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Brace yourselves Holden fans, its time for a new Commodore!

VF Commodore
New VF Commodore


Once a long time ago, this news would have been greeted by queues of loyal Holden buyers outside their local dealership all ready to place orders for the newcomer.

Sadly for Holden those days are long gone, in fact Holden have taken a leaf from the Mitsubishi big car marketing book and decide the way to sell the VF is to discount the hell out of it! That’s right Holden have dropped the prices across the VF range anywhere from $3500 to $10,000!

Recall if you will, the Mitsubishi 380 (actually a Magna regardless of nametag) after facelifting the TE-TL Magna more times than even Mitsubishi count the 380 arrived with much fanfare – the only problem was, no one noticed!

Mitsubishi decide the only way to move the Series I, II and III models lying around in dealerships was to move the price point until buyers starting sniffing.

Holden is now faced with a slightly different problem and it has a couple of prongs – Small car is now king and Australia has forged a love affair with the SUV and traditional big cars are now about as popular as Rolf Harris, which is a shame because in reality Australia (read Holden) builds the best rear wheel drive sedans in the world. Forget about Jags, BMW’s and Mercedes for a minute, value for money these cars are the goods!

No doubt at the moment there are a lot of crossed fingers at Holden HQ, there needs to be because the Commodore replacement will be Front wheel drive, thirstier and uglier then the Commodore Don’t believe me?


Malibu
Holden Malibu - just peel the Chevy badge off!


Just take a look at the upcoming Holden Malibu to see why!


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The arrival of a new Rolls Royce is a significant event for those lucky and financial enough to consider one, so the new Wraith Coupe has arrived and it has been pitched directly at the buyers of that other heavy hitting coupe, the Bentley Continental GT. The only question is did RR have to make the Wraith so damn ugly?

Rolls Royce Wraith
Rolls Royce Wraith


A walk through the Rolls Royce range reveals the Phantom, available in as a sedan with a choice of wheelbases, a stately coupe and also the ritzy convertible with teak trim (sigh). Under the Phantom, lies the Ghost, a sedan with two wheelbases designed to be driven by owners who prefer to drive rather than being driven. The Wraith is in reality a Ghost Coupe, which like its big brother coupe also come with the option of the twinkly LED headlining, which, if programmed correctly can display your astrological sign, nice touch but will it illuminate Uranus?

Back to the Wraith, in times past when Rolls Royce were no more than a supplier of rolling chassis and each car was built by a coachbuilder, the design of each car was chosen by the obscenely rich owner. Some of these cars were stunningly opulent and gorgeous, others less so, the Frau bodied Phantom which took about ten years to build springs to mind.

With such a lengthy and regal design heritage to draw on Autoloud has to ask the question as to why did Rolls Royce draw inspiration from a 1970s model Subaru Leone Hardtop? Check the same sturdy flanks, the line of the back window sloping into the boot-lid or the same narrow window opening and side profile.

Subaru Leone
Check the looks on this coupe!


Hopefully RR will soon realise they need a drophead version of the Wraith ASAP – do everyone a favour; chop the roof off that bulldog puppy!

Autoloud has just realised that this theory does bring another issue – if Rolls Royce do build a convertible and a tasteless owner paints one pink, you will have a vehicle which will be replica of Lady Penelope’s car from Thunderbirds.

Save my eyes - Someone please pass me that Bentley brochure!



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The Australian International Motor show is dead for 2013, why? Maybe its just resting! Blame a general lack of interest from the manufacturers, and also us the buying public.

You see once upon a time Motor shows where special events somewhere people went to dream and every year the manufacturers delivered something new and shiny. It may only have been a restyled speaker cover but it was an improvement over the previous year’s models.

Motorshow



In the 1950’s when American manufacturers produced a facelift every year, there was an expectation that new models would arrive every year without fail, now we are not talking about a new bumper or grille but a complete new car. Remember the 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevys?

Across the Atlantic, showgoers in the UK would flock to the small independent manufacturers stands leave deposits and place orders for their new Morgans or Bristols, because that was the British way. Mind you they also used to have young ladies who had forgotten to dress on that particular show week and were draped all over their cars. Mmm, Cars and Sex who would have thought? The thought that a large manufacturer would place sales people on their stands was considered to be a waste of time. Small (and large) boys could happily collect brochures, postcards and all kinds of other automobilia to while away the winter hours without being pestered.

Motorshow
The good old days!



It costs a fortune to hire and construct a show stand so the problem with motor shows now is they are now no more than sales events to shift metal. As a result have you ever gone to one and tried to get a brochure? Sure you can have one but you have to supply everything including Blood type, name of first born and also mother’s maiden name – it is infuriating for those of us who appreciate cars (NO - I do not mean Ford Falcons!) and collect such items or use them for research.

Use my trick, get your brochures, give them a follow up name and address and lie! Sure I buy cars, but if I want to look at them I do it on my terms, not theirs!


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Range Rover - the dirty limo!

February 25th 2013 13:49
There is an old automotive industry joke: What is the difference between a Range Rover and a Hedgehog?

On the Hedgehog the pricks are on the outside


[ Click here to read more ]
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Ich bein ein Mercedes Benz!

December 25th 2012 12:24
After months of consideration Autoloud can now report that the latest addition to the driveway collection has arrived.

With a three pointed star on the chrome plated grille, this five door wagon is an interesting hybrid - NO - relax, not in that way, only one battery is this one


[ Click here to read more ]
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Where are the Keys???

November 8th 2012 12:52
If you hail from any country held within Her Imperial Majesty's Commonwealth, no doubt you will have (at some stage) driven or been a passenger in a Morris Minor.

Morris Minor
MInor Minor

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Lada - More popular than Red October!

September 12th 2012 14:10
Ah, Welcome Western Comrades to moment of great sadness for car driving peoples from behind curtain of iron.

Is time for number one selling Russian automobile to go to communist scrap heap in the sky, da, is time for Lada 2107 to die


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No matter where you are in the world – your roads are now chocked full with SUVs.

Sales continue to grow but once upon a time SUVs where called “four wheel drives” and were driven by people such as farmers, emergency workers and hardy folk who just enjoyed the great outdoors. They were difficult to drive and simple in their engineering. Those days are long gone


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Holden Volt price delivers

August 2nd 2012 11:13
Here in the land “Downunder” the auto market is about to be filled with a shock (good collective noun there!) of hybrid/electric cars.

The question that Autoloud has to ask is why are they so expensive?? The Holden/Chevy/Vauxhall/Opel - Volt/ Ampera is already being trumpeted as the saviour of the motoring world – which of course it isn’t – and with a sticker price around $60,000 AUD – who is going to buy this thing


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RIP Falcon

July 18th 2012 14:27
There is an old saying that tells us:

“Lightning never strikes the same place twice


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