Dec 9: Holden - Opel - Buick

Those were the good old days. The days when Holden, GM's Australian nameplate, could design and build cars, that were unique to that island continent. And some of them were great cars. You doubt that? Just look at the Chevy Caprice police car, that is being sold in the US. What is it? An Australian Holden Caprice. And how about the late Pontiac G8, which morphed into the Chevy SS, both were lightly rebadged Holden Commodores, like the one in the picture. But as I've blogged before, cars unique to Australia are no more, so the entire Holden line will now be rebadged Opels (as many of them already are). Which brings us to today's topic.

If you like cars, you gotta check out Carscoops. Updated seemingly by the minute, this site has all sorts of good car stuff, such a pic of the new Holden Commodore, which they got the scoop on........

.......and showed in all its glory earlier this week. What's so interesting about this new for 2018 Commodore, is that it will be, of course, a rebadged Opel, in this case the Insignia, which has yet to break cover. So once you saw this new Holden, you also saw the new Opel, which has been running around Europe under heavy camouflage......

Now that Carscoops had unveiled the Commodore, by extension, it has also unveiled the Insignia. Simply take the Opel logo and insert it into the Commodore grille, replacing the Holden badge. Quickly done and viola', you have the newly designed for 2018, Opel Insignia.........

Simple, right? Now let's take this a little further and a little closer to home. The current model Buick Regal is another Opel, also an Insignia, but with a Buick crest on a Buick type grille.......

See how easy it is to make a new car, as nothing else will be changed. No need for any more cloak and dagger disguises, but of course, we won't see the real thing until its possible grand unveiling at the auto show in Detroit in early January (or New York in April). But now you don't have to wait, since you've already seen it here.

Is the Regal an important car? One might not think so, but with the Buick brand selling over a million cars in 2016, draw your own conclusions (in case you were wondering, they should be the same as mine).

I don't see myself sitting behind the wheel of this Buick...........

........but gee, it's a beautiful looking ride. When the designers at GM get it right, they really nail it. Call it a Holden, an Opel or a Buick, it's all the same and it's all good. A beautiful new sedan as all the buyers are flocking to crossovers. And you saw it here second, right after Carscoops.

Until next time........