why

[Marty_d]

Holden was selling cop cars in the USA, plus Monaro and Commodore and to the middle east with the Caprice as well. . and the UK was happily buying the GTS.

 

Its HSV group was also exporting. The Current Camaro was actually developed here in Australia. Holden was considered the design center of excellence for GM and had a very big future developing cars for world markets.

I know I'm a few days late to the post, we've been out camping with no internet access.

 

Anyway just to add to your list, when we were in South Africa in 2007 I saw Commodores being sold with Chevy badges on the grille.

 

 

[nomadpete]

That's because they were Chevrolet.

 

I believe that what we used to call Commodore, was a Chevrolet made under licence in Australia, and with 'country specific' modifications. For instance, suspension in ours had to be more robust to suit our roads.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

I used to know a bloke who's father was a mechanical engineer for Holden at around the time I bought my VS (1995). The VN to at least the VS V6s were a Chev 3.8L, but as I understand it, the body was derived from Opel in Germany/Vauxhall Senator in the UK, slightly stretched, and widened and rounded edges to give a more modern look (the senators were I think out of production by the time I bought my VS) ; and had more Australian (aka less refined so it could be more robust for taxis and police cars) interior.. The Aussies liked their cars more like American in size, engine/transmission and ride, but less outdated in aesthetics. Holden then basically took over the body design (I can't speak for the engine/drivetrain) as the Opel shape moved to the Astra Vectra (the latter a complete heap of poop - Jermey Clarkson described them as the most boring car to drive, and I drove a hired one, and it postiively put one to sleep). However, I had noticed, the later Commodores borrowed their interior from Opel/Vauxhall, with the cheap bling similar to my step-father-in law's Astra here.

 

Definitely a car inspired (and if we go back to the VB Commodore, developed from) its overseas brethren, however, my understanding is that it was the Aussie built that was sold in the US, South Africa and the UK (HSV variants for here, which remakably hold their value reasonably well). The Commodore, as I recall, was made in NZ for a few years as well.

 

If I compare my Commodore, which was a base model (Executive) with the only extras being tinted windows, sports suspension and a tow bar (actually, it was a manual; these days that counts as an extra I am guessing), it was plain jane, cheap and the build quality was fair. I bought a 1996 Audi A6 with a 2.8V6 which had more top end power and I would say not too much less bottom end power; the build quality was far better, but compared to the Commodore, it was dated, prretty borgin and counter-intuitively, thirstier.

 

Once I am done with the house renos and have the shareoplane purchased (TB20), I am looking at getting rid of the XC90 (build quality is actually in the league of the VS I had) and get a VXR8 (HSV).

 

 

[nomadpete]

I find it hard to believe that we were shipping commodores to the US for their police to drive. (Coal to Newcastle?)

 

They had their own production lines there for the identical Chev. How could we compete with that?

 

 

[facthunter]

Think they were marketed as a Pontiac in the US, a name now dispensed with, that went back a while. HSV did a good job here with Holden development and I think still do a lot of development. the IRON V6 was basically a Buick motor. The Early Commodores were an Opel widened. and fitted with numerous engines including a Nissan straight 6 that didn't last well. after a Black straight six pushrod engine, somewhat nondescript and the small block 253 thirsty V8.. the latest alloy block V8 motor is even fitted to some tug planes and was in the short term produced in the dual cab Crewman cross eight. based on the wagon chassis plan.. I don't think GM is going anywhere much at the moment. They were Technically owned by the US government for a while. Top heavy management from the US was evident at a few stages.. Some suggest a staged "failure" enabled them to reduce the pensions owed to US workers. Capitalist when profitable and socialist when needed. Like some BANKS that are too big to fail? Nev

 

 

[Litespeed]

I find it hard to believe that we were shipping commodores to the US for their police to drive. (Coal to Newcastle?)They had their own production lines there for the identical Chev. How could we compete with that?

At first glance you would think the yanks had a similar car in production. They did not. The commodore was fairly unique in the GM world. Most US cars were either front wheel drive or big hulking truck like rear wheel drive. A lot of yank cop cars we're ancient designs that were only sold as cop cars and had no public market. The commodore was vastly superior as a cop car and faster. The yanks had stopped making a equivilant car, so wanted ours. Just like the Comaro was based on a commodore.

 

The commodore has never been related to any US model until models were developed from the actual commodore. Engine excluded.

 

 

[nomadpete]

If the commodores were so useful to the yanks, why didn't they keep making them?

 

If they valued the product so much, it should have been possible to keep on making them without Australian government subsidy.