Lucas Bell 
Back in February, General Motors confirmed that they would be axing the legendary Holden brand after 89 years as the General’s arm in Australia. However, like a phoenix rising from the ashy remnants of a V8-powered burnout, the performance-oriented Holden Special Vehicles sub-brand is officially slated to be reborn as GMSV.
According to a report from CarsGuide, General Motors has officially confirmed that the GMSV brand is a go to launch, after filing trademarks with the Australian government for the new name and logo. The brand will replace Holden Specialty Vehicles, which has been a performance icon down under since 1987. HSV dealerships are independent from Holden and GM, though it is expected that at least a few will be converted to GMSV dealers through this process.
Now, this does not mean that there are going to be any more lust worthy utes for us to ogle over. Rather the change means that the Aussies will still get access to some GM performance. GMSV will launch by putting the T1 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 on sale in the country, with Walkinshaw Group still in charge of the process of reengineering the vehicle for the right-hand drive market.
Along with the half-ton pickup, other exciting propositions could find their way to the continent. The C8 Corvette was confirmed for the Australian market through the Holden dealer network, though things got a bit muddled when GM motioned to kill the brand, and buy out existing Holden dealer franchises. Now though, it is likely that the company could distribute the Corvette via the GMSV dealer network. Considering that the C8 was designed with the intention of a RHD model, the services of Walkinshaw Group will not be needed in this process either.
While the move certainly doesn’t make up for the end of an iconic brand, the GM faithful Down Under can take some solace in the fact that they haven’t been totally abandoned, although the bitterness from the American automaker eliminating an iconic Australian marque may take a long time to subside. Australian car enthusiasts are an incredibly passionate legion, after all. A C8 Corvette may not be a HSV Maloo ute, but it is still rather exciting.
