GM Holden Ends Iconic VE Commodore Output to Launch VF Replacement

The final Australian-built VE Commodore, an SS Z Series sedan, rolls off the line at Holden Vehicle Operations in South Australia as GM Holden prepares for the imminent launch of the new VF version.

Sold on six continents, with 520,000 units built for both local and global markets during its 8-year lifecycle, the VE Commodore cements a place in the nation’s motoring hall of fame, including being named the best Australian-built car ever.

Designed essentially from a blank piece of paper, the VE was the “most Australian Commodore” GM Holden had ever built when it launched in 2006.

The VE exports, predominantly under the Chevrolet nameplate, include a pickup version for South Africa, sedans to the Middle East and Brazil and long-wheelbase PPV police vehicles in the U.S.

The VE earlier earned a cult following in the U.S. as the Pontiac G8 and in the U.K., where Holden Special Vehicles versions were sold as the Vauxhall VXR8.

GM Holden says the excellence of the VE and the auto maker’s engineering team is well-recognized within General Motors globally. For example, the vehicle’s architecture underpins the iconic Chevrolet Camaro, with much of the development work on the modern-day American muscle car done in Australia by Holden engineers.

The VE Commodore also stands as the most successful racing model in Australian motor sports. It won 103 championship series races, three V8 Supercar titles and is the only model to have won the Bathurst 625-mile (1,000-km) mountain race four times in a row.

Richard Phillips, GM Holden manufacturing executive director, says the VE Commodore was a landmark achievement for the auto maker.

“The company’s first clean-sheet design allowed our team to show the world what Holden was capable of and the result was, and remains, a stunning car,” Phillips says in a statement.

“It’s a bittersweet moment to be marking the end of VE production. It’s been such a great product for us and there’s so much pride around the VE here in the plant. But at the same time, we’re excited about the future, and the entire Holden team is energized by the imminent launch of the fantastic new VF Commodore.”

The Commodore is GM Holden’s longest-standing and most successful nameplate, with nearly 3 million units produced. Introduced in 1978, the Commodore name will have graced 15 model series when the VF Commodore goes on sale in June.