▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁as ▁a ▁s add l ery ▁manufact urer ▁in ▁South ▁Australia . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁it ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁autom ot ive ▁field ▁and ▁even ▁built ▁the ▁Ford ▁Model ▁T ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁before ▁later ▁becoming ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States - based ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁( GM ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁renamed ▁General ▁Mot ors - Hold en ' s ▁Ltd . ▁It ▁was ▁renamed ▁Hold en ▁Ltd ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁adopt ing ▁the ▁name ▁G M ▁Hold en ▁Ltd ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁Hold en ▁has ▁offered ▁bad ge - engine ered ▁models ▁due ▁to ▁sharing ▁arrang ements ▁with ▁Che v ro let , ▁Is uz u , ▁N iss an , ▁Op el , ▁Su zu ki , ▁Toy ota , ▁and ▁V aux hall ▁Mot ors . ▁In ▁previous ▁years , ▁the ▁vehicle ▁line up ▁consisted ▁of ▁models ▁from ▁G M ▁Korea , ▁G M ▁Th ailand , ▁G M ▁North ▁America , ▁and ▁self - develop ed ▁models ▁like ▁the ▁Hold en ▁Com mod ore , ▁Hold en ▁Cap rice , ▁and ▁the ▁Hold en ▁U te . ▁Hold en ▁also ▁distributed ▁the ▁European ▁Op el ▁brand ▁in ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁until ▁its ▁Australian ▁dem ise ▁in ▁mid - 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Hold en ▁briefly ▁owned ▁assembly