Holden · 1978–1980
Holden Commodore (VB)
The Holden Commodore (VB) is a mid-size car that was produced by Holden, from 1978 to 1980. It was the first iteration of the first generation of the Holden Commodore, and was the Holden version of the General Motors V-body (V78) platform - developed primarily as the Opel Rekord E/Commodore C. The car was officially launched on 26 October 1978 with showrooms receiving the first examples on 13 November 1978. Production of the VB only lasted seventeen months, the shortest life span of any Commodore. The VB Commodore was effectively the successor of the Holden HZ, although most models in that series continued to be produced until the introduction of the facelifted VC Commodore on 30 March 1980. The VB became Australia's number one selling car in 1979, the model's first full year of production. The VB also won Wheels Car of the Year award for 1978, with the car being praised for its value for money and referred to as "the best Australian car ever."
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Holden HZ · Successor: Holden Commodore (VC)
All Holden Commodore data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Specifications
- name
- Holden Commodore (VB)
- Manufacturer
- Holden
- Production
- October 1978 – March 1980
- Assembly
- Australia: Sydney, New South Wales (Pagewood), Melbourne, Victoria (Dandenong), New Zealand: Wellington (Trentham)
- Class
- Mid-size car
- Platform
- GM V platform
- Body style
- 4-door sedan, 5-door station wagon
- Related
- Opel Rekord E, Opel Senator, Vauxhall Carlton, Opel Commodore C
- Engine
- 2.85 L Red I6, 3.3 L Red I6, 4.2 L Red V8, 5.0 L Red V8
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual, 3-speed Tri-Matic automatic, 3-speed THM350 automatic (5.0 L V8), 3-speed THM400 automatic (5.0 L V8)
- Wheelbase
- 2668 mm
- Length
- 4705 -
- Width
- 1722 mm
- Height
- 1371 mm
- Predecessor
- Holden HZ
- Successor
- Holden Commodore (VC)
- Designer
- Leo Pruneau
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q263694CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Commodore_(VB)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1357525005 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1979_Holden_VB_Commodore_Sedan_(22623854399).jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Sicnag · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.