Holden Auctions

Since the announcement from GM that Holden will be closing in Australia, prices have gone through the roof, turning what were once considered unpopular vehicles into sought after collectors items.

Holden values skyrocket

Once the most popular car in Australia, then a dying brand, and now an Australia icon again. A friend of mine purchased a Holden about 12 months before GM’s decision. Not thinking too much of it, and being a fan of Holden and especially HSV, he purchased one as his daily driver. One year and one automotive company down the track, people are literally knocking on his door asking if he would sell it for 2 to 3 times what he paid the previous year. He asked me, if people are pulling me up in the street and coming to my house now, what will it be worth if I hold onto it until they become more rare?

Grabbing a piece of Australian history

The more supply of something, the less the value. Foreign to most of the world, Holden is true blue Aussie, racing v8 supercars and, like they say, nothing sounds like a v8, even better with some muffler work done. Each year existing Holden vehicles will slowly disappear, some to wrecking yards after road accidents, others from rust and mechanical failure due to the owner’s lack of patience or time to do maintenance, and many other reasons that will take the once pride and joy make off the road. The term “barn find” is always appealing to bargain hunters and collectors, turning what we currently consider modern or late-model, into dusty, garaged-for-years golden nuggets.

Collector Holden and HSV vehicles

Most people think buying a Holden right now would be a nest egg for their future, but not all Holdens are equally valuable, so take into account model history, engine, colour, kms, previous ownership and other factors. An example of a bad investment would be a high-km Holden Barina built in Korea (actually an offshore vehicle rebadged as a Holden). Although the last Holden Commodores were foreign-built, rebadged vehicles, the last ever Aussie Holden Commodore built was at 10.45am on Friday the 20th of October 2017. As of October 2020, there are only 300 new Holdens for sale at dealerships across the country.

From time to time, you’ll find Holden-specific car auctions across Australia, but for the most part you’ll find them mixed in amongst normal auctions or classic car auctions.

For more information, visit important information about buying at car auctions

To find for your local auto auction, search the Australian auction timetable