Holden boss departs amid dismal sales

Holden Boss Dave Buttner has departed only 16 months into his tenure in the top job as consumers continue to desert the once top selling local manufacturer.

Buttner, a former top executive of Toyota Australia, came out of retirement to create a new image for Holden post-manufacture, but will now be replaced by the sales and marketing director.

Hit by a loss of public affection with the closure of its manufacturing operation and a lacklustre line up of mainly SUVs, the company is recording its worst sales since 1948.

The market leader as recently as 2002, Holden sales and down 26.6 per cent this year with September’s sales of 2,863 vehicles the first time in 71 years that the company sold fewer than 3,000 cars.

Post-Buttner, the company will still have the same range of cars, none of which are leaders in their sectors and none of which appear in the top ten model sellers.

It is hard to see the company’s next step from here, with rumours that another company may take over distribution being denied by the company.

Picture: Wikipedia

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