Holden Elizabeth Plant
| Company type | Manufacturing facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Woodville Plant |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Elizabeth, Adelaide , Australia |
| Products | Holden EH-WB, Statesman, Holden Commodore, Holden Ute, Holden Statesman/Caprice, Holden Cruze |
The Holden Elizabeth Plant was an automotive manufacturing site located in Elizabeth, Adelaide, operated by Holden from 1963 until its closure in 2017. It succeeded the Woodville Plant as the primary assembly location in South Australia.
This facility handled body pressing and assembly, utilizing engines that were delivered from the Port Melbourne Plant in Victoria.
History
Initially, the hardware plant commenced operations in 1960, followed by the opening of the body assembly section in 1962 after relocating most of the equipment from Woodville. The first model produced at this site was the Holden EH.
By 1989, Elizabeth had become the only remaining Holden manufacturing plant in Australia after the Dandenong facility closed, which coincided with the end of production for the VL Commodore.
In 2006, a redevelopment project exceeding $1 billion was undertaken at Elizabeth, aligned with the introduction of the General Motors Zeta platform. This investment facilitated the manufacturing of the Fourth Generation VE Commodore and involved extensive retooling efforts.
Production of the Cruze ceased in 2016, leaving only the Commodore and its ute variant being produced at the Elizabeth plant.
Following the closures of Mitsubishi (2008), Ford (2016), and Toyota (2017), the Elizabeth facility was Australia's final large-scale automotive manufacturing operation to shut down.
Before closing, Holden Special Vehicles placed an order for 300 Commodore sedans to create the last limited edition Gen F2 HSV GTSR W1. These cars were equipped with leftover LS9 V8 engines sourced from Chevrolet’s C6 ZR1, producing 474kW of power and 815Nm of torque. These models have since become highly sought after.
The plant’s final vehicle—a 'Red Hot' VF Holden Commodore SS V Redline—was completed on October 20, 2017, and is now preserved at the National Motor Museum, Birdwood.
As of 2023, the former manufacturing site has been converted into a mushroom cultivation farm.
Products
- Holden EH-WB (1963–1984)
- Statesman (1971–1984)
- Holden Commodore (1979–2017)
- Holden Ute (2000–2017)
- Holden Statesman/Caprice (1990–2017)
- Holden Cruze (2011–2016)