Production of the small car began in 2011, with the hope that it would save Holden’s struggling Australian manufacturing, but that wasn’t to be with the entire plant to close down in late 2017.

The final Cruze – an SRI Z-series hatch – was driven off the assembly line this morning, with the final hatch and the final sedan to be donated to the Leukaemia Foundation as a fundraiser. The plant will continue to produce Commodores until the final curtain falls next year.

GM Holden Communications Director Sean Poppitt says at least 100 people in the factory cheered as the last Cruze came down.

“There was a real sense of pride, obviously tinged with some sadness,” he said.

“But as you walk the floor and as you shake people’s hand and talk to people, the pride in the brand is as strong as it ever has been.

“There’s a sense that everyone really wants Holden to succeed into the future.”

Holden has produced 126,255 Cruze cars, with the build made possible by extensive federal and state government assistance.

Holden’s executive director of manufacturing, Richard Phillips, said the current Cruze and Commodore models were the best quality cars Holden had built in Australia.

“The passion and dedication of the manufacturing workforce means they continually raise their quality standards and they are determined that the last cars built at Elizabeth will be the best quality ever,” Phillips said.

“As with any other model ending production, we hold 10 years of spare parts, and there will be no change to warranties or service agreements.”

Not all of the 270 Holden workers to lose their jobs will leave the plant today.

Holden said the workers would leave the business progressively through the remainder of this month, and into November – all on a voluntary basis.

Holden has set up a transition centre to assist those made redundant, but the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union SA said many will still struggle.

“With unemployment way too high in SA, some of these workers will have a tough time finding other jobs,” the union’s SA secretary John Camillo said.

Camillo said the job losses could have been spared if the federal government, under Tony Abbott, had offered Holden assistance to develop replacement cars.

“There could have been another 10 years of work guaranteed, with all the positive spin-offs for the SA economy and job security for thousands of other workers in the auto industry supply chain,” he said.

The company also updated data on the employees who have left Holden in the past two years as manufacturing winds down.

It said that of the 450 workers who had left the company over that period, 78 per cent had moved into new careers, retirement or study. About 67 per cent were in new work.

Today is a significant day in the history of Australia’s auto industry, with Ford shutting down its Australian manufacturing operations.

The final Australian-made Ford is expected to come off the production line in Victoria this morning.

Roughly 600 workers will lose their jobs, many of whom have spent their entire working lives at the Broadmeadows and Geelong sites.

Some will retire, others will seek other opportunities but all are expected to meet at the factory to say one last goodbye.

Holden and Toyota will follow closely, also ceasing manufacturing in Australia in 2017.

– with AAP