Commodore is on death row, so here are six good reasons to pay tribute to the once-favourite Aussie nameplate
- VB Commodore: 1978-1980
- VC Commodore: 1980-1981
- VL Commodore: 1986-1988
- VP Commodore: 1991-1993
- VE Commodore: 2006-2013
- VF Commodore: 2013-2017
- Related reading Commodore had to go Holden Commodore and Astra axed MOTORSPORT: Holden Commodore to race on
Exactly six years ago today, on December 12, 2013, Holden announced it would close its factories and end production of Australia’s once beloved Commodore by the end of 2017.
Earlier this week, Holden announced it will kill off the Commodore nameplate completely in 2020, when the imported German-made version that replaced 40 years of homegrown Commodores less than two years ago will be discontinued.
GM’s sale of Opel, which builds the ZB Commodore, to France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen and declining demand for the first front-wheel drive four-cylinder Commodore simply made it unprofitable.
But that wasn’t always the case. About 2.4 million locally made Commodores rolled off Aussie production lines between 1978 and 2017, and annual sales peaked at almost 95,000 in 1998, at the beginning of a 15-year run as Australia’s top-selling new vehicle.
In a reflection of the market’s shift towards SUVs and utes, in its last of 42 years on sale — longer than even the Holden Kingswood — Holden will sell only about 6000 Commodores.
Naming the most outstanding Commodore models since the original Opel-based model was launched in 1978 is like deciding on who is your favourite child.
Facts, emotions and sheer pig headedness become intertwined as generations ponder their experiences and memories of what was once Australia’s favourite car.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but here’s our pick of the six most significant Commodore models that made an impact on the Australian public.
VB Commodore: 1978-1980
The leap from Kingswood to Commodore was a big one as an Opel-designed car replaced a string of locally-developed Holdens to become the basis for Australia’s definitive family car.
Although it used the familiar Kingswood drivetrain, the smaller, lighter and more agile VB Commodore was a big jump in terms of refinement, handing and comfort.
VC Commodore: 1980-1981
The VC Commodore will be remembered as the centrepoint in the 1979 Peter Brock/Holden stoush which gave birth to the Holden Dealer Team.
Based on luxurious SL/E underpinnings, but with prodigious performance and handling upgrades, the VC HDT race car scored one of Brock’s many Bathurst victories in 1980.
VL Commodore: 1986-1988
More than anything else, the VL Commodore was notable for its RB30E 3.0-litre straight-six Nissan engine that replaced the aged pushrod six.
Apart from spawning the cracking Turbo, the VL also debuted the Group A SS model which, with its 196kW 5.0-litre V8, rear spoiler and large front air dam, spearheaded the Holden presence in motor racing.
VP Commodore: 1991-1993
With the VP, Holden belatedly brought elements of the Commodore into competition with most imported cars via the adoption, on certain models, of an independent rear suspension to replace the ancient coil-spring live axle.
It continued with the Buick-based 3.8-litre V6 that was introduced with the 1988 VN but, although it delivered strong torque, was not as refined as the VL’s inline Nissan six.
VE Commodore: 2006-2013
The 1997 VT Commodore may have been billed as ‘world-class’, but the billion-dollar VE was the first all-Australian design and better in every way.
Chassis and engine refinements saw it approach many Europeans in terms of its mechanical sophistication and an efficient, Australian-made Alloytec V6 offered in various capacities and outputs, became the base engine alongside the upgraded 6.0-litre Gen 4 V8.
VF Commodore: 2013-2017
The final homegrown generation of Commodore improved the breed in every area, introducing lighter panels and advanced technologies like parking assist, but it wasn’t enough to arrest the sales decline and Holden announced the end of Australian production at the end of its launch year.
Yet Holden saved its best for last, and even though it spent just $20 million on the final VFII facelift, the 2017 Commodore SS sedan, wagon and ute set new standards for performance and value via HSV’s 6.2-litre LS3 V8, attracting up to 50 per cent of buyers in its last year.
So while the imported 2018 ZB is more advanced, in the eyes of most Commodore fans the VFII is by far the most impressive in the model’s 40-year history. HSV’s final 474kW/815Nm GTSR W1 was a fitting farewell to 40 years of homegrown Commodores and a lasting legacy to more than century of car-making in Australia.
Related reading Commodore had to go Holden Commodore and Astra axed
MOTORSPORT: Holden Commodore to race on
Commodore timeline
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2012 Commodore 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.
2015 VFII Commodore introduced. HSV’s 6.2-litre LS3 V8 powers all SS variants.
LPG option discontinued.
2017
Holden ends Commodore production in October.
2018
Holden releases imported ZB Commodore.
2019 Commodore and Holden sales fall to an all-time low.
Holden announces the discontinuation of Commodore when stocks run out in 2020.
Keyword: Six Holden Commodores to celebrate