The Kingswood, Monaro and Commodore are Australian folklore, even if they were made by a car company run from Detroit. Few will recall Holden’s greats now, and their tribal rivalry with Ford’s extinct Falcons, without nostalgia. Or perhaps like Scott Morrison, with some anger at a marque that burned through billions in government subsidies and car buyers’ pockets when they built automobiles here, before throwing in the towel on even rebadged imports.

While few brands have resonated so much in Australia’s popular culture, few have such important lessons to teach Australian politicians and voters about the realities of the nation’s prosperity.