America isn’t the only country that has concerns over its local auto industry. Australia is currently experiencing a serious shift away from large, rear-drive sedans and towards more fuel-efficient, foreign-made vehicles. GM’s Holden division isn’t immune from this sales contraction, and plans to bring Aussie-made muscle cars to America could be affected.
CarPoint notes that the high Aussie dollar could end the chances for a revived El Camino here in the U.S., as production and import costs would simply make a new El Camino too expensive. Boo.
With the current Aussie dollar running at $1.05 to every U.S. dollar, building and importing a new El Camino would mean that such a vehicle would be quite costly at the dealership level. With currency rates fluctuating on an hourly basis, GM is having a hard time deciding whether it would still be worth importing an Aussie-built El Camino to the U.S., where the brand recognition is highest.
Unfortunately, a new El Camino is seeming less and less likely. GM is already bringing a new version of its Colorado mid-size pickup to the U.S., as well as the just-revealed next-gen full-size Chevy Silverado pickups. Adding an El Camino, even as a performance-oriented vehicle, could cannibalize sales from those other two trucks.
Guess our excitement over those trademark filings were all for naught, eh?
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