Ken Gratton•13 Dec 2013

NEWS

Holden's Commodore to miss 40th anniversary

The end is in sight for Holden's large family car, but what an illustrious history!

Australia was a very different place in 1978, when Holden introduced its new VB Commodore.

SUVs didn't exist... four-wheel drive wagons were for people who actually went off the road. Perhaps you knew someone like that – a retired teacher in a Land Rover, fossicking for opals at Lightning Ridge.

Mid-sized sedans and wagons were the preserve of Japanese companies mostly – with rare exceptions being the Ford Cortina and Holden's own Torana.

Small cars – there was no distinction between light and small back then – were also increasingly dominated by Japanese brands. This was seven years before the first Korean car reached Aussie shores.

Holden itself was different: a much larger organisation with assembly plants throughout the country and three locally-manufactured passenger car models on offer. The Gemini was assembled here from CKD packs, the Torana/Sunbird design filled a gap between the Isuzu-designed small car and the larger traditional Holden sedans and wagons – with names like Kingswood, Monaro, Premier and Statesman/Caprice.

Developed from an Opel design, but strengthened for the Australian market, the first Commodore took its name from the Opel the new model replaced in Europe. Opel developed the new 'V car' in different models – the short-nose four-cylinder Rekord and the six-cylinder, long-booted Senator.

Holden took the long nose of the Senator and mated it to the short boot of the Rekord for the purpose of fitting the company's local six-cylinder engines. Despite being saddled with those wheezy red motors initially, the VB Commodore was a critical success in its first year, winning a Wheels car of the year award. The new car was subsequently credited with killing off both the Torana and the larger sedans once the HZ model run had concluded.

From those early days, here's how the Commodore's story has progressed:

1978

VB Commodore launches in Australia, in response to 1973 oil crisis and migration to smaller, more efficient vehicles.

New sedan is available in three grades and with OHV sixes and V8s coupled to four-speed manuals and three-speed autos.

Wheels Car of the Year winner.

1979

Holden releases wagon variants.

Famous racing driver Peter Brock and his team of Matt Philip and Noel Richards win the Repco Reliability Trial around Australia. It's a clean sweep for Holden, with Commodores – featuring some Torana XU1 mods – taking the first three places.

Holden ends Torana production.

1980

A minor cosmetic change for the VC Commodore heralds the tweaked 'Blue Motor' sixes, featuring changes aimed at improving fuel efficiency. Four-cylinder 'Starfire' engine offered for the first time in Commodore is roundly derided for its six-cylinder origins and lowly performance. The Starfire is available only in base-grade Commodore L with 13-inch wheels, rather than the 14-inch wheels of sixes and V8s.

Brock and Richards win Bathurst 1000 in a VC Commodore.

Holden discontinues the HZ passenger car range, without a direct successor. Torana-based Sunbird also goes, leaving just the Gemini to complement Commodore in Holden's passenger car portfolio.

1981

Late in the year Holden replaces the VC model range with the VH facelift. Five-speed manual is available as an option for the four-cylinder and 2.85-litre variants.

1982

Brock's HDT organisation begins modifying the Commodore SS for retail customers. The entrepreneurial racing driver also wins Bathurst again, partnered with Larry Perkins.

1983

Sales of Commodore begin to suffer as the new, front-wheel drive Camira and Ford's alloy-head Falcon models both begin to eat into Commodore's customer base. End of year figure (35,355) is the lowest ever recorded for Commodore until 2012.

Commodore the outright winner at Bathurst once more, crewed by Brock, Harvey and Perkins.

1984

Chrome gives way to plastic in the facelift VK model, which arrives with 'sixth-window' C pillars and a new name for the flagship grade, 'Calais'. A mid-range grade, 'Berlina', replaces the previous SL/X level of trim. New 'Black motors' feature the option of port fuel injection for the first time, and computer-controlled electronic spark timing for carburetted models.

5.0-litre V8 engine displacement is reduced from 5044cc to 4987cc for Touring Car homologation.

Brock and Perkins win at Bathurst again.

1985

Brock DOESN'T win Bathurst, despite a determined push towards the end of the race in his VK, driving without a windscreen. The win goes to a Jaguar XJ-S built to Group A specs.

1986

A substantial facelift for Commodore – the VL series – sees Holden do a deal with Nissan for the supply of the alloy-head SOHC RB30 six-cylinder engine shared with the then locally-manufactured R31 Skyline. The new six is available with a five-speed manual transmission or Jatco four-speed automatic. Calais gains a distinct frontal styling treatment with semi-concealed headlights.

Refinement of new drivetrain comes at a cost however, with Australian dollar losing a lot of ground against the yen. Holden reportedly selling the VL models with the RB30 engine at an effective loss in the lead-up to the new VN series.

All variants (including V8s) are tuned to run on unleaded petrol, now mandatory under ADR 37A.

Helmed by Allan Grice and Graeme Bailey, VK Commodore wins Bathurst.

HDT takes out 'Kings Cup' prize at Spa in WTCC with a two-car team.

1987

Fall-out between Holden and Brock's HDT organisation leads to establishment of HSV joint venture with Tom Walkinshaw. First product of the new organisation is the TWR Commodore Group A 'Batmobile' for Holden. 750 units are built in two batches. First five sell quickly, but remaining 250 are discounted after sitting on dealer lots around the country for a year or more.

Brock, Peter McLeod and David Parsons win Bathurst in a VK Group A SS of Brock's own creation, rather than the Walkinsaw Group A.

John Harvey teams up with Allan Moffat to win Monza WTCC race, despite finishing seventh. Six BMWs ahead of the VL Commodore are disqualified after a protest is lodged by a privateer entry also in a BMW.

1988

All-new VN model offers added width to compete against physically larger XF (and later EA) Falcon. Nissan six is dropped in favour of BOC (Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac) 3.8-litre V6, which was developed from a V8 and consequently without the right bank angle. Engine provides easy torque, but NVH is a problem, with a balance shaft fitted to subdue the worst of it. V6 is matched to a four-speed GM automatic.

Commodore wins Wheels Car of the Year again.

1989

V8 variants of VN Commodore are launched in March, with port fuel injection for the first time – although the Walkinshaw Group A from VL days had a twin-throttle body system of its own.

Later in the year the Series II facelift is unveiled, with performance upgrade for V6.

Toyota begins marketing badge-engineered VN as the Toyota Lexcen with only drivetrain option V6 and auto.

1990

Holden introduces the VN-based VG Ute with V6 power exclusively.

Grice and Win Percy win Bathurst in a VL Commodore.

1991

VP facelift introduced with IRS for Calais and SS, which are also offered with the option of ABS.

1992

Series II upgrade is distinguished from earlier VP models by body-colour grille in lieu of clear acrylic grille for Executive and Berlina models.

1993

A substantial shake-up for the Commodore, the VR model introduces a driver's airbag for the first time in an Australian-built car. ABS and IRS are extended further throughout the range, but only with automatic transmission optioned. Improved crash safety and a 'body computer' raise the bar for the Commodore, in the face of stiff competition from Ford's well received EB and ED Falcons.

Perkins and Gregg Hansford win Bathurst in a VP Commodore.

Commodore wins Wheels Car of the Year again, for the VR.

1994

Series II facelift for VR continues the Holden-Ford tradition of introducing a minor update to coincide with a major change model from the rival – Ford's EF model Falcon in this case.

1995

VS upgrade is distinguished from the VR by revised wheel trims and Holden badging. Changes focus on mechanicals, with the BOC V6 morphing into the Ecotec engine, offering increased performance and lower fuel consumption.

Perkins and Ingall win Bathurst in a VR Commodore.

1996

VS Series II model unleashed with oval indicators on the front quarter panels, in lieu of rectangular units fitted previously. A supercharged version of the V6 is also announced, offering a performance option in between the standard V6 and the V8.

Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy win Bathurst in a VR Commodore.

1997

Game-changing VT model arrives, taking any chance of market dominance away from Falcon. All-new model migrates to semi-trailing arm IRS across the range.

Toyota and Holden go separate ways, ending the agreement to build the Commodore as the Lexcen.

Wheels awards VT model 'Car of the Year'.

Perkins and Ingall win Bathurst again (the Primus 1000 Classic) in a VS Commodore.

1998

Commodore is the most popular new car sold in Australia for the year, continuing an unbeaten run ending after 15 years in 2011.

Left-hand drive exports to the Middle East commence.

1999

Series II update for VT introduces imported, all-alloy LS1 V8, in 5.7-litre capacity.

Murphy and Steven Richards win Bathurst in a VT Commodore.

2000

VX model arrives, with a minor facelift. Bosch ABS is standard across the range.

VU Ute updates the light commercial vehicle range from the aging 'VS Series III'.

Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna win Bathurst (FAI 1000 Classic) in a VT Commodore.

2001

Commodore spawns two-door V2 Monaro, which is later exported to the USA as the Pontiac GTO, opening up the American market for Holden for the first time.

Mark Skaife and Tony Longhurst win Bathurst in a VX Commodore.

2002

Mid-life cycle VY model ushers in a major facelift with stronger, more angular lines. Mechanicals are largely carried over from the VX II.

Skaife and Jim Richards win Bathurst in a VX Commodore.

2003

Series II update for VY coincides with Crewman dual-cab ute and Adventra wagon, which is only available with V8 power initially.

Murphy and Rick Kelly win Bathurst in a VY Commodore.

2004

VZ facelift ditches cast-iron Ecotec engines for the all-alloy HFV6 ('Alloytec') V6, in 3.6-litre displacement. Five-speed automatic and six-speed manual boxes are introduced also, although four-speed automatic is carried over in downmarket variants.

Monaro is exported to USA as Pontiac GTO, amid much protest from American enthusiasts at the application of the iconic name to the new model with subdued styling and a 'Chevrolet' (Corvette) engine.

Murphy and Kelly win Bathurst in VY Commodore.

2005

Skaife and Todd Kelly win Bathurst in a VZ Commodore.

2006

Holden's 'Billion Dollar Baby' – the all-new VE Commodore – arrives in the second half of the year. Based on a unique platform with no Opel DNA the VE introduces a multi-link IRS system and a six-speed automatic transmission for V8 variants, which are powered by the 6.0-litre LS2 V8 launched earlier in the year for the final production run of VZ Series.

Wheels awards the VE 'Car of the Year'.

Peter Brock, long-time Holden racing driver and Commodore campaigner, dies in a tarmac rally in Perth.

2007

VE Ute added to the range.

2008

VE Commodore exported to USA as badge-engineered Pontiac G8. Receives acclaim from local press and owners, but arrives in a market already suffering from the worldwide economic downturn later known as the GFC.

ANCAP rates VE Commodore a five-star car.

2009

MY10 update for VE embraces direct injection for Alloytec V6 engines. Six-speed transmission is now the default automatic for the range.

Tander and Will Davison win Bathurst in a VE Commodore.

2010

VE Series II update heralds curvier, more aerodynamic styling and introduces more advanced infotainment system.

GM axes Pontiac division, ending exports of G8 to the USA.

Skaife and Lowndes win Bathurst in a VE Commodore.

2011

VE Commodore loses out to the Mazda3 in the battle for the position of Australia's most popular car, signalling an escalating shift in buyer preference towards smaller cars. Holden's large car had held the title for 15 consecutive years.

Tander and Nick Percat win Bathurst in a VE Commodore.

2012Commodore loses over 10,000 sales, year on year, with total slumping to the lowest number ever up to that point – 30,532... less than half the 76,849 Commodore sedans and wagons sold in 1997.

Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell win Bathurst in a VE Commodore.

2013

VF Commodore introduced with lighter panels and advanced new technology like parking assist.

In May, Ford announces end to local manufacturing effective from 2016, removing Commodore's longest-serving and strongest competitor from the field.

The day after managing director Mike Devereux makes a presentation to the Productivity Commission review into the automotive industry in Australia, Holden announces end to local manufacturing at Elizabeth plant to take effect from 2017.

Holden coverage on motoring.com.au

>> Official: Holden factories to close

>> No back-tracking for Holden

>> Holden expects no customer backlash

>> <a href="/editorial/details/hsv-to-continue-beyond-2017-40578/?__source=editorialArticle&driver_crosssell=editorial.in.article.link" data-article-id="ED-ITM-40578">HSV to continue beyond 2017<br> </a>

>> <a href="/editorial/details/holden-has-plenty-of-imports-to-consider-40585/?__source=editorialArticle&driver_crosssell=editorial.in.article.link" data-article-id="ED-ITM-40585">Holden has plenty of imports to consider<br> </a>

>> Holden heroes and villains

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Holden's Commodore to miss 40th anniversary

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