The Dinosaur that is

So has the speed inducing, growl and formidable lumbering of the locally grown V8 come to an eventual end? Has the rise of the opposition and call for the dismemberment of fossil fuels finally put an end to Australia's home grown and much lauded V8 franchise?

It has been a long 47 years since the inception of the first locally produced V8 and much has happened over the years.  Between the introduction of independent rear suspension to the whine and pull of a factory superchager, the Australian automotive scenery has much to thank for the humble Holden Commodore.

So is this truly the end of an era or did it merely open a door for future possibilities? I feel as if most of us have come to the realization that we won't be rumbling around with the sound of masculinity through the suburbs for the rest of our lives. Some of you may have seen the end coming and snapped up a few of the last, reasonably well-kept models, and have them lovingly kept within the confines of your man cave.  Some of you may have been a tad late and picked up anything you can at the expense of a few stockies and a loud Friday night at the legal or not so legal skid pan.

Regardless of whether you have one or not, the Commodore as we know will soon cease to exist.  Will the next incarnation be pulled around by a 4 cylinder along the lines of a larger Astra? Will anyone buy it?  Bottom line is we will end up with another Camry, a white econo-box that gets us from A to B with the possible weekend getaway to C.  That's what the big automotive manufacturers see at least anyway. Small cars that use minimal amount of fuel with the least possible personality so as to not detract from the functional machine it is meant to be.  The automotive equivalent to those Styrofoam boxes the lite 'n' easy meals come in.

Whilst Holden and Ford's bottom line numbers have improved this year, especially over the Korean multinational that everyone knows and loves - Hyundai -  the fate of the pants tightening V8 is all but sealed.

What is to happen with the automotive scene now? We know now that Mazda executives have approved the design of the RX9, the eventual successor to the RX7, but what are Holden to do? reinvent the Torana with a turbo 4? Import as many GM produced yank tanks ala Ford's Mustang? I guess its back to yard finds and troweling the dust pages of old auto magazines.

End rant


See you at the track
- Willie