The Last Australian Built Holden Commodore Is Up For Auction

When a car manufacturer chooses to replace or discontinue a particular model, there will always be a band of passionate enthusiasts who will clamor to own the last example to roll off the production line. However, the story changes, and the intensity increases when the vehicle in question is the last passenger car of any description manufactured in that particular country. That is the story behind the bodyshell that you see above. Holden, the Australian arm of General Motors, ceased local manufacturing of all passenger vehicles in October of 2017. It marked the end of the home-grown Holden that had been a staple of Australian motoring culture since 1948. This shell would eventually become a Commodore SSV Redline, and it is now set to go to auction. If you would like to own a significant piece of automotive history, you will find the Commodore listed for sale here at Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers. Bidding currently sits at A$255,000.

Australia once had a vibrant car industry. While some companies imported their models as either complete cars or in CKD form, a few manufacturers developed and produced models specifically for Australian conditions and buyer tastes. The big three, Ford, Holden, and Chrysler Australia (Valiant), were the major players in the 1970s, but Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Nissan soon joined them. Chrysler bowed out at the start of the 1980s, while Nissan pulled the pin in 1991 after tearing up close to $1 Billion on new production facilities that built ever-decreasing vehicle numbers. Mitsubishi closed its local operation in 2008 due to a combination of the Global Financial Crisis and bad business decisions, and then things stabilized for a few years. Diminishing market share saw Ford Australia announce its decision to close, while Holden and Toyota then announced that they would end production in 2017. Toyota closed its plant first, leaving Holden as the “last man standing” for a few short weeks. This Commodore is the last vehicle to start life in the Holden Body Shop. Therefore, it is the last passenger vehicle of any description to receive an Australian VIN Number. It is also the last to head through the Paint Shop before continuing its journey down the rest of the production line. Its journey has been thoroughly documented, and the Commodore comes with the original Build Sheet and other paperwork that confirms its authenticity.

This is the finished product. The Commodore SSV Redline was Holden’s own performance offering, as distinct from the modified and factory-endorsed models produced by Holden Special Vehicles. As such, it wears an aerodynamic body kit consisting of an integrated front spoiler, side skirts, a deeper rear bumper with a diffuser, and a rear spoiler. It also rolls on 19″ x 8″ alloy wheels. It is finished in a shade called Red Hot, which makes it a distinctive and stunning looking vehicle. As the final car down the production line, it received intense scrutiny at every point of its journey. Every aspect of the vehicle’s fit and finish is a notch above what might be expected for any other example.

The current owner of the Commodore is a former Holden employee, and he purchased the car through a dealership rather than directly from the company. He specified that the Commodore did not undergo the usual pre-delivery process because he wanted it to remain exactly as it was when it rolled off the line. As a consequence, the vehicle still wears all of its original plastic protection and floor coverings. The Redline has had virtually no use since 2017 and has a mere 100km (60 miles) showing on its odometer. Everything is in as-new condition, and in keeping with its status as the last car built, it is heavily loaded with optional extras. This includes climate-control air conditioning, suede leather on the dash, power windows, a power trunk release, keyless entry and start, satellite navigation, a premium stereo, cruise control, reversing camera, lane assist technology, parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, a head-up display, and a leather-wrapped wheel that is adjustable for height and reach.

The luxury touch continues with soft and supple leather seats, with both front buckets featuring 8-way power adjustment. The Commodore features comfortable seating for five adults, and it is this aspect of the car which is both its strongest attribute and its greatest weakness. The original Commodore was introduced in 1978, and it was markedly smaller than the last vehicles. It was still capable of seating five in comfort, and with a global oil shortage coinciding with its release, the timing was perfect. It was also a car that made sound economic sense for Holden, as the Commodore was introduced to replace two other models, the Torana and the Kingswood. People embraced the original Commodore enthusiastically and continued to do so with each new (and larger) model. The Commodore became the highest-selling car in Australia, and with sales at one point surpassing 100,000 vehicles per year, Holden couldn’t meet the public’s demand. However, the writing was on the wall in the early 2000s as buyers began to shift their attention towards people-carriers and SUVs. The Commodore was incapable of seating more than five, so it began to fall out of favor.

The original Commodore was introduced at the height of an energy crisis, so it was undoubtedly the right car at the right time. However, Australians have always had a passion for high-performance vehicles, so it seems only appropriate that the last Commodore off the line should possess performance credentials. Under the hood, we find a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 that is pumping out 408hp. This V8 is bolted to a 6-speed automatic transmission with a paddle shift, while the Redline also features power steering and enormous Brembo 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS. All of this combines to allow the SSV to storm through the ¼ mile in a verified 13.4 seconds. With enough open road, it is a vehicle that will also nudge 150mph. The engine bay presents as immaculately as you might expect from a classic of this age. With only around 60 miles showing on its odometer, no-one has tried to wear this baby out!

When local manufacturing ended, General Motors decided to attach the Commodore badge to an imported model, but it was all too late. After a high of more than 100,000 Commodores per year, 2020 saw Holden sell a mere 1,009 examples. How the mighty had fallen. That was the last straw, and at midnight on December 31st, 2020, the Holden brand joined other GM badges like Pontiac in being retired permanently. The brand didn’t go out with a bang but with a pathetic whimper. In the 1970s, hardly an Australian didn’t know the Holden advertising jingle that contained the words, “Football, meat pies, kangaroos, and Holden cars.” It reflected that Holden was as iconically Australian as these other items, but in the end, the Holden had become an irrelevant import. I have always believed that General Motors should have retired the Holden brand when this 2017 Commodore SSV Redline rolled off the line. It would have allowed Holden to disappear gracefully, rather than seeing it suffer an undignified death. Someone will buy this classic, and with little chance that vehicle manufacturing will ever restart in Australia, they will own one of the most significant pieces of Australian automotive history. The blood may flow blue in my veins, but I will envy that person.