Order books close on Holden’s US export Commodore

US CHEVROLET dealers have snapped up an entire year’s allocation of Holden Commodore-based SS sports sedans ahead of order books for the car closing at the end of this month.

Chevrolet confirmed to Wheels overnight that even the extra 1000 cars that Holden will build for the US export market this year on top of its existing 2000 units had gone.

“All US dealer orders are in for the allocated production of the 2017 Chevrolet SS,” Chevrolet said. “This includes any additional units that were confirmed for production last year.”

The iconic brand also confirmed Chevrolet dealers had sold out of 2016 model year builds of the SS sedan. It is believed that most of the allocation of 2017 cars has already sold out.

Chevrolet is anticipating big demand for the Commodore-sourced SS as the brand builds up to the opener for the 2017 NASCAR race season. Last weekend, NASCAR driver Chase Elliot and the #24 Chevrolet SS race car set the pole for next weekend’s Daytona 500.

Holden said from the outset in 2013 that limited exports of its V8-engined Chevrolet SS would make the car a niche model for the brand.

The Chevy-badged Commodore reignited Holden’s export program after the 2008 global credit crunch slammed the door on Pontiac-badged two-and four-door models sent to the US, and General Motors weighed up a potential sell-off of its Australian subsidiary to stave off bankruptcy.

Holden marks the end of almost 40 years of local Commodore production on October 20.

The US-based Road and Track magazine said the loss of the Chevrolet SS would leave the Dodge Charger as the only affordable rear-drive V8 sedan on sale.

“Besides the Charger, the closest car to the SS that's still on sale today is, shockingly, the Lexus GS F,” it wrote.

“Both have similarly-powerful naturally aspirated V8s, and similar curb weights, though the Lexus is much more expensive and isn't offered with a manual transmission.

“All of this is to say that the SS will be sorely missed by the few that recognised its charms.

“It's so good, we deemed it worthy of comparison to the all-time benchmark sports sedan, the E39-chassis BMW M5.”