The 2018 Holden Commodore Isn’t The First Time The Nameplate Has Had German Roots
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The Holden Commodore is a strange vehicle regarding motoring history. It has become a quintessential Australian motoring icon over decades, only to have the rug pulled from underneath it with the demise of local Australian manufacturing.
But, the Commodore doesn’t have very Australian roots. In fact, the Commodore was largely a ported over Opel Senator. When the Commodore arrived in VB guise in 1978, it carried many similarities to the German-built Senator, including its design.
However, a closed economy and rough roads gave birth to the Commodore’s legacy: a car built in Australia for Australians. Holden honed the Commodore in over time and included the mighty V8 engines locals came to love on the street and on the track.
Nonetheless, it’s worth noting the 2018 Holden Commodore won’t be the first Holden to have plenty of German influence. The 2018 Commodore’s Achilles heel may be its new country of origin. Even though the 1978 Commodore arrived with a German accent, its Australian assembly made it that much easier to swallow.
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The VB Commodore did not use the Opel Senator / Vauxhall Royale body, it used the stretched V Platform body used on the Opel Commodore / Vauxhall Viceroy (V-6) which was the Opel Rekord E / Vauxhall Carlton Mk1 body (V-4) with a stretched front end to enable room for a straight six engine. The larger Senator / Royale body (V-S) used independent rear suspension with a 6 window body design. The VB Commodore, Daewoo Royale & Vauxhall Royale front grille were all almost the same design.
When Opel sent a Commodore over for testing in Australia, the Germans received a report that it was not strong enough. A second car was sent and the same stress cracks were noted. So a third car arrived with a German to experience the tests first hand. He could not believe the pounding the Australian test drivers imposed on the cars but did appreciate that the Holdens of the time could handle this abuse.
So don’t tell an Aussie that the Commodore was based off an Opel. In this case they do not have a sense of humour.
Look to femilier….it sure isn’t groundbreaking.
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