Holden Commodore News

Brock used the Shelby Mustang operation in the US and AMG in Germany as models for his HDT Special Vehicles, which in turn provided the model for Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles. The first special was the VC HDT Commodore, released in 1980. It's now a classic and appreciating in value.The car Brock modified was the top-of-the-range VC Commodore SL/E, already loaded with plenty of fruit. It came with Holden's 5.0-litre V8, but Brock and his team fitted large valves for better performance. It put out 160kW at 4500 revs and 450Nm at 2800 revs, enough to have it racing to 100km/h in 8.4 seconds.Brock offered the choice of Holden's four-speed manual gearbox or the three-speed auto. A limited-slip differential was standard. Brock fitted uprated springs and Bilstein gas shock absorbers, which improved handling.A fibreglass bodykit; wheel-arch flares, front bib spoiler and a rear wing; gave the car a sporting image. Colours were limited to white, black or red. Brock built 500 VC HDT Commodores. Models of the Brock cars are generally sold outside the trade.If you could believe the published values for a VC HDT, you'd expect to pay about $20,000 for one in good condition, but try double that now.Check the hard-to-find special Brock components are there; signed steering wheel, Irmscher alloys, high-flow air cleaner. The bodykits were made of fibreglass, which didn't withstand a knock. Check the various bodykit components for cracking around the attachment points and distortion between mounting points.Len Kennedy says he was impressed with the VC HDT, but debated spending the extra $6000 or so over a standard SL/E before eventually succumbing to the Brock ride and handling. Kennedy says his car has done 130,000km with little trouble. The Brock Commodore memory is kept alive today through Brock's former company, HDT Special Vehicles, now at Revesby.Co-owner Len Pennisi says values are increasing. “Unfortunately with Peter Brock's demise last year, cars quadrupled in value ... everybody wants a piece of that era,” he says. “Collectors are buying them, not selling them again; and they're not getting driven."“A lot of people are buying them to make money, like buying a house.” HDT Brock Commodore VCYear: 1980Price: If you could believe the published values for a VC HDT, you'd expect to pay about $20,000 for one in good condition, but try double that and expect it to keep going up.Engine: 5.0L/V8 160kW/450NmPerformance: 0-100kmh 8.4 secsRating: 75/100Verdict: Attractive Australian sports sedan that has the potential to increase in value. Rivals Falcon S XR6Years: 1992-1993Price: $8000-$9000 Nissan Skyline SilhouetteYears: 1986-1990Price: $5800-$6500 XB Falcon GTYears: 1973-1976Price: $15,000-$25,000 Features High fuel consumptionPotential to increase in valueSolid performanceCheck to ensure it is the real dealRumbling V8 exhaust noteReassuring handlingComfortable ridePresence of special Brock parts Have you driven this classic Aussie performance car? Do you have one stored away, quietly increasing in value? Let us know below... 

A new GM car with its roots in the Holden Torana and a mechanical package developed from the VE Commodore, could be on the road by 2011. It will be rear-wheel-drive like the Commodore, but smaller and linked to the Torana TT36 concept seen at the 2004 Australian International Motor Show.The idea for a born-again Torana; probably to be called the Pontiac G6; was first floated by the former head of GM Holden, Peter Hanenberger, who believed it was the right car to give GM a prestige rival to the BMW 3 Series.Development of the car is now under way and General Motors vice-president of product development, Bob Lutz, confirms details first leaked through the powerful United Automobile Workers union in the US.Lutz, speaking during a visit to Melbourne to check on technical work at Fishermans Bend, says the compact will be in production within five years.The UAW has already revealed it will be built at a factory at Lordstown, Ohio and will be developed from the Global Alpha mechanical platform.Lutz says the Torana TT36 is a good pointer to the newcomer. “From a size and proportions standpoint that's what we're looking at,” he says.“That's about the size were looking at, but that wasn't completely worked out. That was a sort of truncated Commodore, the components in that.”Lutz says the new compact would work well with the Pontiac brand, which is already committed to a re-badged and re-styled Commodore which will be sold as the G8.“Pontiac wants to be a sporting rear-wheel-drive brand,” Lutz says.“So we have several brands that would be potential beneficiaries of a small rear-wheel-drive architecture and ... Holden is, obviously, one of the logical ones.”He says the car could give GM a crucial point of difference in a crowded marketplace. “Because everybody has highly competent front-wheel-drive sedans and they all look more or less the same,” Lutz says.“And the way to get a slightly different proportion and to do something different, because I'm a firm believer nowadays that if you want to grab market share you have to do something different. "“If you do the same thing that everybody else is doing and you just do it a little bit better you'll kind of hold your own. But I'm a firm believer that, hey, when everybody else is doing small front-wheel-driver cars, which are excellent cars; but let's do something different for Pontiac.”Even if the car is targeted at the 3 Series it will be cheaper.“Well, you'd definitely never price at that level,” Lutz says. “That's the whole premise ... a 3 Series-type car but priced at a more affordable level."“You'd basically have 3 Series ride, handling, steering, all of the dynamic qualities of a smallish rear-wheel-drive sedan; the lighter weight, the ability to use four-cylinder engines; and not have to carry around a big V6 or V8 lump of an engine up there."“And you'd have a very nimble, very agile, dynamically pleasing car reminiscent or great driving German rear-wheel-drive sedans but at a much lower price point.” 

Australia's number one party strip roared into gear yesterday with about 50,000 people arriving in Surfers Paradise for the country's most colourful motorsport carnival.The first cars screamed on to the track for practice yesterday but, with more than 300,000 people expected in the tourist mecca by Sunday, Indy week is as much about partying as it is racing.The best hotels in Surfers have been booked out for months, while landing a flight to Coolangatta airport is like finding full-strength beer at the cricket.For all the latest coverage on Indy this weekend, go to www.goldcoast.com.auBut while the hard stuff might be privy to the members at the SCG, getting a drink in Surfers Paradise is no harder than finding a bad pick-up line on Cavil Ave at 3am.With about 100 bars; not to mention the strip clubs sure to be packed over the next three nights, Indy week on the Gold Coast has been dubbed “Schoolies week for adults.”But you won't find any fake IDs in town this weekend, just a sea of black and white as grid fever grips the Gold Coast. The streets have been swamped with checkered race flags while local burger joints are serving up motor racing happy meals “V8 burgers” and “burnout fries with a large serving of high-octane cola.”The V8 Super Car Challenge; the fourth last round of the V8 championship; will take place after the Lexmark Indy 300 on Sunday afternoon. Regarded as a feeder competition to Formula One, the Indy series features the world's best up-and-coming drivers who race on tracks throughout the world in Champ cars.Although they look very similar to Formula One cars, the Champ cars are far less advanced and come at a fraction of the price.Those new to motorsport could have been forgiven for thinking Bathurst champion Craig Lowndes had parked his car in their hotel lobby; with about 15 replica 888 Fords doing the resort rounds.But V8 star Lowndes was yesterday dining with the stars of Australian motorsport at a lavish lunch at Jupiter's Casino.And while admitting even the drivers had been swept up by the party atmosphere, Lowndes declared Team Vodafone was on track to make it back-to-back series wins.“Our championship was lost here last year so we want to turn that from a negative to a positive,” Lowndes said. “We walked the track this morning and had a good chat about what went wrong last year and we have learnt from that.“We have always had a good car here and, as everyone will say, it is a great circuit because it is a street circuit with a lot of concrete walls and the crowding of the road.“We really need to put a lap together and I think it is really going to be a great weekend. We have four rounds remaining and I think this will be one of the most crucial ones.”After Holden's showing at Bathurst two weeks ago, you could forgive the red army if they decided to watch the girls instead of the race, with 30 Miss Indy finalists set to join the Gold Coast's famous meter maids for an eye-candy extravaganza. But HRT star Mark Skaife yesterday gave Holden fans a glimmer of hope when he declared the Holden team could still win the series.“We have had some opportunities to win some events and we haven't,” Skaife said.“Our speed has been good and now we have to get on with the four last rounds. Mathematically we have a hope. It is pretty remote but we are going to do the best job we can.”Fellow Holden driver and last year's Indy champion Todd Kelly said the new VE would be suited to the deadly track known as concrete canyon.“The cars are very good at Indy every year and I think our car will work well for this style of track,” Kelly said. “I can't wait to get out there.”  

The race is estimated to generate about $60 million a year for the Queensland economy, and it is regarded by the United States-based Champ Car organisation as the 'jewel in its crown.'While the Champ Cars previously held top billing they now share equal status with the Aussie-bred V8 Supercars.While the Champ cars are purebred, state of the art racing machines that scream through the streets of Surfers Paradise at speeds of close to 300km/h. The V8s are not far behind in speed and thunder through one of the toughest overtaking tracks on the motoring calendar.For all the latest coverage on Indy this weekend, go to www.goldcoast.com.auThe traditional V8 rivals; Ford and Holden; command huge armies of followers that descend on the Coast each year to witness their heroes battle, it's ours on the demanding street circuit.The event is held in late October each year (18-27 October, 2007), providing organisers with a huge logistical challenge, to erect a 4.2km track through the streets of Surfers Paradise.The heart of the holiday capital is transformed into a motoring mecca which boasts not only the Champ Cars and V8 Supercars but also drag races, Carrera Cup (Porshces), V8 utes and a bevy of other motoring attractions.And if you can’t get here then you can join the estimated half a billion television viewers that tune in to watch the motoring extravaganza each year.But it hasn’t always been smooth driving for the race that winds through the streets of Surfers Paradise and boasts the best scenic backdrop of almost any motor race in the world.When the event was established in 1991, Queensland’s political leaders were sceptical of its long-term future and when it hit the skids in 1998, losing $8 million, it took a courageous Queensland Government to come forward with a $10 million a year funding grant to keep it afloat.Now, to complement the racing schedule, scores of off-track events are held, including a Brazilian street parade and the Indy ball, which attracts 800 heavy hitters.Indy chairman terry Mackenroth says the event’s future is secure after negotiations took place recently to extend the contract with Champ Car bosses to 2012.“It’s the pre-eminent major event in Queensland and we want to keep it that way,” he said.“I think the success of Indy is very much a reflection of what can happen when a go-ahead city like the Gold Coast embraces it with such enthusiasm.”  Will you be watching the Indy race from your lounge?   View great photos of the 2008 Bartercard Miss Indy finalists 

Gore will be forced to watch the motor racing event on television at his home after suffering a burst ear drum.

It is fitting that GM-Holden's engineering guru, Tony Hyde, drives the car that best represents his work; a 2006 Holden Monaro CV8.Hyde and his department were responsible for the modern reincarnation of the venerable Monaro coupe, the modern version of which started as a concept car at the 1998 Australian International Motor Show.As GM-Holden's executive director, engineering, for the past seven years, Hyde has been responsible for some of Holden's most exciting products; Monaro among them.Now, after 39 years' service he will vacate his engineering role to retire at the end of the year.“It was an outstanding project and experience,” he says of the Monaro.Boasting an annual engineering budget of more than $300 million and counting 1250 people on the engineering staff, Hyde hopes he'll be remembered most for allowing his staff the freedom to push the boundaries.“From a management point or leadership point of view, I think I've tried to let the team push the boundaries and, to a certain extent, the Monaro was a bit of that,” he says.“I think that the people who have worked for me have hopefully enjoyed the amount of freedom I've given them."“From a project point of view, I'd say the work I've done on the original disc brakes for Holdens back in the mid-1970s ranks as a piece of work as an engineer that I remember fondly.”Hyde's brake work actually appeared on the Torana A9X concept car from the 1970s.With the new VE Commodore and WM Statesman and Caprice models now bedding in and the arrival of the just-launched VE Ute, Hyde says it's time to go.“I'm 60 in February and I just really think it's about time,” he says. “We're getting to the point of saddling up for the next all-new products and I'm certainly not going to be here for that so I think it's appropriate for new leadership for the team.”The quietly spoken Hyde started with Holden in July 1968; as a technical report writer in experimental engineering.His most favourite Holden is, perhaps not surprisingly, the latest VE Commodore and WM Statesman.“It's perhaps trite to say that but I would, on the basis it is 100 per cent Australian,” he says. “They are our technical tour de force."“However, the VM (Commodore) enabled us to break away from the copies of European vehicles and we were able to get back to the large cars we previously did.”Hyde has held several positions with the company within its engineering organisation, including three overseas postings.Early in his career he had a two-year scholarship to General Motors' Institute in Michigan in 1971; where he was subsequently awarded an overseas fellowship with GM.This was followed a few years later by a two-year assignment with Opel in Germany.After a brief interlude in 1984 in the role of manager, technical services, Hyde was promoted to chassis transmission and drivetrain engineer, which led to the role of manager, mechanical engineering in 1986.In recent years Hyde has expanded the breadth of his portfolio within Holden in other engineering and planning roles.In August 1997 he was promoted to the position of director, engineering and design, at GM Holden before taking on his current position as executive director, engineering, in 2000.One of his tasks has been to take Holden engineering to the GM world, by making Holden responsible for rear-drive platforms for GM.In 2002, he was also appointed to the Holden Special Vehicles board.Apart from his jet-black Monaro, Hyde also has a 1976 Chevrolet Corvette in his garage to tinker with in retirement.When he's not driving on the road, he'll be on the golf course trying to better his 3.5 handicap.Hyde will be replaced by Greg Tyus, who is currently general director, engineering and product planning, at GM Canada.Tyus will begin transitioning into his new position next month. 

It may be 54-years-old, lacks air conditioning, power steering and a CD-player, but it's the vehicle that started the love affair with the tray in Australia.And its already proving to be a favourite at this year's car show extravaganza.Both the earliest and latest forms of the Holden utes are on display at the Australian International Motor Show, with the 1953 FX Holden ute up for auction and the 2007 VE Commodore ute starring at the Holden stand.And while more than five decades have passed, the origins remain the same for Holdens utes, possessing a whole lot of Aussie DNA.There are noticeable changes in design and features but both were designed, engineered and built in Australia.The Spearmint Green FX 50-2106 Coupe Utility was the very first of its kind for Holden and was surprisingly fast.At the end of its first year of sale in 1951, the waiting list grew to 70,000.Farmers thought it was useful for rounding up sheep, and others found it came in handy at the drive-ins, where it could be turned around and used as a bed.The concept of the ute has come a long way, from the farm to the city streets.Over at the Holden stand the new VE Commodore ute, is the first new design for Holden in seven years and shows a much more sporty and sleek look to the 1950s version.On top of the $1 billion invested for the Commodore sedan, Holden also spent a further $105 million on the ute. The cars starWhere: Exhibition and Convention Centre Darling HarbourHours:  weekdays 10am-10pm, Saturday 9am-10pm & Sunday 9am-7pmHighlights: Some of the star cars include Maserati GranTurismo, Murcielago LP640 Versace, Exige Sport 240 and BMW CS concept. 

Looking like it came straight from a European design catalogue, GM Holden's new VE Commodore Sportwagon made its world debut at the Australian International Motor Show.Station wagons, avants, shooting brakes; call them what you will; have been finding favour behind European badges where designers have emphasised styling over raw luggage space.More traditionally, the Aussie wagon had been something of a utilitarian load carrier, serving as a working-day trade vehicle and weekend family conveyance. The growth in popularity of both utes and SUVs ate into the wagon's popularity and there were even suggestions that Holden would not bother with a VE derivative.It has, and the result is every bit as stylish as the VE sedans. “This is a car for families with a get-up-and-go attitude,” says GM Holden chairman and managing director Chris Gubbey.“The generous interior space, combined with sleeker, sportier styling, makes this a wagon that people will want to own as a year-round family car, or for family and business use.”While Holden is calling the Sydney show car a production-based concept, there is likely to be little change before the car goes into production in the first half of next year. The 20-inch alloys will go as will some of the external bling, but overall what you see will be what you get.The vehicle draws on VE sedan at the front, with a sleek and sporty silhouette at the back and is built on the same VE wheelbase. It is the third VE derivative after sedan and the newly released ute.To create a wider boot opening the designers have the tailgate hinge well forward into the roof line. The Sportwagon seats five adults and with a 60:40 split rear seat can be configured to carry up to four passengers and long load.The motor show display model includes a roof-mounted DVD player, Bluetooth capability, multi-function driver information display system and zone-based front and rear park assist systems; all currently standard on the VE Calais V-Series sedan.There are no clues as to pricing or powertrain specifics, although it is likely that a similar engine range to the VE sedan; 3.6-litre V6 to 6.0-litre V8; and model spread from the basic through to the Calais V-Series.Leading safety technology features such as ESP will be standard across the range.“Sportwagon breaks the mould for Holden wagons,” says . Holden's executive director sales, marketing and after sales, Alan Batey.“It has great style, performance and practicality for families, businesses or both. Customers will get a car that's equally at home as a working tool or a desirable family car; with all the storage advantages that come with a wagon.”The concept model on display at the show also incorporates a V8 engine featuring Active Fuel Management (AFM) and E85 flex fuel capability. The AFM allows cylinders to turn off under light load conditions to improve fuel economy.Also on show will be Holden Special Vehicles' Maloo performance ute. The Maloo R8 shares plenty of DNA with the ClubSport R8 sedan, including the ground-hugging front spoiler, grille, headlights and fog lights and is a far more aggressive car than the ute it replaces.The Maloo sits on 19-inch alloy wheels; a 20-inch option will be available; while a remote-release hard tonneau, reverse parking sensors and a full-sized spare are all standard.And, for the first time an Aussie ute will break the 300kW power barrier with the Maloo's 6.0-litre Gen IV V8 tuned to release 307kW. Drive to the rear wheels will be through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. 

Greenies despise them, oil companies love them, and politicians make a lot of money from them. But it would seem that the days of thirsty Commodores are at an end.Unfortunately, the politicians will still make money (though not as much) and the greenies will never be satisfied until we have Flinstone-style foot pedals to power our cars. But the oil companies may be put out by the VE Commodore on today’s stand.The VE SportWagon concept was the launch pad for two green-tinged announcements; though their acceptance and installation on actual production Commodores is a long way from being realised.One of GM’s satellite companies, Saab, has been sharing the love with its larger Aussie sibling. The Ethanol-powered BioPower Saab range has only recently launched here after taking over in its home country of Sweden, and will hitch a ride with the Holden bandwagon to kick-start the homogeny of E85 alternative fuel.E85 stands for the fuel mix of 85 per cent Ethanol to 15 per cent petrol. The vehicle’s standard engine remains, but it is tuned to run on E85, or the 10 per cent ethanol mix (E10) which is more widely available. Of course, it will also run on petrol, but without the fuel savings.And Ethanol not only carries the enviro-tick of being a ‘replenishable’ fuel source (depending on how you look at it, it still uses a lot of energy in the refining process) but adds a 20 percent power improvement in the current E85 Saab 9-5 vehicle.Holden also announced today that it will run cylinder deactivation on a V8 in the near future. Called Active Fuel Management, the system disables up to four cylinders when at cruise or idle, essentially offering the economy of a four-cylinder during this time.Now, to the wagon itself.After leaked pictures revealed the big-booted backside several months ago, the public have been expecting a production version on the Sydney stand.The Sportwagon taking centre stage was as close as it gets in appearance, trim and overall design, but the true road-going production car will not be released until the first half of next year.The production-based concept features a massive rear opening hatch with a higher cargo floor and 60:40 rear seat folding. Stability and traction control will be standard across the range, and its spec and pricing is expected to match the new Ute and VE sedan range, from an Omega base car up to a Calais V luxury model.One thing is for sure – if it is released with a competitive price, and comparatively competitive fuel figure, it will be hard for families to look past it. Until the new Ford Falcon, of course… 

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup showed nerves of steel in the final laps after a roller-coaster ride in the wet at Mt Panorama yesterday to make it successive Bathurst 1000 titles.The Lowndes-Whincup combination also made it a winning enduro double after success at the Sandown 500 three weeks ago.A mistake from Whincup when he misjudged his line into pit lane on the last driver change nearly cost the Ford Triple 8 Team Vodafone victory.“Craig brought the car home nicely,” Whincup said.“This was an amazing win ... a bit special. To have won Bathurst back-to-back and also win at Sandown, I can't put into words.”Team owner Roland Dane described Lowndes and Whincup's drive as “brilliant”.The win also saw Whincup take over at the top of the leaderboard on 461 points, followed by Lowndes (445) with four rounds remaining before the grand finale at Phillip Island in December.James Courtney (Stone Brothers Racing) was second yesterday and Steve Johnson (Jim Beam) third to make it a Ford trifecta, the first since 1988.Greg Murphy (Tasman Motorsport) was the highest-placed Holden driver, in fourth.Yesterday's race turned in a fraction of a second on lap 150, 11 from the end.Jason Bright (Britek Motorsport), Mark Skaife (HRT) and Russell Ingall (Stone Brothers) were caught out by the change in weather as rain turned the circuit into a skating rink.Bright was leading when he gambled on a late pit stop, to drive the final kilometres on cold slicks as the weather closed in from the southwest.The ploy badly misfired. Across the top of the mountain, at McPhillamy Park, he ended in the sand pit as did Skaife after a close shave with the concrete wall.Ingall also hobbled into the pits on three tyres and no brakes.But the heart-breaking story of the day belonged to Rick Kelly and Garth Tander in the No1 Toll HSV Commodore, after the car was retired on lap 132 of the scheduled 161.Kelly started the day as series leader on 443 points, nine in front of Tander, with Whincup and Lowndes on their rear bumper.“We worked pretty hard and believed we had a package to be up the front, but it just wasn't our day,” Kelly said, knowing he had lost his championship lead.Kelly and Tander ran without luck all day. Mechanical problems plagued the car as early as lap 10.With Kelly and Tander out of the frame in the points, it was left to Skaife and Kelly's brother, Todd, in the No2 HRT Commodore, to take the race to the Falcons of Whincup, Lowndes, and early pacesetters Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards in a FPR Ford.Richards won the start after Winterbottom had put the car on pole by beating off Holden top guns Skaife and Kelly into the first corner and up Mountain Straight.Kelly had no luck, nearly coming to grief on lap 25 as he diced with Lowndes.He shredded the left rear tyre at the end of Conrod Straight at almost 290km/h.The car went into a violent backward skid across the track as Lowndes dived inside, narrowly avoiding being T-boned.The young driver from Mildura nursed the stricken Commodore into the pits for the mechanics to make some hurried temporary repairs, add new rubber, take on a full tank of fuel and swap seats with co-driver Tander at the start of the second hour of racing.When Tander entered the fray for the first time, the Toll Holden entry had dropped to 26th.In the pre-race warm-up, John Bowe's co-driver Jonathon Webb, at the wheel of the No111 Glenford PCR Falcon, sustained mechanical failure halfway up Mountain Straight and hit a concrete barrier.That left pit-crew chief Hayden Morris and his mechanics less than two hours to replace the damaged front-end panels.Another hard-luck story came from Cameron McConville in the No50 Supercheap Auto Commodore. McConville was to have been 16th on the grid, but never got to the start line after the engine on his car blew up on the warm-up lap.“This is hard to believe,” McConville said. “We had some sort of a misfire, but I just couldn't get time to roll the thing back into the pits before the race start. I think we may have dropped a valve or something.”The McConville incident led to the first of seven occasions when the safety car had to be called out.Andrew Jones in the BOC Ford came to an end on lap 53 after fire broke out under the bonnet.