OPEL Australia shut it door for good after 12 month of operation!

[MAFIA]

OPEL Australia has announced it is shutting down its operations.

The German-based European brand of General Motors posted a release regarding the shutdown on Friday afternoon, which states the brand will "cease operations and will commence winding down its network immediately".

Opel Australia's head of marketing and public relations, Michelle Lang, says the cut-throat competition in the small car market was the chief reason the brand decided to shut its doors.

Opel Australia has announced it is shutting down its operations.

"Astra is our volume driver, everything is just so competitively priced in that end of the market," Lang says. "We just can't match that without cutting into our profits.

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"It's commercially not viable for us to compete at that level," Lang says of the $19,990 drive-away deals being offered by brands in the small car segment.

Lang says that buyers who have recently purchased Opel models needn't worry, claiming the company will "fulfill every obligation" to its customers. It is expected that Holden will take over the servicing duties and sales of the brand's remaining stock over the coming months, although Lang confirmed that Holden had not been consulted regarding the German brand's closure.

"They're not going to be disadvantaged," she says of the existing Opel customers - although it is expected that the resale value of the few cars that have been sold - less than 1600, according to FCAI sales figures - will be adversely affected.

The release states Opel will enter into negotiations with fellow General Motors brand Holden over the potential for Holden-badged niche products. The most obvious contender would be the Opel Astra OPC high-performance hot-hatch.

Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt declined to comment on speculation of any individual model tie-ups.

Opel highlighted Volkswagen as its prime competitor and, while it conceded that it would take time to build sales, the brand never looked like threatening the well established German rival.

Since going on sale in August 2012, Opel sales have been slow, with just 1530 sold to June 2013. In comparison, Volkswagen sells more than triple that each month.

The demise of Opel locally is the latest in a line from General Motors.

During the global financial crisis it axed off-road brand Hummer and shelved plans to reintroduce the Cadillac brand to Australia. Prior to that, South Korean brand Daewoo, also owned by General Motors, was killed off locally.

Globally, too, GM has gone through its fair share of turmoil, having filed for bankruptcy during the GFC and subsequently being forced to shut down its Pontiac and Hummer brands.

Opel was always something a thorn in Holden’s side. While it was pitched as a more upmarket European alternative to the mainstream Holden models, the reality is the two ended up competing to some extent.

The Astra, in particular, was seen to potentially be stealing sales from the locally-produced Holden Cruze, which shared many mechanical components.

Customers with questions on the Opel closure are urged to contact the customer service line, on 1800 993 677.

News link and video here.
http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor..._newsletter_v1

Anyone here bought an Opel?

[DJM83]

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11401802