VB (1978–1980) Introduced in October 1978, the VB Commodore development covered a period with the effects of the
1973 oil crisis still being felt. Hence, when Holden decided to replace the successful
full-size HZ Kingswood with a new model line, they wanted the new car to be smaller and more fuel efficient. Originally, Holden looked at developing a new
WA Kingswood, but that project was abandoned. With no replacement in development, Holden looked to
Opel to provide the design foundations of the VB, basing it on the four-cylinder
Rekord E body shell, with the front grafted on from the
Opel Senator A, both constructed using GM's
V-body platform. This change was necessitated to accommodate the larger
Holden six- and
eight-cylinder engines. Holden also adopted the name "Commodore" from Opel, which had been using the name since 1967. Opel went on to use Holden's Rekord-Senator hybrid as a foundation for its new generation
Commodore C, slotting in between the two donor models. During the VB's development, Holden realised that when driven at speed over harsh Australian roads, the Opel Rekord would effectively break apart at the
firewall. This forced Holden to re-engineer the entire car for the often harsh
Australian road conditions, resulting in only 35 percent commonality with the Rekord. Among other changes, the Rekord's
MacPherson strut front suspension was modified, and the
recirculating ball steering was replaced with a
rack and pinion type. These and other mechanical and structural modifications massively blew out development costs to a reported —a figure then close to the cost of developing an all-new model independently. With such a large sum consumed by the VB development programme, Holden was left with insufficient finances for the development of a
station wagon variant. Added that the Commodore architecture was considered an unsuitable base for
utility and long-
wheelbase models, Holden was left with only a sedan, albeit one in three levels of luxury: a base, SL, and SL/E. Desperate measures forced Holden to shape the Commodore front-end to the rear of the Rekord wagon. As the wagon-specific sheet metal had to be imported from Germany, the wagon, introduced in July 1979, suffered from inevitable component differences from the sedan. Although infrequently criticised in the early years, quality problems were evident, with poor trim and panel fit problematic for all first generation Commodores. This coupled with mechanical dilemmas such as water pump failure and steering rack rattle ensured
warranty claims were high in the first year. Despite these issues, the VB Commodore was widely praised for its value for money sophistication, especially in regards to its steering,
handling, braking, and
ride quality. thus securing the
Wheels Car of the Year award for 1978. The VB series retained 96 percent of the preceding HZ Kingswood's interior space but was only 86 percent the HZ's external size, although five percent larger than the
Torana. With the Commodore dropping a full class below the Kingswood and its
Ford Falcon competitor, the smaller Commodore was predictably more fuel-efficient. This downsizing was first seen as a major disadvantage for Holden, as they had effectively relinquished the potential of selling Commodores to the
fleet and
taxi industries. These sales losses were thought to be unrecoverable; however, the
1979 energy crisis saw Australian oil prices rise by 140 percent, putting substantial strain on the automotive industry to collectively downsize, a change that Holden had already done. Changes included a new twelve-port
cylinder head, redesigned
combustion chambers,
inlet and
exhaust manifolds, a new two-barrel
carburettor . Tweaks and changes to the V8s surrounded the implementation of electronic ignition, revised cylinder head and inlet manifold design and the fitment of a four-barrel carburettor on the 4.2-litre variant. These changes brought improved efficiency, increased outputs and aided driveability. In response to increasing
oil prices, a
four-cylinder variant was spawned in June 1980.
Displacing 1.9-litres, this powerplant known as
Starfire was effectively Holden's existing straight-six with two cylinders removed. The four's peak power output of and torque rated at meant its performance was compromised. Reports indicate that the need to push the engine hard to extract performance led to real-world
fuel consumption similar to the straight-sixes. Holden's emphasis on fuel economy extended beyond powertrains, with a fuel consumption
vacuum gauge replacing the
tachometer throughout the range, although this could be optioned back with the sports instrumentation package. Visual changes were limited: the relocation of the
corporate crest to the centre of the redesigned
grille, black-coloured trim applied to the
tail lamp surrounds on sedans, and the embossment of model badging into the side rubbing strips. The previously undesignated base car, was now the Commodore L, opening up the range for a new unbadged sub-level car. This delete option model, was de-specified and available only to
fleet customers. On the premium Commodore SL/E, a resurrected "Shadowtone" exterior paint option became available in a limited range of dark-over-light colour combinations. According to contemporary reviews, changes made to the VC's steering produced a heavier feel and inclined
understeer, while the revised suspension gave a softer ride and addressed concerns raised while riding fully laden. 1980 Holden Commodore (VC) L 1.9 station wagon (2015-07-14) 01.jpg|Station wagon (L) 1980-1981 Holden VC Commodore L station wagon 02.jpg|Station wagon (L) 1980-1981 Holden VC Commodore L sedan 04.jpg|Sedan (L) 1980 HDT Commodore (VC) sedan 03.jpg|Interior
VH (1981–1984) The VH series Commodore introduced in September 1981 brought moderately updated frontal bodywork, with a new
bonnet and front
guards to facilitate the reshaped headlamps and a horizontally slatted
grille. These front-end design changes worked to produce a longer, yet wider look. At the rear, sedans featured redesigned tail light clusters, the design of which borrowed from
Mercedes-Benz models of the day, using a louvered design. At the same time, the
nomenclature of the range was rationalised. The SL superseded the L as the base model, with the old SL level becoming the mid-range SL/X, and the SL/E remaining as the top-of-the-line variant. Wagons were restricted to the SL and SL/X trims. Redesigned pentagonal
alloy wheels—replacing the original SL/E type used since 1978—along with a black painted
B-pillar, wraparound
chrome rear
bumper extensions to the
wheel arches, and extended tail lamps that converged with the
license plate alcove—distinguished the range-topping SL/E from other variants. In an attempt to improve sales figures of the
straight-four engine, Holden spent considerable time improving its performance and efficiency. Modifications were also made to the 2.85-litre six to lift economy, and the powerplants managed to reduce
fuel consumption by as much as 12.5 and 14 percent, correspondingly. Holden released the sports-oriented Commodore SS sedan in September 1982—reintroducing a nameplate used briefly ten years prior with the
HQ series. Provisioned with a choice of 4.2- or optional 5.0-litre V8 engines, both versions of the VH SS were teamed with a four-speed manual transmission. By the time of the VH series, Commodore sales were beginning to decline.
Holden's six-cylinder engine, which was carried over from the
Kingswood, could trace its roots back to 1963 and was no longer competitive. This was curtailed by the absence of any major
powertrain revisions by the time of the VH and the lack of visual departure from the original VB. Holden also had to deal with the influx of their own mid-size
Camira from 1982, which presented comparable interior volume with lower fuel consumption, and for less than the Commodore pricing point. Camira sales were strong initially, but as fuel prices had stabilised, buyers gravitated away from Camira and Commodore towards the larger Falcon, which overtook the Commodore as Australia's bestselling car for the first time in 1982. 1982 Holden Commodore 3.3 (VH) (26672894339) (cropped).jpg|Sedan (base) 1981-1984 Holden VH Commodore SL sedan 01.jpg|Sedan (SL) 1981-1984 Holden VH Commodore SLX station wagon 01.jpg|Station wagon (SLX) Holden Commodore SLX (1981-1984 VH series) 06.jpg|Interior
(1984–1986) Representing the first major change since the VB original, the VK model of 1984 introduced a six-window glasshouse, as opposed to the previous four-window design, to make the Commodore appear larger. The revised design helped stimulate sales, which totalled 135,000 in two years. This did not put an end to Holden's monetary woes. Sales of the initially popular
Camira slumped due to unforeseen quality issues, New names for the trim levels were also introduced, such as Commodore Executive (an SL with
air conditioning and
automatic transmission), Commodore Berlina (replacing SL/X) and Calais (replacing SL/E). The 3.3-litre
Blue straight-six engine was replaced by the
Black specification, gaining computer-controlled ignition systems on the carburettor versions and optional electronic
fuel injection boosting power output to . The 5.0-litre
V8 engine continued to power high specification variants, but was shrunk from 5,044 cc to 4,987 cc in 1985 due to new
Group A racing
homologation rules. The new car cut its predecessor's weight by and models were fitted with an upgraded braking system. As high oil prices became a thing of the past, Holden decided to drop the 2.85- six and 4.2-litre V8, File: 1984-1986 Holden VK Commodore SL sedan 01.jpg |Sedan (SL) File: 1984-1986 Holden VK Commodore SL sedan 03.jpg |Sedan (SL) File: Holden Commodore Berlina stationwagon (25884836557) (cropped).jpg |Station wagon (Berlina)
VL (1986–1988) Marking a high point in terms of sales, the last-of-the-series VL Commodore sold in record numbers, finally managing to outsell the
Ford Falcon in the private sector. The 1986 VL represented a substantial makeover of the VK and would be the last of the
mid-size Commodores for 30 years. Designers distanced the Commodore further away from its
Opel origins, by smoothing the lines of the outer body and incorporating a subtle tail
spoiler. A thorough redesign of the nose saw the Commodore gain sleek, narrow headlamps and a shallower grille, while the Calais specification employed unique partially concealed headlamps. By this stage, Holden's 24‑year‑old six-cylinder was thoroughly outmoded and would have been difficult to re-engineer to comply with pending emission standards and the introduction of unleaded fuel. This led Holden to sign a deal with
Nissan of Japan to import their
RB30E engine. This seemed a good idea in 1983 when the Australian dollar was strong; however by 1986 the once viable prospect became rather expensive. The public quickly accepted what was at first a controversial move, as reports emerged of the improvements in refinement, 33 percent gain in power and 15 percent better economy over the
carburettor version of the VK's
Black straight-six. In October 1986, an unleaded edition of Holden's
carburettored V8 engine was publicised. Holden had originally planned to discontinue the V8 to spare the engineering expense of converting to unleaded. However, public outcry persuaded them to relent. VLs in New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand were also available with the 2.0-litre six-cylinder
RB20E engine. The VL suffered from some common build quality problems, such as poor
windshield sealing, that can lead to water leakages and
corrosion. Awkward packaging under the low bonnet coupled with Holden's decision to utilise a cross-flow radiator (as opposed to the up-down flow radiator installed to the equivalent Nissan Skyline) meant the six-cylinder engine was especially susceptible to cracked
cylinder heads, a problem not displayed on the
Nissan Skyline with which it shares the
RB30E engine. The Used Car Safety Ratings, published in 2008 by the
Monash University Accident Research Centre, found that first generation Commodores (VB–VL), similarly to the Ford Falcons manufactured during the same years, provide a "worse than average" level of occupant
safety protection in the event of an
accident. It is perhaps noteworthy however, that the Monash University publication includes in its averages, vehicles manufactured as late as 2006. As such, and with reasonable necessity, the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings include comparison of some non-airbag vehicles with later vehicles fitted with airbags. In 1988, it would still be some years before airbags became available to the public on vehicles manufactured in Australia, and, outside of the very high end luxury market, available in Australia at all. As airbag technology later become more available, the Holden Commodore would become one of the first to offer the option (see VR Commodore below). File:1986-1988 Holden VL Commodore Executive sedan 03.jpg|Sedan (Executive) 1988 Holden Commodore (VL) Berlina sedan (2015-07-14) 02.jpg|Sedan (Berlina) Holden Commodore Vacationer (1987 VL series) 02.jpg|Station Wagon (Vacationer) Holden Commodore Vacationer (1987 VL series) 03.jpg|Interior == Second generation (1988–1997)==