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The Holden Commodore arrived as the red lion's reaction to the global oil crises of the mid-1970s, downsized and based for the first time on a car from Europe.
It also put the sword to the most classic of Aussie family cars - the Kingswood.
The VB Commodore of 1978 was almost a polar opposite of its deadly rival, the Ford Falcon, which continued as a hulking beast based on traditional big-six basics. It won the early battles but Ford fought back and the tribal fight between the Falcon and Commodore continues today.
"I thought the car was right for its time. The Commodore took us into the future. It had a major impact," the current head of Holden Design, Tony Stolfo, said yesterday.
He has driven the latest development of the car, the VE Commodore, which has become a major overseas success as the Pontiac G8 in the USA. As well as spawning a new-age ute which is also sold in America and a retro-styled coupe which will be sold to Americans as the Chevrolet Camaro.
GM Holden marked the milestone for the Commodore yesterday with a party at its headquarters in Fishermans Bend where company chiefs, as well as Commodore enthusiasts, celebrated alongside a range of cars from the VB to the VE with everything between.
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