Local Stars Light Up Holden Stand At 2011 Melbourne Motor Show

SYDNEY – July 1, 2011: Holden’s talented design team is lighting up the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne with a host of locally-inspired creations soon to hit public roads.

With a proud history of designing and building prototype concept vehicles, Holden’s star of the Melbourne show is the stunning Colorado show truck that foreshadows a new-generation production model launching next year.

Styled and built in Holden’s Port Melbourne design studio, the top-secret Colorado project was led by 26-year-old creative designer Ben Last who applied Holden’s proud sports-performance design flair to the new-look workhorse.

Last, an industrial design graduate from Monash University worked on the Australian show truck project for more than a year, collaborating with General Motors’ Colorado homeroom and design studio in Brazil and teams in the US and Thailand.

“Leading a show car program is every young designer’s dream, so to get the opportunity to work on the Colorado concept for Australia has been amazing,” Last said.

“It’s been a real learning experience and a huge team effort. Transforming the concept from an initial sketch to a full-sized working vehicle has involved almost every area of the Holden design studio.

“It was a terrific program to work on as we were given the scope to really push the boundaries and create a refined, yet rugged looking vehicle that will hopefully whet people’s appetites for next year’s production model.

“The finished product has a fairly imposing presence, so we think that it will turn a few heads and draw people onto the Holden stand in Melbourne.”

Joining Holden’s Melbourne showcase is the all-new Cruze hatchback, also designed in Port Melbourne.

The striking five-door show car with its sweeping coupe roofline and short overhangs was built in the same studio as the Colorado and was first featured at last year’s Paris Motor Show in Chevrolet form.

Now adapted to reflect Holden’s design DNA, it serves as a precursor to the production version of the hatch being built at Holden Vehicle Operations in Adelaide for Australian motorists later in the year.

Design Manager Martin Love was one of several key players in the Cruze hatch project and worked closely with other GM design centres around the world.

“To have been involved in the development of such an important vehicle that will be sold by General Motors around the world is one of the highlights not only of my design career, but the entire team that worked on this project,” Love said.

“The customer base for the compact hatch market is probably the most diverse imaginable, so we really had to be creative in our approach.

“The design had to appeal to families through to empty nesters, as well as attract the young, trendy urban set.

“So we set about creating a sophisticated and eye-catching design that delivers all of the practicality, features and comfort families need.

“We’re very proud of the result.”

Also making its Australian debut at the 2011 Melbourne Motor Show is the all-new Barina, fresh from successful launches under the Chevrolet banner in the United States and Europe.

It too has an Australian link with Holden’s Ondrej Koromhaz, a former Wheels Magazine Young Designer of the Year, leading its advanced design work while on international assignment with GM Korea.

The smart five-door hatch will arrive in Holden showrooms later this year with fresh new styling and a high level of standard safety features in the sub-compact segment.

“Overall, we really wanted to give the car a sporty, assertive appearance – a vehicle that would appeal equally to men and women,” Koromhaz said.

“Therefore we made it almost coupe-like in its appearance by hiding the rear door handles. We also gave it agile, athletic proportions and a strong, purposeful stance.

“From every angle, the new Barina features exterior forms that convey strength, stability and sportiness.

“I think this car will look great on Australian roads.”

The Holden Design Studio is an important part of General Motors global design network, as one of only three facilities in the world with the capability to design and build prototype concept vehicles for exhibitions and international auto shows.