History of the Holden Commodore
WITH small cars eroding the sales figures of Australia's most popular car, David Jean looks at the rise and fall of the Holden Commodore.
WITH small cars eroding the sales figures of Australia's most popular car, David Jean looks at the rise and fall of the Holden Commodore.
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WHEN Peter Brock and Jim Richards piloted their VC Commodore to victory in the Bathurst 1000 in 1980, they had no idea that they'd just helped launch an Australian icon.
Less than two years earlier, General Motors Holden had launched the Commodore as its replacement for the popular and long-serving Kingswood.
Initially introduced as a sedan, the VB Commodore range expanded in 1979 to include a station wagon.
While initial sales were encouraging, Commodore's maiden victory in the popular Bathurst event gave the new model the perfect boost.
Richards remembers the win as the perfect combination of superstar driver, in Brock, and finely tuned vehicle - the modified Commodore.
"For me it was a matter of going to Bathurst with Pete and his team and doing my job," said Richards, who had won two previous Bathurst events as Brock's co-driver.
"Pete's team in those days was the best and he was definitely the best driver.
"They had everything going for them - masses of talent and they built a car really capable of doing the job.
"Holden started off building the car and Pete finished off with the modifications necessary to win the race."
But fast forward 22 years and Commodore is in a precarious position.
Last year, the Mazda 3 replaced the Elizabeth-built vehicle as Australia's most popular car for the first time in 16 years. Indeed, small cars continue to erode Commodore's sales as people turn to more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Yesterday's announcement that Holden would soon manufacture two smaller vehicles has led to speculation the former king of Australian roads could one day become extinct.
That would be a huge mistake, according to Richards.
"I really believe that General Motors Holden have been great innovators in cars over the years," he said.
"The Commodore has just been a touch ahead of the Fords for all those years ... so obviously they are doing something right.
"It would be nice to think that there is always a place for the Commodore, but they are talking about the end of the Commodore.
"You'd wonder why they would go away from a successful marriage - the name and the company.
"It has been an iconic part of Australian motoring in general, not just in motor sport."
Holden enthusiast Daryl Phillips, of Hallett Cove, has enjoyed a love affair with the Commodore ever since he bought the original model VB in 1979.
The president of the HDT owners' club currently owns three Commodores - a 2011 VE, a 1998 VT and his prized 1985 VK HDT, which was designed by Brock. In the past he has also owned a VH, a VK, a VL and a VP.
"I've been a Holden guy from day one," he said. "I've always bought Holdens along the way.
"My first Commodore was the first one that came out."
Mr Phillips fell in love with his VB as soon as he took it for a test drive. He said: "I had a sports-option pack on it and that came with a few bits and pieces that were great.
"I bought that as a daily driver. It was just one of those things, I was happy with all aspects of it - the car itself, the furnishings, everything."
Mr Phillips said the Commodore's huge popularity over two decades could be traced to a number of factors.
It was Australian-built and parts were easy to source.
The design of the car was simple; you didn't have to be a qualified mechanic to perform simple repairs.
And it was big enough to cart your average family across the country in comfort.
"Obviously they were doing something right and I think the Australian public recognised that," Mr Phillips said.
"You see a lot of late-model Commodores around but you don't see a lot of late-model Fords around.
"We did a lot of travelling around the countryside and I found it quite comfortable and manageable and cost-efficient to do it the way we did it in our Commodore."
Then, of course, there was the Brock factor.
"Peter Brock definitely had a bit to do with (making Commodore a legend)," he said. "He was always mucking around with things to make them more efficient ... and his input was noticed. He was always working on ways to make them better.
"Because his name was associated with Holden, I think that helped as well. He actually talked me into buying the Brock car I got back in 1985. That car is special because Peter Brock was the designer and person who built them and I had an association with him. We were good friends."
Richards is a racing legend who has enjoyed significant victories in Fords, Holdens, Nissans and more. But the Commodores are special.
He also won Bathurst in a Commodore with Mark Skaife in 2002 and the memories of that victory and the one with Brock more than a decade earlier remain sweet.
"There are fond memories in the Commodore, for sure," he said. "I've driven Fords, Commodores, Nissans, all sorts of cars. I've had a wealth of experience in other brands of cars, but being a driver with Brocky in that win in the Commodore was significant for me. It laid a pathway for me to continue on and do what I'm still doing ... racing cars."
Some experts believe Holden will continue to manufacture the Commodore beyond 2016, albeit as a repackaged, smaller model. Mr Phillips isn't so sure.
"I'm probably resigned to the fact that size of car probably will go because of all the smaller cars around." he said.
"Obviously people are going for fuel economy and all that sort of stuff. It will be sad."
If he is correct, there will be plenty of disappointed Australians. More than a million new Commodores have been sold between 1996 and 2011- and the "Dunnydoor" has reached iconic status.
And thanks to 1980, the Commodore will always command a special place in Richards' heart. He said: "That was the first Commodore win and it went from there.
"Australians' love of the Commodore has been unbelievable over the years."