<P> A substantial car industry was created in Australia in the 20th century through the opening of Australian plants by international manufacturers . The first major carmaker was Ford Australia and the first Australian - designed mass production car was manufactured by Holden in 1948 . Australian manufacture of cars rose to a maximum of almost half a million in the 1970s (10th place in the World) and still exceeded 400,000 in 2004 . Australia was best known for the design and production of' large' sized passenger vehicles . By 2009 total production had fallen to around 175,000 and the Australian market was dominated by cars imported from Asia and Europe . </P> <P> As of 2015, Australian - designed cars were manufactured by General Motors subsidiary Holden, and Ford Australia, while Toyota Australia manufactured local variants of its international models, particularly the Camry . However, the Ford Australia engine and vehicle plants closed in October 2016 and the Holden and Toyota Australia factories closed in late 2017 . Both Ford and Holden's design and development facilities remain in operation and are expanding, leaving Australia as one of 13 countries with the capabilities to design and develop mass market cars from scratch . </P>

What happened to the car industry in australia
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