The HSV Senator was Holden Special Vehicles’ take on a luxury performance sedan. Launched in 1992, it was based on the Holden Commodore but packed more power, better handling and premium touches. The first version used the VP Commodore as its base and came with a 180kW 5.0-litre V8.
Over the years, the Senator evolved with each Commodore generation. It gained features like Magnetic Ride Control, leather trim, upgraded infotainment and more powerful V8s, including the 6.2-litre LS3 in later models. While the styling remained understated, its performance and refinement stood out. It was aimed at buyers who wanted HSV muscle without the aggressive look.
HSV retired the name with the end of local production in 2017. The Senator Signature and Senator SV were among the last to roll out of Clayton. It never wore a different badge overseas, remaining a uniquely Australian performance-luxury sedan with a strong enthusiast following today.
The line-up currently starts at $54,010 for the Senator Signature 30Th Edition and ranges through to $82,060 for the range-topping Senator Signature.
If you like it, as you clearly do, keep it. It is a relatively rare car and will only get more rare in the future, and the great thing is that it is original. An American collector once told me that you only get one shot at originality, and that’s what you have got. That will come to enhance the value of your car as time goes by. The only thing to remember is that you need to maintain the car even though it’s sitting doing nothing, and drive it regularly. Do not just leave it sitting in the shed; that would just hasten its decline.
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IF THE engineer is experienced, he will be used to listening for piston rattle and will hear it without driving the car. If you're not happy with the diagnosis, tell Holden of your concerns and take it to another Holden dealership for its opinion.
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