With Holden to cease domestic operations later this month, Sunday’s Bathurst 1000 was the final event where all Holdens and Fords were built domestically.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While many Supercars fans agreed it would be disappointing not seeing any Australian-made cars in the 2018 season, there was optimism that the Holden-Ford rivalry would remain strong.
Supercars fan Ben Alexander said it was not ideal to see Supercars being made overseas.
“It’s a loss of tradition. The money will now go back to the parent companies in the USA,” he said.
“When the Formula One introduced V6 engines, it was a different noise and many fans weren’t happy. I think that might happen here when we change from the V8 to V6 engines in Supercars.”
He said the famous Holden-Ford rivalry may be affected, with car manufacturers being based overseas.
“It may taint the rivalry. It has always been there but with the younger generation coming through, in five to 10 years the rivalry will be very different,” Mr Alexander said.
Max Musumeci, from Sydney, said it was not good to see manufacturers move abroad.
“Once it’s gone, it’ll be a major hit to Supercars. It’ll taint the rivalry [of Holden and Ford] and we might see it die out fast,” he said.
Joel Everett was at his fifth Bathurst 1000 on Sunday and it was not a long trip from his native Orange.
He said it would be a “bad thing” not to have any Australian-made cars in the 2018 Supercars season.
“It’s devastating. It’s really not a good thing,” he said.
“I wonder what is in front for Supercars. Will there be more manufacturers?”
While Bathurst resident Robert Mack said it was pretty sad not to have locally-constructed cars, he was optimistic Supercars would still have a strong future.
“I’m a Holden fan but it won’t feel like the V8s without the car being built here,” he said.
“However, the crowds will still come. The Holden-Ford rivalry will still be fine. It may open doors for other manufacturers like Toyota to be involved.
“It’s the tradition to have both Holden and Ford. As long as Holden and Ford is still involved, I think Supercars will be fine.”
Holden will close its Australian factory doors on October 20, when 1000 workers will be made redundant.
Holden has been manufacturing since 1908