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It made no sense, the feeling of defeat in the air for people who weren’t even fans of the lion brand like myself, but it was still evident that we would likely never see a return to a uniquely Australian-built, designed and developed car ever again.
It was also a relatively swift departure; to an extent, the general public knew that it would eventually come to an end, but the effects of that sent a shockwave through any self-respecting proud Australian.
What followed was an eventual fizzle out of any Holden branding throughout the country as General Motors attempted to sell the Australian public an Opel Insignia with Commodore badges on it, and AC Delco took over the business of keeping most of the Australian-built examples alive.
After everything, all that was left were the stubborn Australians unwilling to give up on their large sedans, utes and wagons that were entirely built to serve them on our unique roads.
So, I’m sure you can understand my shock as – about five hours from Sydney on a drive down to Melbourne – I slammed my foot on the brakes and doubled back to look at this fully equipped, branded and stocked Holden service centre.
It turns out that there are still people who live, breathe and are smitten for the brand beyond comprehension and factory support – and these brothers are the best example.
The last Holden dealership standing
One of the last standing service centres for Holden lives in a little town called Holbrook, New South Wales – about five hours from Sydney and roughly four from Melbourne.
It’s one of my favourite stops along my weirdly regular drive down to Victoria, with its full-sized, semi-submerged Submarine, an okay pie shop and a place to stretch your legs that isn’t clad by the usual McDonald's, Olivers, Hungry Jacks and petrol station combination.
With a population of fewer than 2000, it was one of the last towns in NSW to be bypassed by the Hume Highway in 2014, but it only adds about two minutes to your overall journey, so I’d say it's worth a stop.
At the end of the main street is Lieschke Motors, a family-run dealer and mechanic complete with all of the old-style Holden branding inside and out.
Looking from the street, there are some incredible vehicles within eye shot, including a VE Clubsport, VX SS, VF SS Ute and a VZ SS, all in Red Hot of course. Stepping inside, you’ll find four essentially brand new special vehicles: a silver VE Clubsport R8, a 327 Monaro GTS, a 1932 Chevrolet and a Motorsport Edition VF – one of the last special editions Holden ran.
Commitment to the bit isn’t just signage out front; the inside is decked out in complete Holden attire which will evoke a bit of nostalgia for anyone who remembers sitting in one of these waiting rooms while your car was in for a service.
Poking and prodding inside, I was approached by a man named David Lieschke who volunteered a chunk of his very busy day to speak to me about why he and his brothers have chosen to stick by the brand.
The family dealership started out as one of the early businesses in a town called Walla Walla – located around an hour south of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales – building Lieschke Motors in 1923 before expanding out to Holbrook in 1982.
It is now onto its third generation of Lieschke, slowly becoming a fourth. Multigenerational car dealerships are a story many around the country share, but while others have morphed into selling whatever the latest car is, this family has stuck true to passion for a brand that no longer exists.
"We became a GM dealer in 1933, and then in 1948 we started selling Holden … Holden left the market and we asked if we can still keep the signage up", said David Lieschke, Dealer Principal in Holbrook.
Despite AC Delco taking over the Holden proceedings in Australia, the Lieschke family has remained independent, not selling cars but taking it upon themselves to maintain Holden vehicles by any means necessary.
“We fix everything, and we make sure it is fixed. People bring their cars a long way because we have the reputation that even if I’ve got to stay back and work, we’ll fix it. I don’t let nothing go away and I don’t let nothing beat me.”
There is nothing outwardly unique about the way a Holden runs, but there are certain nuances people who haven’t dedicated their lives to the brand wouldn’t be able to diagnose.
As I shared my personal experiences living with a less-than-perfect VE SS, David proclaimed that they’re an excellent car, but most people don’t know how to work on them.
“Unskilled blokes start trying to fix cars and botch and bugger everything up on them, and that was a bit like, 50 per cent of Cruise and Captiva faults were created by other workshops who don't know how to fix cars. Suppose you want it done right. You need a skilled technician who knows what he's doing and is not gonna introduce a million other faults into the car.”
But it’s beyond dedication to wrenching on the cars, David’s team spend a plethora of time tracking down old parts that might be going extinct soon to continue saving these old Holdens. If you need something, they will probably have it, and you’ll be met with a smile and what you are after.
I think the most important part of the Lieschke story is the fact that everyone in this family has been born into being a Holden person, and they all embrace it. Evident when I asked David, “Why Holden?” and he stated, “No one has ever asked me that” before pausing to reflect on how one brand can become part of his life.
“I know Holdens, I got brought up with Holdens. When I was a young boy, Dad used to go down on the train to Melbourne and pick up a new Holden and drive them back overnight, and I don't know anything else but Holdens,” he says.
“Holden is a brand that I'm seriously passionate about. I love Holden, and all my life has been based around Holden – that’s what I know.
“Since Holden finished selling cars, it’s been a bit of a blow, but that's okay. A lot of dealers sort of got together and tried to get more compensation out of GM and that sort of thing. We were happy to accept the terms that Holden was offering to us at the time because we wanted to stay on good terms with Holden, as it is what we are.
“It's not always all about the money. Sure, you come to work so you can go home and make money, but we don't come to work to make money. We come to work because we love working on Holdens, and we get financially rewarded for working on Holdens."
He told me about the one car that got away – a Walkinshaw Group A SS VL with delivery kilometres on it, and his adored original condition EK Ute before I let him escape the grips of my prodding questioning.
You can’t help but feel a bit sad when you see remnants of Australia’s once flourishing manufacturing industry and the multi-generations that have dedicated their life to something so important to the many around the country.
But you can also get comfort knowing that while the legacy has been left up to the civilians to carry on, it’s in good hands. You can tell the Lieschke family adores what was once a sum of parts put together by someone’s parent or grandparent.
If you get the chance to pass through Holbrook or Walla Walla, spend 30 minutes soaking up the story of how generations of one family have found their calling to maintain this historically important brand.
"Everything changes and you just got to go with the change. But we are still Holden, we love Holden, and that's who we are."
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
