Holden Commodore (VB)

The Holden Commodore (VB) is a mid-size car that was produced by Holden, from 1978 to 1980. It was the first iteration of the first generation of the Holden Commodore, and was the Holden version of the General Motors V-body (V78) platform - developed primarily for the Opel Rekord E.

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 life span 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.

The VB became Australia's number one selling car in 1979, the model's first full year of production. The VB also won Wheels Car of the Year award for 1978, with the car being praised for its value for money and referred to as "the best Australian car ever."[1]

History

Models

All V8s came equipped with standard power steering. On the station wagon, there was no 15x6 inch alloy wheels option.

Commodore

The Commodore was the base model, and was available as a sedan or station wagon. It featured: a 2.85-litre 64 kW Red inline-six engine (I6) equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, body-colour tail panel, silver finish on instrument surrounds, Vinyl trim, and steel wheels. Optional availability included a 3.3-litre 66 kW "Red" I6 or 4.2-litre 87 kW "Red" V8 engine, a 3-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, corded cloth interior, and power steering.

The optional European Pack incorporated: a 3.3-litre 66 kW Red I6, full instrumentation, four wheel discs, Headlight washers / wipers, and 15 inch alloy wheels. The Sport Pack (manual only) which incorporated: 4.2-litre 84 kW Red V8, full instrumentation, four wheel discs brakes, headlight washers/wipers, and 15x6 inch alloy wheels.[8]

Commodore SL

The Commodore SL was the mid-range variant, and was available as a sedan or station wagon. It featured: a3.3-litre 71 kW Red I6 equipped with a 3-speed automatic transmission, right door mouldings, chrome wheeltrim rings, corded velour cloth trim, extra gauges for volts and oil pressure, vertical accent bars on the grille, inertia reel seatbelts for the outer rear passengers, rear centre armrest, rosewood dash finish, silver tail panel, twin exterior mirrors, variable intermittent speed wipers, steel wheels. With optional: 4.2-litre 87 kW Red V8, air conditioning, power steering, full instrumentation, four wheel discs brakes, headlight washers/wipers, 4-speed manual transmission, vinyl upholstery, 15x6 inch alloy wheels.[8]

Commodore SL/E

The Commodore SL/E was the top-of-the-line luxury variant. It was available as a sedan only. It featured: a 4.2-litre 87 kW Red V8 equipped with a 3-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, black door frames and tail panel, blacked out grille, burr walnut dash, chrome exhaust, chrome door handles, extended rear bumpers, Blaupunkt stereo radio cassette player, electric aerial, headlight wiper/washers, power steering, reading lights, retractable seatbelts, reversing mirror, tachometer, velour trim, cut pile carpet, four wheel disc brakes, 15x6 inch alloy wheels. With optional: 3.3 L 71 kW Red I6, 5.0 L 114 kW Red V8 which incorporated: Turbo-Hydramatic 350 or 400 transmission, 4-speed manual transmission, central locking, power windows.[8]

Motorsport

The VB Commodore featured heavily in Australian motorsport in the latter part of 1979 and through most of 1980.

In 1979, the factory backed Holden Dealer Team entered a three-car VB Commodore team in the 20000 km Repco Round Australia Trial which started and finished at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and travelled clockwise around the country over some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. The team Commodores were powered by the 3.3-litre straight-six Holden Red motor rather than the more powerful V8 due to their much lighter weight. Anxious to prove the then new cars' reliability, the cars were perfectly prepared and finished first, second and third. Lead HDT driver Peter Brock won the event along with co-drivers Matt Phillip and Noel Richards. Brock has cited this event as his career highlight as it was an event in which many motor racing experts throughout Australia, as well as the media, did not believe he would do well in despite his previous rally and rallycross exploits.

With new regulations for Group C Touring car racing introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1980 which forced teams to use low emission engines, the HDT (by now owned by Brock and with actual support from Holden dealers after Holden had pulled out of racing at the end of 1979) had been secretly testing a VB Commodore as its replacement for the A9X Torana. The new regulations saw that the Holden's racing 5.0-litre V8 engine had a drop in power from 1979's 380 hp to approximately 300 hp. However, the new regulations also saw to it that the HDT had arguably the only race ready car for the 1980 Australian Touring Car Championship. Peter Brock won the championship in his VB Commodore, winning four of the eight rounds while claiming pole position at each and every round. 1979 ATCC winner Bob Morris also won a round of the championship driving his Craven Mild Racing VB Commodore.

Brock then won the 1980 CRC 300 at Sydney's Amaroo Park circuit before upgrading to the VC Commodore by the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown Raceway. The VB's final placing in an Australian touring car race was a strong third place by Ian "Pete" Geoghegan and Paul Gulson at the 1980 Bathurst 1000 at Bathurst (Brock and Jim Richards won their third straight Bathurst 1000 in their VC Commodore).

The VB is only one of two Commodore models (along with the VN) not to have won the Bathurst 1000.

manufacturer	Holden
production	October 1978 – March 1980
assembly	Australia: Sydney, New South Wales (Pagewood), Melbourne, Victoria (Dandenong) New Zealand: Wellington (Trentham)
class	Mid-size car
platform	GM V platform
body style	4-door sedan 5-door station wagon
related	Opel Rekord E Opel Senator Vauxhall Carlton Opel Commodore C
engine	2.85 L Red I6 3.3 L Red I6 4.2 L Red V8 5.0 L Red V8
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)
wheelbase	2668 mm
length	4705 - 4729 mm
width	1722 mm
height	1371 mm
predecessor	Holden HZ
successor	Holden Commodore (VC)
designer	Leo Pruneau

Holden Commodore (VB)

History

Production

Powertrains

Models

Commodore

Commodore SL

Commodore SL/E

Motorsport

External links

References