The iconic lion that has overseen the sale of thousands of Holdens was removed at a Wodonga dealership today, after 25 years.
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McRae Motors is removing its signage after General Motors announced in February the Holden name would come to an end.
The stand-alone sign on Melbourne Road will be re-branded with Kia's symbol in coming days, while Holden signage fronting Melrose Drive will remain at the department where servicing will continue.
Sales manager Gary Dundas said there were less than a dozen new Holdens left to be sold, after a spike in sales with GM's announcement.
"We wouldn't have probably forecasted such a strong finish for the brand - even our parts department has been overrun with people wanting to buy parts and merchandise," he said.
"We moved over here in '89 [from Albury], and we've had a signage change once.
"There's a lot of people within the establishment that have been with the Holden brand for well over 40 years."
Dealer principal Michael Blomeley said the removal of signage was a sad moment for him and Mr Dundas.
"It's a bit like losing an old friend ... Holden has been in our lives forever," he said.
"We've had awesome customers over the years, who were so brand-loyal - there's a lot of history there.
"We're luckier than most because we're multi-franchise; in other places, it's no different to losing the family farm - they're single-franchise dealers and third-generation.
"The service and parts side of Holden will continue on for at least another 10 years - we're still fully committed to our customers and after-care."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Blomeley said there had been no job losses with Holden sales ending, and he was hopeful about talk of General Motors Specialty Vehicles for the Australian market.
"With the GMSV on the horizon, the emergence of Kia, and the strength of Nissan, we're pretty optimistic about the future," he said.
"[The biggest moment for me] will be when the last Holden rolls out.
"We would normally make a big deal out of that - we'd have a celebration - but it's a really weird time, so that's not to be."