Holden VB Commodore
| Holden Commodore (VB) | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Holden (General Motors) |
| Production | 1978 – 1980 |
| Assembly | Australia: Dandenong, Victoria; Pagewood, New South Wales New Zealand: Trentham |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon |
| Platform | GM V platform |
| Related |
Opel Rekord E Opel Senator |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.85 L Red I6 (64 kW (86 hp)) 3.3 L Red I6 (66 kW (89 hp)) 4.2 L Red V8 (87 kW (117 hp)) 4.2 L Red V8 (96 kW (129 hp), dual exhaust) 5.0 L Red V8 (114 kW (153 hp)) |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual 3-speed Tri-Matic automatic 3-speed THM350 automatic (5.0 L V8) 3-speed THM400 automatic (5.0 L V8) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,668 mm (105.0 in) |
| Length | 4,705–4,729 mm (185.2–186.2 in) |
| Width | 1,722 mm (67.8 in) |
| Height | 1,371 mm (54.0 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Holden HZ |
| Successor | Holden Commodore (VC) |
The Holden Commodore (VB) is a mid-size car that was produced by the Australian manufacturer Holden, from 1978 to 1980. It was the first iteration of the first generation of this Australian made model.
The car was officially launched on 26 October 1978 with showrooms receiving the first examples on 13 November 1978. Production of the VB only lasted seventeen months, the shortest reign of any Commodore. The VB Commodore was effectively the successor of the Holden HZ, although most models in that series continued to be produced until the introduction of the facelifted VC Commodore on 30 March 1980.
95,906 units of the VB Commodore were manufactured during the car's lifespan, and during 1979 the VB became Australia's number one selling car. Also in 1979, the VB won Wheels Car of the Year award, with the car being praised in the media for its value for money and engineering sophistication.
The VB Commodore was loosely based on the 1977 Opel Rekord E bodyshell but with the front grafted on from the Opel Senator to accommodate the larger Holden six-cylinder and V8 engines, giving it a similar appearance to the Opel Commodore, the Vauxhall Viceroy, sold in the UK and the Chevrolet Commodore, sold in South Africa. Overall, the body was strengthened substantially to withstand the harsh conditions of the Australian outback. Total cost of development is reported to be over A$110 million.
The Commodore represented a major shift in thinking for Holden since it was significantly smaller than the previous full-size family car, the Holden Kingswood, but visually similar in size to the mid-size Torana / Sunbird sedans. It essentially came about in response to the 1973 oil crisis and the need to produce more fuel-efficient cars. Holden, hedging their bets, initially built the Commodore alongside the other two established body styles, until the Torana was dropped in mid-1979, with only the Sunbird surviving into mid-1980 following release of the updated VC Commodore. The VB was available in three specification levels: Commodore, Commodore SL, and Commodore SL/E. A station wagon variant – not available in SL/E form – was released on 24 July 1979, hitting showrooms on 6 August 1979. It featured a large cargo area and an easy access one-piece lift-up tailgate. As the wagon-specific sheet metal had to be imported from Germany (from the Rekord), the wagon, introduced in July 1979, suffered from inevitable component differences from the sedan, confirmed by the separate keys for the ignition system and rear door.
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