Members of the Barossa Valley General Motors Club gathered at Steinborner Barossa Holden in Nuriootpa on Saturday to farewell the brand and logo they hold so close to their hearts.
Holden dealerships in Australia, including Steinborners, offered a chance for car clubs to gather just one last time before the signage starts coming down later this month.
The car yard was cleared at Steinborner Barossa Holden on Saturday, which allowed the GM Club to come together and reminisce over their much loved vehicles.
There was a great display of cars, including some from the very early years, to some of the last models to come off the production line.
Club Secretary, Nicole Semmler explained that the day wasn’t ‘all doom and gloom’, but moreso a buzz of excitement having everyone together.
“We would rather not be seeing any of this happen, but it really is well and truly out of our hands. We have dealt with the initial shock of the announcement a while ago, but it kind of makes things more real seeing the brand disappear completely,” said Nicole.
“However, we are all proud Holden owners so coming together over something like this just reminds us how passionate we are about the brand. Together we will stand for a long time yet and it’s our mission to protect what’s left I guess.”
GM Club members from ‘day dot’, Robert Leigh and Will Boehm, have had a long-time connection to Steinborner Barossa Holden.
“Barossans have been buying them locally over the years from E. H. Hage and Co back in the day, then for a long time Steinborners and Hage united to form Stein-Hage. Eventually Steinborner Barossa was formed and remains our final Holden dealership,” said Robert.
Will added, “Over many years Steinborners have been involved with our club. Members have bought cars through them, they offer discount in return on services and parts and donate merchandise to help with fundraisers.
“It’s sad to think the signage will go. But while there are still Holdens around and the car clubs are active, Holdens will live on!”
Mr Jarrod Steinborner, Managing Director of Steinborner Barossa Holden, explained that while there will no longer be any new Holden cars available, they will still offer their Holden certified service, warranty and parts.
Their current Holden yard will become a dedicated used car centre to compliment the Steinborner Hyundai and Mitsubishi dealerships in Nuriootpa.
With all these changes, Jarrod could only describe Saturday’s event as ‘bittersweet’.
He said it was a good chance to enjoy the day with people as passionate about Holden as himself, as well as see some of the best examples of vintage Holdens in the world.
“It was a celebration of what Holden meant to the club, the Barossa, South Australia and Australia in general,” said Jarrod.
“Cars are a part of your life, and even your family, for a lot of people. We will always have those memories.”
