Holden fans across Orange said they were saddened but were not surprised by news the brand would be retired at the end of the year.
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General Motors opted to dump the name synonymous with Australian motoring by 2021.
After closing the company's Australian manufacturing operations in 2017, GM said it had taken the "difficult" decision to retire the brand from sales in both Australia and New Zealand after considering numerous options to revive Holden's flagging sales.
Ray Hallett owns a 1954 FJ Holden Special and said he was in mourning after hearing the news on Monday.
"It's just sad to see the end of an Australian institution, it's an Australian icon gone because of the overseas influences," Mr Hallett said.
"When the Holden was made it was unique to Australia."
He said he grew up on a property and his father taught him to drive in an FJ Holden and although not all the vehicles he had since then were Holdens he always had one.
"It was Australian and it reminded me of my dad." Mr Hallett said.
"It proved we could build things and not just live off the sheeps' back."
Mr Hallett said he was not completely surprised by the decision due to the previous cancellation of Commodores and Astras and General Motors move away from right-hand drive vehicles.
"I'm a bit surprised because it's such an iconic name and it's been around for such a long time," he said.
"I thought they would struggle for some time but they would bring it back."
Roger Kendall was born and bred in Orange and inherited his parents love of driving Holdens.
"I bought my first Holden, a 1972 model LC Torana brand new, I got my licence in a 1964 Holden ute [in 1970]," Mr Kendall said.
"My father used to buy the latest model Holden from 1956, the last one was a 1972 HQ.
"He purchased from Camerons in Orange, which was the Holden dealer."
Mr Kendall said he purchased four new Holdens since his first car and two old Holdens, a 1953 model Holden 48-215 and a 1971 LC Torana.
He said he and Gnoo Blas Classic organiser Denis Gregory drove the 48-215 Holden 5000 kilometres to Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria when the car was when it was 50 years old.
"It was the Australian brand," he said.
"Back in the day you were always a Holden fan or a Ford fan.
"My parents had Holdens so I continued being a Holden owner."
He said he had also owned other brands but purchased his last new Holden in 2004 before deciding to look at four-wheel drives for retirement and he was considering looking into Holden Colorados down the track until Monday's announcement.
It was Australian and it reminded me of my dad.It proved we could build things and not just live off the sheeps' back.
- Ray Hallett
John Crennan spent much of his career with Holden Special Vehicles and Holden Racing and fielded questions about the future of the brand when he was the guest speaker at the Gnoo Blas Classic Car Show dinner at Orange Ex-Services' Club on Saturday.
Mr Crennan, who is no longer affiliated with the company, was a marketing manager for General Motors before becoming CEO Holden Special Vehicles and lead the Holden Racing Team who won a combined eight championship and seven Bathurst wins during his career.
"I was asked a question the other night by the MC," Mr Crennan said.
He said the MC wanted to know about the company's future if Holden was "only on 3.7 per cent market share, a long way from 42 per cent market share when I started there in 1973".
"I said, 'let's hope there's something to give and there can be a market plan," Mr Crennan said.
"It's a sad day. I'm sad for all the employees and I'm sad for the dealers and for the thousands and thousands of retirees at Holden Motors."
"Everybody is finding it very unbelievable."
Although he no longer works for Holden, Mr Crennan said it was a sad day to
The company will honour all warranties and provide servicing and spare parts for all Holden vehicles for at least 10 years.
As part of the wind-down, Holden Financial Services will also cease operations.
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