The Holden Commodore (VN) is a full-size car that was produced by Holden from 1988 to 1991. It was the first iteration of the second generation of this Australian made model, which was previously a mid-size car, as well as the first Commodore available as a coupé utility. The new range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VN) and Holden Calais (VN) and, from 1990, introduced the commercial Holden Utility (VG).
Overview The VN series was released on 17 August 1988 and it was a re-engineered hybrid of the European Opel Omega and Opel Senator - and their corresponding Vauxhall sister models the Carlton II and Senator II. This donor body was paired to a Buick V6 engine or the Holden V8 engine. The project cost some .
As well as being highly based on the Opel Senator, the VN also was similarly based on the Opel Omega, but this time, the previous VL Commodore floor pan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels. The VN Commodore was also awarded Wheels Car of the Year for a second time in 1988. For the first time since 1984, Holden again offered a commercial coupe utility with the first-Commodore based VG Utility sold from August 1990. The Holden Statesman and Caprice (VQ) models, which were introduced in March 1990, were also VN Commodore based, but shared a longer wheelbase with the VN Commodore wagon and VG Utility.
Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, alongside the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL. Instead, Holden adopted and domestically manufactured their own variant of the Buick LN3 V6 which was adopted from US market GM vehicles, although initially it was imported. The 5.0-litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to . Both these engines used multi point GM EFI and the V6 using 3 coil-packs for ignition. Although not known for its smoothness or quietness, the V6 was nevertheless praised for its performance at the time. A fuel-injected, 2.0-litre four-cylinder VN Commodore model was offered for some export markets including New Zealand and Singapore, which were sold as the Holden Berlina sharing an engine with the Opel Vectra A. Accompanying the changes to engines, the four-speed Jatco automatic transmission was replaced by the GM TH700 (also with four speeds) and the Borg-Warner T-5 five-speed manual gearbox.
A centre high-mount stoplight (CHMSL) was introduced prior to 1 July 1989 due to regulations in Australia requiring them to be fitted to all passenger cars manufactured from this date.
In September 1989, the Series II of the VN Commodore was released with the EV6 engine. Some of the changes included a new cast exhaust manifold, new camshaft sprocket profile and timing chain, improved air and fuel distribution to combustion chamber, recalibrated ignition and injector firing within the engine management computer, wider conrod bearings and revised throttle uptake. The automatic transmission was also recalibrated to match the new engines torque characteristics. These revisions helped reduce initial torque levels whilst also improving the noise and vibration levels of the V6 engine.
A total of 215,180 VN Commodores were manufactured during the model's 3-year lifespan, before production ended in September 1991.
A clone of the Commodore called the Beijing BJ6490 was produced in China under the brand Beijing Travel Vehicle Works for 1997 only, built on a BAW BJ212 chassis on a with authentic body parts shipped in from the Holden Elizabeth plant. The car was powered by a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine and a hybrid version, the BJ6490D was shown at an Auto Show in 1998 and was priced at 140,000 yuan (US$20,180). The engine was supplied from the Sichuan Electric Motor Factory.
Toyota Lexcen (T1)
Under the Hawke Government's Button car plan, which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, launched in September 1989, named after the late 1983 America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen and replaced the previous similar-sized Toyota Crown S120 offered in Australia. Subsequently, the Toyota Corolla and Camry were, similarly, badged as the Holden Nova and Holden Apollo.
New Zealand
The VN series was assembled in New Zealand between 1988 and 1990. For the first few months of production it was actually assembled alongside its predecessor, the VL. This was due to the VL Commodore being slightly smaller, and offering a 2.0 L inline-six Nissan RB20E (for New Zealand only) or 3.0 L RB30E straight-six engine, also by Nissan.
A unique situation of the New Zealand VN Commodore was its trim levels. Where in Australia, Berlina was of higher spec than Executive; in New Zealand the roles were actually reversed. Commodore Executive was the Australian Berlina spec, while Berlina – had a similar spec to the Australian Executive models – and utilised a 2.0-litre Family II 20SE four-cylinder engine.
The Berlina four-cylinder model was a unique car for New Zealand (as well as a few other export markets) and was unavailable to Australia. The four-cylinder Berlina was developed in Australia primarily for the New Zealand market, it was equipped with an unemissionised fuel-injected 2.0 L motor (tuned to run on 96 octane fuel), essentially that of the Opel Vectra A mounted north–south, driving the rear wheels. The Berlina was available in both sedan and wagon body styles.
The Calais models were also offered to New Zealand, primarily in V6 form. In fact, due to a cancelled Singapore order, twenty fully equipped VN Calais models were sold in New Zealand – utilizing the Berlina's four-cylinder motor. Additionally, it is believed that there are a few VN Calais wagons in existence in New Zealand.
An indigenous sports model, the Commodore GTS, was also offered to the New Zealand market during 1990. Based on the New Zealand Executive models, the GTS featured a 3.8 L V6 engine, manual or automatic transmission, bodykit (similar to that of the VN Commodore SS), alloys and FE2 suspension. It was a limited build, available in either White or Dark Blue.
The VN was the last Commodore to be assembled in New Zealand, after General Motors New Zealand closed its plant in Trentham in late 1990. The last locally assembled model was a 3.8-litre Commodore V6, which came off the assembly lines on 21 November of that year.Survivor from the Australian Outback, New Zealand Herald, 31 Aug 2001 Thereafter, Holden cars sold in New Zealand came fully built up from Australia, from where they could be imported duty-free under the Closer Economic Relations agreement.Cars and the motor industry – Demise of the car-assembly and component industries, Eric Pawson, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 11 March 2010
Models
Commodore Executive
The Commodore Executive was the base model of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$20,014 when new. Its standard features included: 3.8-litre V6 engine 5-speed manual transmission Power steering Power-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels 14 inch steel wheels Optionals included: 5.0 L V8 engine 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual transmission Air conditioning Cruise control Holden Formula Bodykit 15 inch alloy wheels
Commodore S
The VN Commodore S was the entry sports variant of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$21,665 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the Executive) included: Basic bodykit Sports trim interior Sports badging & exterior striping FE2 Suspension Optionals included: Air conditioning Cruise control Holden Formula Bodykit Optional Power Pack which incorporated: Front and rear power windows Power antenna Power mirrors 15 inch alloy wheels (usually colour-coded) Metallic Paint
Commodore SS
The VN Commodore SS was released in March 1989 and was the top of the range sports model of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$25,375 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the S model) included: 5.0-litre V8 engine Limited-slip differential TH700 Automatic or T5 5-speed manual transmission Driving lights FE2 sports suspension Body kit including front & rear bumper lip, side skirts, boot lip spoiler SS decals and striping SS interior fabrics incorporating a grey/red checker design Unique SS alloy wheels Optionals included: Air conditioning Holden Formula Bodykit Power Pack which incorporated: Front and rear power windows Power antenna Power mirrors Cruise control (Automatic only)
Colours available: Atlas Grey Phoenix Red Alpine White (available later in the VN lifespan).
Berlina
The Berlina was the entry luxury version of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$24,781 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the Executive) included: 4-speed automatic transmission Air conditioning Optionals included: 5.0-litre V8 engine 5-speed manual transmission Cruise control Holden Formula Bodykit Power Pack which incorporated: Front and rear power windows Power antenna Power mirrors 15 inch alloy wheels
Calais
The Calais was the top of the range luxury version of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$31,265 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the Berlina) included: Cruise control Power Pack which incorporated: Front and rear power windows Power antenna Power mirrors 15 inch alloy wheels Computer-assisted trip/odometer Climate control (introduced in 1990) Remote central locking Alarm Optionals included: 5.0-litre V8 engine, incorporating LSD 5-speed manual transmission Country pack suspension Holden Formula Body kit Leather upholstery Limited-slip differential (LSD) Sports suspension
Limited edition and other specification levels
Commodore Vacationer
The 1990 Commodore Vacationer was a limited edition whose features complemented those of the donor Executive model and included: Special "Vacationer" badging Body coloured front and rear bumper and rocker panel (grey on Executive) Air conditioning Electric mirrors Tachometer Unique 14-inch wheel covers Two paint colours only—Alpine White or Azure Blue Commodore S seat trim (with red detail) minus driver's side lumbar support Optional 4-speed automatic transmission.
Commodore LE This limited edition of 100 sedans with the 3.8-litre V6 engine was exclusively made available to the Holden dealer group of New South Wales, for sale at the Sydney Motor Show in October 1989 at a price of $43,200. Its production ended in January 1990. Production totalled 100 units.
Codenamed "8VK19 V6M", it was based on a Commodore S and was featured Sydney Opera House-inspired decals on the front guards as well as HSV add-ons that included a SV3800 body kit and Momo steering wheel. It was available only painted in Alpine White.
It was part of the long-running Sydney-only Opera House models.
An unrelated version, known only as LE, was released in April 1991 with a limited number of cars available nationwide.
Commodore LS This limited edition was released in July 1991 and totalled 300 sedans for Australia (sold for $28,990) plus 130 sedans and 20 wagons for export to New Zealand, powered by the base 3.8-litre V6 engine.
It was the last released and cheapest VN Commodore, coinciding with the then imminent launch of the Ford Falcon (EB). Reportedly, at least one Australian sedan was fitted with a 5.0-Litre V8 engine and although no LS wagons were released in Australia, an enhancement pack was made available as an optional on any Commodore wagon.