshaw, and it would appear that the ball is in GM’s court judging by by a remark made by Walkinshaw boss, Tim Jackson, when asked to confirm the future branding of the JV’s vehicles at the launch of the new Silverado 1500. (The new Silverado model converted by Walkinshaw has a Chevrolet badge on the grille, and a discreet HSV decal in the middle of the lower rear window.)
“We’re not in the naming game,” said Jackson.
GMSV has been reported by some Australian publications as the future brand for the cars to be marketed by the JV in the future. Walkinshaw also converts Dodge Ram pickups in a joint venture with Ateco Australia, and those vehicles bear the ASV brand. So which will it be? GMSV, ASV, or HSV? We’ll know within the next four-six weeks according to Jackson.
“We’re working on what the new world (after Holden) will look like, and we’re making good progress.
“If we do a great job, the opportunities will come to us – we have the capacity to run up to 10,000 vehicles per annum.”
Currently, HSV is phasing out Camaro SS conversions, having made the decision not to convert any 2020 SS models, but will continue to convert the supercharged ZL1 version of the sports-coupe. The Camaro SS could return to the Australasian market in 2021 if GM gives its blessing. A right-hook version of the new mid-engine Corvette is also likely to be focus of the current negotiations.
“It’s all up to GM, but we like making cars better – it’s a lot of fun. Performance is still a space that we want to operate in.”
If customers can’t wait until 2021 for a new Camaro, Jackson says that there are currently 200-250 MY2019 versions available through HSV dealers. He also confirmed that there is a lot of interest in the remaining Colorado-based HSV Sportscat models.
“The Sportscat will lose its core vehicle in the short term, but we still have stock of Colorado and we’ll still build (Sportscats) with them.”
Jackson wouldn’t confirm any future plans to convert the massive Chevrolet Suburban SUV to right-hand-drive despite it being able to use many of the components that HSV developed for the new Silverado.
Although Jackson couldn’t make any announcements at the launch of the Silverado 1500, he adopted a positive tone throughout the interview that suggested the joint venture with GM would continue. The HSV facility at Clayton is impressive, and now includes Australia’s largest vehicle testing facility to ensure that the RHD conversions have the same integrity as the OE donor vehicles. GM president, Mark Reuss, paid a visit to the facility 18 months ago.