Back in 2017, I posted a piece on CC covering the unusual cars I saw on a holiday in New Zealand and the variations that were different to those familiar in Europe, which I titled “It’s A Honda, But Not As We Know It”. Well, we’ve been again, and here’s some feedback.
First up, it’s a great country seemingly universally populated by friendly, helpful and cheerful people, and we were lucky with the weather, even in April (which is really October, if you get my drift) and with an admirable pace of life. And we saw some, to our European eyes at least, unusual cars and unfamiliar uses of more familiar names. I’ll come to those another day, but first something a little more familiar.
I’ve said several times in comments on CC that I consider the Holden Commodore VE and VF series as being the best looking GM cars for many years, and maybe one of the best looking saloons overall of recent years, so going to New Zealand, whilst not really just about seeing Commodores closer to their true Australian home, was an opportunity to do just that. Once a Curbivore, always a Curbivore, after all.
First up, this 2016 Commodore SS-V Redline (VF series) with the 6.2 litre V8 engine. 408bhp and 420 lb-ft of torque no doubt make light work of Auckland’s hilly streets. This example was parked up overnight close to our hotel (we went to the local bakery for breakfast rather than eat at the hotel lobby restaurant), hence the condensation on the car.
And being a careful driver, he’s keeping the wheels well clear of the kerbs. This truly had the air of a personally specified and well cared for car.
In the background, the blue car is a 1998-2001 Renault Clio, one of the very few Renaults we saw.
This red Commodore is a 3.6 litre 2017 version, featuring a neat ski-blade spoiler on the boot. Even better looking in red, in my opinion. YMMV.
The older cars are still around as well. This 2004 example, with clear Opel/Vauxhall Omega/Cadillac Catera overtones, unsurprisingly given its European bloodline, looks carefully maintained and specified.
One Commodore variant that seemed to be more numerous than I expected was the Crewman, the unusual four door, five seat or pickup version of the Commodore, based on the two door, two seat Holden Ute.
This striking example is a 2004 model with a 5.7 litre V8. The Maloo (Aboriginal for thunder) was the basis for a Holden Special Vehicles production, combining the two door ute with the high performance options developed by Walkinshaw Performance and promoted by HSV. Somehow, I suspect it was not a taxi.
This is a slightly calmer 2008 Crewman, with the 3.6 litre V6 engine.
One use the Commodore is familiarly seen in is as a Police highway patrol car for the ever friendly NZ police service. Here, a 2016 3.0 litre V6 car lines up with a 2003 Commodore Berlina (VY series) station wagon, hiding a 5.7 litre V8 under that calm looking exterior. This was just outside the parliament in Wellington.
The VF Commodore has of course now been retired and Australian production has ceased. So what are the police using? The German built Commodore ZB series (familiar as the Opel/Vauxhall insignia and Buick Regal), with 3.6 litre V6 power and a hatchback configuration.
One other example we saw was this 1988 model, branded for the AA, the New Zealand equivalent of the AAA.
The colour and logo are very similar to the UK AA, but the organisations are separate. In fact, the NZAA goes back to 1903 and predates the UK organisation, surprisingly.
Holden production, of course, ceased back in October 2017 and the Aussie Commodore as we knew it came to an end. I know we’re not supposed to look back and so on, but the world is poorer place in some ways without variety and quality, and the Commodore brought a bit of both.
As many of you know, General Motors had unceremoniously ditched Opel to PSA. The current agreement stipulates that Opel continues to supply Holden, Vauxhall, and Buick with their badge-engineered versions of Insignia for several more years.
A question: what will replace Holden, Vauxhall, and Buick versions once Insignia’s current production comes to end? A Holden version of GM Alpha 2 or its successor (same platform Cadillac CT4 and CT5 are based on) to be built in North America for export, perhaps?
I believe that Holden and Vauxhall will also be sold.
Buick can have a version of the Malibu or import a sedan from its Chinese division if Buick Sedans become en-vouge again. Yes I laughed while I was typing that last sentence. It doesn’t matter how good your cars are now when every old maid cat lady I ever met is still driving a 1980-2002 Buick Century, Skylark, or Regal or similar looking Oldsmobile version that millennials associate with either GM or Buick and don’t want to drive the same brand as “uncool” people.
Buick died two deaths already one when they stopped making the Grand National, the second is when they stopped making the 3800. Modern Buick = yesterdays GEO. GM’s USDM Division of misfit imports sold in America because CAFE compliance.
Vauxhall went with Opel, it’s really just a sub-brand Opel uses on cars sold in the UK (only; right-hand-drive Opel-branded models are made for Ireland).
Holden will be sold, or simply sink beneath the waves. It sold about 90K cars in 2017, then about 65K in 2018. This it is on track to sell about 30K. Everything it sells is either sub-standard, or not best in class, so why would you? This is what happens when you set fire to a lot of taxpayer dollars and walk away. It is a now a brand with no point.
Nothing will replace the current Commodore. They still haven’t got rid of all the 2018 ones yet!
Yes as you noticed Commodores are popular here and theres enough of them that they will never be rare, the last versions are quite nice but I’m not a fan of the 3.6 engine the old 3.8 had low down torque and will go the moment you stand on the gas the 3.6 makes lots of noise as the transmission downshifts to find the sweet spot but its only noise, little action.
The police seem to be the only fans of the ZB even plain coloured cars turn out to be unmarked patrol cars red and blue lights hiding on the parcel shelf, easy to spot from the seating position in a truck not so easy from a car, Fairly quick cars though one overtook me recently he hit the red and blues as he pulled out and disappeared quite rapidly, I was just cruising at my 90kmh limit but the acceleration the ZB had from that speed was impressive, you get overtaken lots when driving trucks and a lot of cars plainly struggle with the task especially uphill at 90.
We get Commodores as over hours rescue/runabout cars on the milk the surviving 04 models are preferable to drive to the 06 luxury Calais models also issued one working away tanker set has two drivers and a Commodore, theres also an old Mondeo which is actually a better car to drive it also had no tracking device last season which is a bonus, one guy not me had his Commodore removed it was seen on tracking computer traveling at 180 kmh several times they do get along ok, thats why the cops used them.
The yellow wagon is a VL they had the RB30 and in NZ only RB 20 engines from Nissan the old Holden six was abandonned when unleaded fuel came in and emmission rules changed it was a one model only the following model had the Buick V6 installed
Civilian ZBs aren’t that common in Australia; interesting to hear it’s much the same in NZ. Across the ditch our police have a variety of interesting toys to play with including Chrysler 300s and even poverty-spec BMW 5-series as pursuit cars.
With Holden no longer being built here but being a catch-all brand for a variety of cars from all over the former GM universe, they have to stand or fall in comparison with every other import, they are no longer ‘Australia’s Own Car’.
Personally, this is the only ZB I’d be interested in.
That’s the ZB for me too, only I reckon a good Magnette would be more than a year-old Opel one. The basic one was $35K in 2018 – the trade-in now is listed as $17K but I am reliably informed you can safely call that $14K. Way under 50% in a year! As I say, Holden sure knows how to burn money – other people’s, that is.
Well if wer’e talking ZBs, I’l go with one of these.
GMH still holds the supply contract for the NZ police vehicles and they are leased not bought its been like that for a long time, I was at Turners auctions last week looking at a 508 diesel Pug they have in there lots of white VE/VF commodores laying around in various states of having the police markings removed before being auctioned off as abused/used cars. I guess they’ll sell well the bogan factor is alive and well here.
I think I saw a VF Commodore in Seattle a few weeks ago. It had a Washington state plate on the back. I couldn’t see it was LHD or RHD.
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Definitely left-hand-drive…
The clue is the positions of wipers. And the amber side running lamp and marker, exclusive to Chevrolet version. Chevrolet SS is just a badge-engineered version of Holden Commodore. It was matter of sourcing the Holden parts to replace the Chevrolet ones.
In Australia, some Commodore, Monaro, and Calais (V2 and VZ platforms) owners swapped the nose end with Pontiac ones to set themselves apart from other bogans…
You could buy the Holden bits right from your friendly GM parts counter for the ‘14-15 model SS’. I had to order mine (‘17) from an Australian source. At least no one compliments me on my “Malibu SS” any more!
I thought someone on this site did the opposite of what OliverTwist was describing.
It’s a shame there isn’t a exchange program to match up owners who want to swap out the Commodore bits for SS bits, and vice-versa.
Well, Roger, the Commodore certainly brought variety, but as for quality, it boasted a bit. It really only hit a stride for that in the last ones, and even then, that 3.0 and 3.6 V6 won’t get you more than about 120,000 miles before the camshaft chain has to be replaced or the stretch will kill the engine. Not really good enough.
However, as a few here will attest, the VE and VF are very pleasant cars to drive, like BMW at their best of yore.
An acquaintance in the car trade was telling me about a friend of his, a tradie (builder), who’d done well for himself. He’d bought an Avalanche crew cab thingy with the hottted-up V8, and because he was doing alright for a quid, didn’t as such object to the gigantic thirst. “But mate”, he said “It’s not the fact that the bastard takes $170 to fill up from empty – it’s the fact I have to do every f*ckin’ day!”
$2,03 per litre for 91 here I fed my Hillman today 98 is another 20c perL and thats at a discount gas station Holden and Ford V8s are an expensive hobby to feed here.
The appetite for cam chains on the alloytech engines has been there from the first ones they’ll still run but they run rough really rough but smooth out at WOT we had a couple of 3.6 Calais on the milk horrible cars not comfy run badly mind you they have a few kms on them 400,000 + each but the older 3.8s drive better at similar mileages.
Bryce, could you please explain what “on the milk” means to us Americans who are unfamiliar with the phrase?
Googling the phrase gives me links to missing children’s sites (we put their faces “on the milk” carton) and adding the word “kiwi” to my search gives me recipes for smoothies… 😀
I guess it means “the milk run” – collecting fresh milk from farms in his tanker. Sounds like a good gig to me.
FWIW, in English English, the “milk train” was the first train of the day, at God’s knows when o’clock, taking milk to London r the regional centre for delivery in the morning.
I wondered if it referred to “milk run,” which was a common idiom in American English, but not heard as often today.
Having studied variations of the English language in the States and Britain, I’m the first to admit that I’m not as familiar with the Australian and New Zealand dialects.
It’s been decades since I’ve read it, but the term “milk run” comes up in Joseph Heller’s WWII novel Catch-22. IIRC milk runs were somehow less dangerous and more desirable than the general run of missions.
“However, as a few here will attest, the VE and VF are very pleasant cars to drive, like BMW at their best of yore.”
Agree.
There’s an identical ZB Calais wagon parked in the next street to me, albeit right-hand drive and resting upside down to yours. I’m sure I could encourage the badging to fall off for swift export, for the right fee. Or, for a doubtless even more criminal fee, you could order them from Holden. I wouldn’t muck around too long with the rational option. There is no sign Holden has ordered any of these cars since 2018. Range-toppers like this are all but non-existent.
Anyway, with an orphan Buick status or even more parentless Holden one, I reckon these wagons are very fine-looking cars. And they have been well-reviewed: whilst no-one has suggested a uniquely fine car (like predecessor really could be, especially with V8 and bits), no-one has suggested it anything like a dud either. We need a report on your Opoldenvauxuick Regasignialais soon (which sounds either like a Welsh railway station or a Thai prince. Or perhaps something unpleasant to which you have to apply a topical cream, but I am getting sidetracked).
(Psst, If you do want the badges pinched, send an unmarked screwdriver via CC).
“We need a report on your Opoldenvauxuick Regasignialais soon.”
And I desperately want to write one, but a huge project at work is back-burnering a lot of stuff I would much rather be doing at the moment.
I thought long and hard about whether to go Holden, Vauxhall or Opel, and decided on ‘blitzening’ the car since that’s its original brand.
“Opoldenvauxuick” – featuring the Cascade Chronicles?
It’s hideous and looks like a Japanese Malibu