The Commodore was introduced by Holden in 1978 as a car that fitted between its aging Kingswood and Torana models with the intention of replacing both models. This it did with success, and the Commodore spent the better part of the next 20 years as either Australia’s best or second-best selling passenger car. This 1984 VH Commodore is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Warners Bay, New South Wales, Australia, it is offered for sale with a clear title. Bidding has reached $1,775 for this car, but there is a BIN option of $10,000 available.
After its introduction in 1978, the first generation Commodore underwent four facelifts leading up to the introduction of the second generation car in 1988. The VH series was the second such update, introduced in 1981 and remained in production until 1984. This was the last model to feature chrome bumpers, and it has always remained my favorite. The body on this car is in really nice condition. The seller is only the car’s second owner, and the car has undergone a full bare-metal repaint under his ownership. There are a few very minor rust spots in the body, but the car is solid and straight, with no rust in the floors.
In spite of what can be seen in the photo, the interior is largely complete. Everything is original except the floor console, which was sourced from a later VL series Commodore, and doesn’t match the rest of the interior. The seller says that the upholstery is in good order, with only a couple of seam separations on the seats to deal with. One interesting and often overlooked fact is that the Commodore could not be specified with a bench seat. All of its predecessors, along with its direct competitor the Ford Falcon, could be specified with a bench seat. The Commodore was always fitted with a floor shift (either manual or automatic) so a bench seat was never an option. One thing that I have never seen on a Commodore is the wheels that are fitted to this car. If they look vaguely familiar, that isn’t really surprising. They originally graced a BMW 3-series. I had no idea that those wheels fitted a Commodore.
The VH Commodore was available with a wide variety of engines. The most common engines were the 173ci and 202ci straight sixes, and the 253ci and 308ci V8s. There was also a 4-cylinder engine available, but most Holden people would probably prefer to forget that one. This car started life fitted with the 173ci six. It has undergone a number of transplants throughout its life. A fairly common update, especially during the 1990s and early 2000s, was to fit the 3.8l V6 from the later VN to VR model Commodore. Derived from a Buick engine, this gave an appreciable increase in horsepower but offered better weight distribution. This Commodore has undergone such an upgrade, but the new owner will have to either complete the job or change the engine to suit their purposes. There have also been some minor upgrades to the brakes and suspension, but the seller is including components for a further upgrade of the brakes.
For a small customer base such as the one that exists in Australia, the Commodore VH sold in good numbers. Sales of the car hovered around the 60,000 cars per year region, and they were an extremely common sight on Australian roads. Today they are quite a rare sight, as they were a firm favorite within the widely varied motor-sport community, and many a good Commodore gave its life on a speedway. Values now reflect this, with reasonable examples fetching prices from around $13,000 upwards. Finding a Commodore VH with a body as straight and solid as this one is becoming a tough job, so this particular car might just be a good buy.
Here’s a car I’d love to have shipped to the USA, running, of course. I’d buy an early Holden Commodore if it can be driven under its own power.
Opel Rekord in Europe…Not sure if they still made Commodore like in previous gens, it was Rekord with nicer trim and options. They never offered Rekord(or Commodore either) with V8 in Europe though ..Too bad, would have been interesting..
I think the UK version would be the Vauxhall. I don’t know if it’s a Vauxhall Commodore, or what the name would be.
The six cylinder Vauxhall version was the Viceroy while the four was the Carlton.
More info here
http://vauxpedia.net/vauxhall-v677—viceroy
And
http://vauxpedia.net/vauxhall-v78—carlton-mk1
Ahhh! Okay. I’ve visited the UK a couple of times. And I may have seen them on the motorways.
The Vauxhall Viceroy Royale has what looks like the same grille as the VB Commodore.
Could always use it to deliver mail!!! LOL
Holden made the Chevy SS
They also made the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO, it was Holden Monaro in Australia.
To me the”new” GTO was a disappointment. Good drivetrain but the styling was….meh…
Looked like a cavalier.
A once-popular car in NZ, now seldom seen, due to tinworm that usually attacked the bodywork even before delivery..!
Locally assembled models suffered from atrocious build quality, which also didn’t help matters. These cars were very much built to a price.
I had a VH with the 3.3 (202 CI) six and an automatic, which was a leisurely performer, as well as a wagon (company car) with the four-banger (2/3 of Holden’s famous 186 ‘Red Motor’) and 5-speed that would frustrate my ex-wife with its total lack of performance, every time she got behind the wheel.
She was driving my mother to our home in the Coromandel and when she tried to pass another vehicle – downshifting two gears – all it did was result in the engine screaming it’s little self out and a lot of expletives from then-wifey! LOL
Her uncle had a VH Commodore with the four, backed by an automatic. Performance was measured in negative figures.
The 308 V8 equipped machines were like driving a totally different vehicle, especially if equipped with a third pedal and manually shifted. Those of you, stateside, who’d have a hankering for some Aussie Iron would want to opt for that setup.
The thing they did wrong with the GTO, (Monaro), was calling it anything else but an iconic American car, calling it anything else, would of sold like hot cakes, marketing nightmare!
Robert, if they had called the Monaro anything else they wouldn’t be pulling over $200,000 at auction now for an original restored one!
US 2 doors are a dime a dozen here now, Camaro, Mustang, Trans-Am, Charger, Challenger, etc. try finding an original unrestored Monaro, they’re as rare as rocking horse s….t because as you say they didn’t sell all that many and are worth big bucks now if you can find a one.
I always preferred the next model facelift with the extra rear glass, like an Opel Senator and without the chrome bumpers, the VK here in wagon form.
Concinnity
Finding a chrome bumper Commodore these days in Oz is getting very hard and they are pulling big money for a complete one. The demand is growing for them now, who would have thought that when they first came out in ’79.
A General Motors Holden compact car, ‘no way’ it’s gotta be ‘big’.
It was thr third update in the srries. VB, then VC, then VH
Tricky, it was the third model, but it was only the second update. The original car was the VB. The first update was the VC, and the second update was the VH.
This is way over valued for something which is in the state it is. You could do way better for less than the BIN figure. This particular car seems to have been the victim of someone with ideas way beyond their budget. Why anyone would take out the original motor and replace it with a 3800 V6 when for few more dollars and less effort one could drop in a 308 V8. I owned a VB (the first model of this series) SL/E optioned with the 5.0 (308) V8 and four speed manual. I waited nearly six months for it to be made but it was well worth it. Probably the most satisfying car over all that I’ve ever owned. The VB was often considered a little too sharp for the average Aussie Driver. The handling was biases towards a driver who actually knew how too. Sadly this resulted in a lot of those who only thought they knew how to drive put them off the road backwards into the scenery. The following versions of the Commodore were dumbed down quite a deal with much more understeer built in to them.
I have to agree. $10,000 for a car in this condition? Seriously? I’d pay $1,000 at the most for the car, and then use the money to restore the car to at least driveable condition, and then find out how much the car is really worth.
Go buy an auction police Charger and buy a smyth kit car ute package.
V8, LHD and haul toosie, no worries mates.