Holden effectively shut down in two main stages: it ended local manufacturing in Australia on 20 October 2017, and the Holden brand itself was retired by General Motors around 2020–2021.

Key dates at a glance

  • 20 October 2017 – last Holden rolled off the Elizabeth, South Australia production line, ending almost 70 years of local car manufacturing.
  • 2020 announcement – General Motors confirmed that the Holden brand would be axed and all local design, engineering and sales operations would be wound down.
  • By 2021 – remaining operations and branding were phased out, with Holden effectively ceasing as an active car brand in Australia and New Zealand.

Quick Scoop

If you are asking “when did Holden shut down,” most people mean one of two things:

  • When did they stop building cars here? → 20 October 2017.
  • When did the brand itself get killed off? → Announced in February 2020, with operations wrapped up by around 2021.

In everyday conversation, enthusiasts often talk about 2017 as “the end of Holden” because that was the last locally built Commodore and the end of Australian manufacturing, even though badges and dealerships lingered a few more years.

Context and “latest news” angle

  • Holden had been building cars in Australia since 1948, so the 2017 factory closure was treated as the end of an era for local industry.
  • The 2020–2021 brand shutdown reflected GM’s wider pullback from right‑hand‑drive markets, not just falling Holden sales.
  • Even after shutdown, Holden remains a trending topic in car forums and news whenever classic models, dealership sign removals or GM heritage decisions make headlines.

For forum / discussion use

Many people say Holden “shut down” in 2017, because that’s when the Elizabeth plant closed and the last Aussie‑built Commodore was made.

Technically though, the badge lived on as an import-only brand until GM announced in 2020 that Holden would be retired, with operations wrapped up by about 2021.

TL;DR:

  • Manufacturing shut: 20 Oct 2017
  • Brand axed: announced Feb 2020, wound up by 2021.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.