Holden Commodore celebrates 30th anniversary

By George Skentzos | October 27th, 2008

The Holden Commodore has celebrated a milestone anniversary over the weekend, marking 30 years since the first ever VB series sedan rolled off the production line at Holden’s former assembly line at Pagewood, New South Wales on the 25th of October 1978.

Holden has since built over 2.5 million Commodore sedans, utilities and wagons, contributing to its status as the brand’s longest-standing and most successful nameplate.

For almost just as long as it has been in Australian showrooms, the Commodore has been a performance ambassador for Holden on the racetrack – during that time winning Bathurst an unrivalled 18 times.

General Motors began work on the Commodore in 1971 as part of its ‘World Car’ program with variations sold in England, parts of Europe and South Africa with the Australian models boasting locally developed engines, steering, suspension, body strengthening and dust sealing.

The Commodore has evolved through 14 model series and four generations of rear-wheel drive architecture, claiming the position as Australia’s top selling passenger car for the past 12 years and is on track to maintain that position in 2008.

In 1978 when the car was first introduced, a base model VB Commodore cost just $6,513 compared to the current base model VE which starts from $36,790.

Since then the Commodore has undergone a further three major model updates with the VN Commodore (VP (1991); VR (1993); VS (1995)) in 1988, then in 1997 with the VT Commodore (VX (2000); VY (2002); VZ (2004)) and in 2006 with the current VE Commodore.

During this time, the Commodore pioneered the inclusion safety technologies such as driver, passenger and side impact airbags, computer optimised restraint systems and ABS brakes as standard fitment – all ‘firsts’ for an Australian-manufactured car.

Holden has also released a series of commercials for its Commodore over the years, should bring back a few memories!

Commodore VL – Television Ad – Plane Tow

Commodore VL – Television Ad – The Great Aussie V8 is Back

Commodore VL – Television Ad – World Class Australian

Commodore VK – Television Ad – 1985 Commodore Vacationer

Commodore VK – Television Ad – World Class Commodore Executive

Commodore VC – Television Ad – The Legend of Commodore

Commodore VC – Television Ad – The Revolution Continues

Commodore VB – Television Ad – This is It

Robj

Happy Birthday Commodore. Hope your here for the next 30..
http://none Ra

I miss my VH SL/E

Bring me some Biofuels and I’d be glad to jump back into a 5.0 again.
Cupid Stunt aka No Name

Most of those relics are still being driven on Aussie roads aren’t they?
May the Commie long continue. Pure Australian (but no deisel power)Ha Ha!!
Buckles

If you call an Opel Omega with a Nissan or Buick Engine Pure Aussie, then sure!!
Congrats none the Less.
WVB

shame peter perfect wasn’t there to cut the cake……….
happy b
Frosty

Those ads make me start feeling my age. Remember each and everyone going to air. I remember checking all the motor mags looking for updates to the Commodore from VB onwards and remember thinking how futuristic they looked at the time. Seeing the SLE with the headlight washer wipers, the shadow tone paintwork, the radical shape (at the time) of the Vh’s headlights, then the semi retractable headlights of the VL Calais ( and thinking at the time that was the way to go). Then actually thinking the headlights on the VN were a step backwards (superficial I know) but then seeing the VR and the release of the drivers airbag, then purchasing a VS series 2 Berlina with the dual airbags and getting a VT 2 Berlina wagon in 2000. Now having owned a VE Calais V Sportwagon and VE SS Sedan I have seen how much they have evolved and improved I look forward to the VF and purchasing one to supersede the SS when it comes out.
Oh the memories. Well done Holden and may the Commodore reign as Australias number one seller for at least the next 30 years. Anti Spam word is racing. Yet another thing Commodore has dominated in most of its life.
ScottT

Falcon is nearly 50, get some time up!!!!!!
http://skyline The Salesman

Where is the ad with the string quartette in the back seat…..
Team Vodafone,,,,Enduro Experts

This is such a dumb statement >>>>>>>> Anti Spam word is racing. Yet another thing Commodore has dominated in most of its life, What the,,,,, hahahahahahaha typical dunnydore supporter.

Frosty, your kidding right, Ford actually has won more V8 supercar championships and Ford has been around longer than Holden >>>> also they are not dominating anything except drivers whinging and skaife crashing..

Sorry but Ford is a much better product, only have to look at the reviews and comparo’s…
Team Vodafone,,,,Enduro Experts

Don’t forget your big anchor called Daewoo has to eat a piece of this 30 year old cake, afterall over half of holden’s line up are Daewoo’s..

Anti spamword Ford,, now that’s what I’m talking about. Go Ford !!!!!!!
Bret

So the Commodore brand is thiry years old. Pitty it only took them 28 of those 30 to actually make it an Australian car insted of a rehashed overseas model.

Funny how you can claim “firsts” with a play on words and a bit of spin. eg Falcon had the first airbag on an Aussie built car, but it was an optional extra. So along comes Holden, makes it part of the standard build, and it’s suddenly an indusrty first – whatever!

Falcon has been around for many more years, and been uniquelly Australian designed for most of it.
Oh well let the fans have their little “moment”
Frosty

Team Vodafone you are a joke. Unfortunately I think your product will be gone very soon and replaced by a front wheel drive product. Commodore is safe. And as my cousin who just reminded me of whom has the best racing record of the 2 he has comfirmed Holden and guess what he has his own Outfit at ford and has won a couple of Bathursts both at Holden and Ford. So before you spin anything get your facts straight. This is from the horses mouth itself. Oh he is from Newborough so that should make it easier for you to guess who I am related to. Holden Commodore rules as it does in the sales for the last 12 years. Well done Commodore on 30 years.
http://faster DanMan

The above comments are like two bald men fighting over a comb…

Both you companies will be banckrupt in next 6 months… probably because of having fans like you both…
http://skyline The Salesman

I, like many others am soooooo tired of Holden and Ford red necks.
red neck one “Fords better”
red neck two “Deeerrrrr no it is not Holden is”
And so on.
I saw a bloke on Sunday with a Holden shirt and a Ford hat, is that what a red neck calls a gender bender?
How do you know if you are a red neck?
If you believe a balanced diet is McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Team Vodafone,,,,Enduro Experts

Mcdonald burgers is exactly what you sell, yes many are sold, people keep buying the crap because of marketing, you may say Holden and Ford fans are rednecks but at least they can fly our flag a little higher and not drive around in a Korean made BIG MAC’s..

Korean cars sux,, Korean cars sux,, Korean cars sux..
http://faster DanMan

TVEE,

Your post’s have not contributed ANYTHING to this website,
you are like graffiti on a building wall in the CBD. Why do you bother?

Your village called, they want their idiot back!
JEYKL & HYDE

to holdens marketing men,

your back’s must be to the wall,no special 30th pack yet?could of advertised them on the news last night.tisk,tisk
Bret

Frosty,
Come on now, lets get the facts right:

Australian touring car championship
Team Blue: 21 Championships
Team Red: 16 Championships

Falcon:13
Commodore: 9
Since intro of Commodore(1980) Falcon: 10, Commodore: 9

After Brock won the ATCC in 1980, it was 14 years till skaife next won in a Commodore in 1994
Bret

DanMan, a little thin skinned? Can’t handle the truth?

(And I think you should have changed from your Toyota title to the your Korean “The Salesman” title before that statement.)
http://faster DanMan

Yeah Bret, Same person (check the post times, not really possible).

Just if you are going to post, contribute something, anything, but make it relevant to topic and impart a bit of knowledge or opionion if it is based on witnessed fact.

Holden Vs Ford is one of THE most boring subjects in Australian culture…

Being half US/AUST makes it seem particulaly lame.

Like gulliver’s travels; “we go to war because they crack their eggs at the top at crack them at the bottom” so, so silly.
Bret

Gee, and when was the last time that you posted an honest, unbiased, factual and totally relevant post, on any topic. The next time will probably the the first.

And sour grapes from somebody “on the outer”, doesn’t make it boring or irrelevant. Just jealous that you can’t play too!
AFL, Rugby, Soccer, Cricket etc
http://skyline The Salesman

All comments awaiting moderation?
Team Vodafone,,,,Enduro Experts

Danman, don’t worry so much about what we are saying, I guess your a sick Toyophile fan, I feel sorry that you have mates like Dingo spilling the most crap online about his stupid sewing machine company.

Go read about what he’s vomiting out on Drive.com, yep,,, complete utter garbage and you reckon we dribble about Ford verse Holden all the time…

I’ll tell you what lame is, a loser that keeps saying the profits of an A 2 B car company becomes important, then comparing with others,,, ohhh they are better, more reliable, have more money, hybrid technology, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH crap,, well if this isnt against any culture your life is more than boring, being a statistic like most Toyo fan’s, I mean sucked in by the media gives us an understanding of why brainwash is so easy these day’s even the educated car enthusiast are victims.

Get A Life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toyoda sux, Boring, Bland, Whitegoods, building the most uninspired vehicles on the planet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://faster DanMan

DanMan Says:
October 28th, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Re-read this post. TVEE.

I would have a battle of wits with you but i dont fight unarmed opponents…

See thats how you lay the smackdown.. with style and humour. FTW
http://skyline The Salesman

If they were boring white goods why does everyone buy them?????????
Tim

Congratulations on getting bogans around this great nation into an ‘Australian made’ (read: NOT) car.

Finished the cake? Now update the 30 year old 4 speed auto.

KTHNXBI
Sean

I’m not sure any longer if there is a thread of an argument in this series of posts or not.

The Commodore has been around in Australia now for 30 years – the Falcon for 48.

Neither started off as indigenous Australian vehicles. Falcons from 1960 through to the 1972 XA were US designed and engineered, even though the interceding models picked up more Australian content as they progressed.

The Commodore started life in Australia with more local input than the first Falcon. Remember the stories of the VB test mules breaking apart during testing? Well, the 1960 Falcons ended up doing that Australian roads rather than in the wilds of prototype testing.

What we should be celebrating here is the evolution of two vehicles, the competition between which has forced the engineers behind each brand to bring us two unique, robust, safe and refined RWD cars.

Both are worth crowing about, and both will get better.
http://dodge Marcos

Yeah will celebrate closing down because of the Yanks….
lol
http://faster DanMan

Yes also thanks for helping tens of thousands of young white males kill themselves against any handy bit of roadside furniture or tree’s (or each other) due to allowing them access to rear wheel drive with a poor toe out cambered rear suspension combined with a thuggish ‘more power’ marketing campaign.

Some of the worst drivers have to be 18-25 in a VP-VS series Commodore with aftermarket chrome tail lights..

Not nice but true.
http://skyline The Salesman

Why are all my comments awaiting moderation????????.
http://faster DanMan

Someone might have hit REPORT?

Happened to me at random too. Yet Team Vodafone gets through. no justice in this world!
Daniel Dacey

Thank you Holden for annoying the crap out of would be car snobs, who want the recognition for their Euro or Japanese purchase decision, but find their car tucked away in a short one page or less review in the back section of Wheels because of your product taking the cover and main story.

May you go on to annoy them for another 30 years as they rant “bogan” to no one in particular who cares.

Dan
Japanese and Australian built car owner
Wheelnut

Quote [DanMan} Both you companies will be bankrupt in next 6 months… probably because of having fans like you both…
Really…. How can you say that?

Given the increasing demand and the extensive waiting lists for HSV and FPV vehicles; both over 2-3 months whereas TRD’s are closer to 2-3 days..that is of course due to the fact dealers have been forced to heavily slash the original overinflated price. Remember both HSV and FPV have recorded record sales – I mean it would take TRD 2 years to sell the number of cars HSV/FPV sell in one month

Not to mention that the VE Commodore is closing in on regaining number one spot from Corolla.. most of which are V8s and mostly Utes… Oh and the demand for the more Euro looking FG series Falcons whereas Aurion sales are starting to plateau

And there is far more interest in the future model Falcons and Commodores than there is in the upcoming Toyota.. which indicates that there are still loyal fans wanting to buy one in the Future.
Andrew M

Bret,
this article is incorrect, and you havent got it quite right either.

i believe you will find that ford was the first to include drivers airbag as standard equipment, and then also first to include driver and passenger airbag as standard fitment.

I also thought ABS became standard on the 2nd series of the AU which also puts it ahead of the commodore.
in thw quick search i did, i was unable to confirm ABS on the 2nd series, but i know for sure it was standard on the 3rd series which puts it as being introduced at the same time at worst.
can anyone confirm ABS on the 2nd series??

but either way the article is incorrect

But yeah, well done to holden.
at least that makes it 2 cars made in this country that people can/do actually enjoy driving.
Frontman

The Salesman Says:
October 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
If they were boring white goods why does everyone buy them?????????

Ummmmmmmmm Same reason everyone has white goods?????
Dull boring but do the job……. After all 90% of cars are just that. It’s just the badge that makes people happy.
JasonP

C’mon now boys!

Salesman, yes Toyotas are whitegoods, & they are bought by the public, who, in the majority, are not car enthusiasts.
Just cause something sells well, doesn’t mean it’s the best product.
Ironically, Commodore is still the top selling vehicle in Oz, outselling Corolla, & the Aurion/Camry Twins.

I’ve owned a VC 4.2, a VP Calais 5.0, & a current VE SS 6.0.
The VC wasn’t very reliable, the VP did ok considering little maintenance & 350000km, & the VE has been fault free for 60000km thus far.
I did own a Corolla once, & it was no more reliable than the VC, or for that matter, a JD Camira 1.8 (leaded petrol version) I’ve also owned.

I’d be more than happy to buy & run another Commodore in the future.
Happy 30th Birthday.
I can still remember going down to Zupps at Aspley in late Oct/early Nov 78, to see the all new Holden.
Andrew M

Frontman,
^^^^^
true that
CB

Team Vodafone,,,,Enduro Experts Says:
October 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
“Korean cars sux,, Korean cars sux,, Korean cars sux..”

So why do Holden rebadge and sell them as Aussie vehicles…?

Wheelnut Says:
October 28th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
“Oh and the demand for the more Euro looking FG series Falcons whereas Aurion sales are starting to plateau”

“And there is far more interest in the future model Falcons and Commodores than there is in the upcoming Toyota.. which indicates that there are still loyal fans wanting to buy one in the Future.”

What sales figures were you looking at? All the charts I’ve seen show the FG series selling in numbers that don’t show “demand” by any means!

I don’t argue your points about the TRD though… don’t know what Toyota were thinking with that car. Should have been AWD, or priced $20K less!
realcars

Oh bring back those halcyon days when the pinnacle of contentment was a New Holden in the drive(Special,Kingswood or Commodore).

Thanks for those clips Caradvice!!
Wheelnut

TVEE – This is about Holden celebrating 30 years of Commodore…. and remember for at leat 15 of those years Commodore was the Number 1 selling car in Australia…
and it has a chance of regaining that position back from the Toyota Corolla by the end of the year.. the gap is closing thanks mainly due to the Ute [most of which are V8s] and the Sportwagon

Funny thing is it took Toyota 50 odd years to knock the Commodore off as Australias most Popular Passenger Vehicle despite their supposedly better build quality reliability safety and engineering etc not to mention more resources. If Toyota’s are so superior what took them so long?

In relation to Daewoo.. Holden have only been selling rebadged Daewoos for just over 5 years and sure whilst they mightn’t be as good as their Korean rivals Hyundai.. you got to remember how crap Hyundais were when they were first released in Oz as to how good and how popular they are now [10 years later].. I think it will be a similar story with Daewoo – wait and see
JEYKL & HYDE

danman,

your really are sounding stupid with the “commodore’s kill you”speech.don’t go there.i mean,it’s just like the old “guns don’t kill,people do”argument.ANY old car,when compared to todays 5 star esp equipped new ones,are potential death traps.don’t just single out gm.what about ea fords positive camber non adjustable front end,what about all the out of adjustment rear drum braked jap cars of the eighty’s.as for bad drivers,you MIGHT also mention all the buzz box drivers making the news most nights (wrx?).come to one common conclusion as well,that is if you lose your FRONT end(understeer)on a non esp car,its pretty much goodnight(fwd or rwd).lose the REAR end of a rwd non esp car,and the average driver has some hope of recovering(backing off,steering correction).lose the rear end of a fwd car,and WHOOPS….as far as killing yourself with stupidity,what about drug addicts,solariums,religious cults etc.as least peter brock died doing what he loved…
http://skyline The Salesman

So you are saying the only people that will buy Holden and Ford in the future will be enthusiasts?
Hyundai – Kia is expanding and reporting huge growth in the global market, because they present a cheap, economical and increasingly reliable product. Just like Toyota did with the market years ago, Hyundai – Kia are following a similar business plan.
Look at the facts people, regardless of your opinions the facts don’t lie.
Well done Holden in making it this far.
http://faster DanMan

‘Results 1 – 10 of about 615,000 for commodore young crash’

From Google search results…

My comments stand! The jury rests your honour…
JEYKL & HYDE

danman,

funny thing stats,arn’t they…
google toyota and boring…982,000
you just like maldevian in the cox plate(got the blinkers on)
Falcodore

Wow, its only taken GM US 30 years to realize holden makes better cars than they do?! Makes Ford US look like the SLOWEST, DUMBEST MORONS in the automotive industry. Give the falcon a green card already!
Someone mentioned toyotas? NO wonder im yawning…..ZZZZZZ
Bret

DanMan doesn’t even understand how a google search works, let alone statistics.

“Results 1 – 10 of about 1,460,000 for toyota young crash”

See your entire theory is flawed.

At least Commodore has 30 years history.
BK

Not long it will be 50 years of falcons and about 32 yrs of commydores. I tell u all that commydore has copied the falcon all the way. Ford Falcon is the only true aussie car. Commodore will be dead in a few years time.
F@ GTHO

Happy b day commadore
Duck

Oh come on BK, lay off it! Your full of crap!!!!!!!!

END OF STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!