Holden Commodore: 30 Years On Australian Roads

Motoring Channel Staff - 27/October/2008

Melbourne, Australia — Thirty years ago - almost to the day - Holden's first VB Commodore rolled to the end of the Pagewood assembly line in New South Wales.

Taking the reins from the Holden Kingswood as the go-to family car, the Commodore went on to become Australia's best-selling vehicle.

Indeed, the Commodore turns 30 this month, having been through countless redesigns and upgrades over the decades, and when it first launched in the summer of 1978, Australian drivers paid a total of $6,513 for a brand new Commodore.

In comparison, the current VE Commodore's asking price is $32,990.

When the VB Commodore first arrived in 1978, it was radically different from the Kingswood.

According to Holden, the VB Commodore "brought a new level of sophistication to the market with efficient space packaging, high levels of comfort, generous equipment levels and excellent handling due to the development of Holden’s successful Radial Tuned Suspension."

Just like today, a lot of that spiel would have been focus group-driven PR hyperbole, but at the time there was a sense of newness about the Commodore.

GM Holden's current Managing Director, Mark Reuss, said the Commodore's success in Australia and in export markets made it a symbol of local design and engineering expertise: "Over thirty years Commodore has earned a place in the hearts and minds of generations of Australian families," Mr Reuss said. 

"On the way to becoming Holden's longest-standing and most successful nameplate, Commodore has delivered significant advances in passenger car safety, comfort and handling.

"We're always seeking to improve Commodore so that it remains the smart choice for Australian motorists. 

"It is a mark of the skill and creativity of the Australian automotive industry that we have been able to build top-selling cars of this calibre for local and overseas markets," said Reuss.

Holden's longest-standing nameplate, Commodore, has been Australia's best-selling passenger car for the last 12 years, and it could turn out to be 13 years if Toyota's Corolla doesn't record a spike in sales.

Over the last three decades, the Holden Commodore has evolved through 14 different model series and four generations, which are as follows:

• VB Commodore (1978)

• VC Commodore (1980)

• VH Commodore (1981)

• VK Commodore (1984)

• VL Commodore (1986)

2nd Generation Commodore

• VN Commodore (1988)

• VP Commodore (1991)

• VR Commodore (1993)

• VS Commodore (1995)

3rd Generation Commodore

• VT Commodore (1997)

• VX Commodore (2000)

• VY Commodore (2002)

• VZ Commodore (2006)

4th Generation Commodore

• VE Commodore (2006)

The Holden Commodore has always been a rear-wheel drive vehicle and has been sold both domestically and overseas.

In total, Holden has sold more than 2.5 million Commodores since the 1978 VB model, and so far in 2008, some 37,505 VE Commodores have been sold, which is about 700 vehicles ahead of its closest rival, the Corolla.

Over the years the Commodore has been powered by  various 6- and 8-cylinder engines, with the SS models being sought after for their improved performance thanks to tuned suspension and V8 power.

Like it's arch-rival the Ford Falcon, the Commodore has had a lot of success in the motor sport arena, with an astonishing 18 Bathurst victories on top of nine V8 touring car and supercar championships. 

Related Links:
- Holden Calais V Sportwagon (Road Test)
- Holden AFM V8 + EcoLine (2009)
- Holden Celebrates 7 Million Cars (2008)
- Holden Sportwagon (Road Test)
- Holden Commodore Hybrid (2010)
- Holden Coupe 60 Concept (2008)
- Holden Commodore Diesel (2009)
- Holden VE Ute: SS vs SV6 (Road Test)
- Holden Captiva Diesel (Road Test)
- Holden Astra Diesel (Road Test)
- Holden VE Commodore - Dual-Fuel LPG (2006)
- Holden VE Ute (First Drive)
- Holden Coupe 60 Concept (2008)
- Holden Commodore Diesel (2009)
- Holden VE Commodore vs Ford BF Falcon (Road Test)