"When GM Holden signalled that it would close its Adelaide factory in 2017, it struck at the very heart of Australian identity. Holden is our car, made on our shores. It's the choice of patriotic rev heads and suburban drivers alike. How could cars that were so beloved - and so popular - be so unprofitable to make?

The story of the collapse of Holden is about the people who make and drive the cars; it's about sustaining industry in Australia; it's about communities of workers and what happens when the work dries up.

In this extraordinary account of Australian history as it unfolds, the author revisits the Adelaide of his childhood and the Holden factory just down the road. He confronts the South Australia of the future, when the factory jobs are all gone, and he takes a good hard look at what's in store for Australia when Holden shuts its doors for the last time" -- cover.

Includes bibliographical references.