HAVING signed off on the VF project in
February 2011, GM’s vice president of global
design Ed Welburn found himself sitting in a
full-sized seating buck at Fishermans Bend 19
months later. The partial car, used to prototype
interior and seating, had a particularly nice
treatment installed. Turning to one of the design
team, Welburn asked to see the fleet model, the
version to become the Evoke. “This is the fleet
model,” was the response.
It was no secret that after six years, the VE’s
interior was looking aged, with criticisms around
quality dogging the otherwise well-loved model.
In contrast, the completely redesigned interior
of the VF, which shared only the rear air vents
and front-centre armrest with the VE, appeared
a special place to be.
The push upmarket wasn’t by accident; the
tide was turning on fleet sales for base models
and private buyers tended to head straight for a
Calais or SS – and not just in Australia.
While the VE’s interior nobly split sport, comfort
and luxury specs with nifty design tricks, the VF
showed little divide: full-colour trip computers,
upgraded screens, coloured head-up displays
and plenty of soft-touch surfaces to replace
scratchy, cheap-feeling parts. Smaller, sexier
steering wheels, with sports models featuring
an Audi-style flat bottom, were tested not in a
marketing workshop but by chassis engineer
Rob Trubiani – a man who spent half his day
hooning around at Lang Lang and was therefore
in an ideal position to share his opinion.
Mike Devereux, installed in the managing
director’s chair in 2010, followed a succession
of short-lived MDs after Denny Mooney.
Like the others, Devereux was tasked with
addressing Holden’s flagging sales, and felt
that improved fuel economy was the key. He
approved significant investment in expensive,
weight-saving alloy parts, including the bonnet
and bootlid, along with an electric handbrake,
which also freed up cabin space.
Externally, new front and rear quarters hid
an unchanged glasshouse and B-pillar. Gone
were the VE’s beloved muscular wheelarches,
toned down for a significant improvement in
aerodynamics and therefore a tangible benefit
to fuel economy. Items such as bumpers, grille
and headlights contained up-spec details
across the range, from Evoke to Calais, with
Richard Ferlazzo stating: “Large sedans don’t
need to be all things to all men anymore; it’s
afforded us the luxury of pushing [the VF] a bit
more upmarket as an aspirational car.”
A staggered reveal whetted the public’s
appetite, with the SS-V and Calais V shown some
five months before the VF hit the showroom.
Given the sales skew towards the private sector,
low-rent versions could wait. In a first for Holden,
the initial glimpse of the VF Commodore wasn’t
even on Australian shores, but during Speed
Week at Daytona Beach, Florida.
Developed concurrently with the VF, the
Chevrolet SS would be Holden’s lasting imprint
on the US market, following the Monaro-based
Pontiac GTO, VE Pontiac G8 and police-market
Chev Caprice PPV. Designed as a niche-
selling flagship to sell alongside the Camaro
and Corvette, the VF’s beautiful interior owed
its existence to the US market; they wanted a
range-topping sedan with an interior to suit.
But from 57,307 Commdore sales in 2007
to just 30,523 in 2012, buyers had spoken.Those that were interested in fuel economy
bought small cars, those that wanted big cars
bought fourbies, and those that needed a ute
bought a Thai-imported dual-cab. Enthusiasts
bought Commodores, usually ticking the V8
option. Holden addressed this directly. With
the decision made to close the Elizabeth plant
and end 69 years of Holden manufacturing in
Australia, the VFII, released in 2015, was all
about the 6.2-litre, 304kW LS3 V8. Bigger
brakes, rorty exhaust, 570Nm of torque and a
staggering 6600rpm redline could be specified
in the Calais, Calais V, Caprice, Commodore
SS and SS-V, along with a bewildering array
of special editions that were rolled out as
production drew to a close in late 2017.
The VFII’s revised front bar harboured a small
‘LS3’ badge on the variants that mattered, as
well as functional bonnet vents. Holden went
so far as to shorten the diff ratios, contributing
to the VFII’s neck-snapping performance at the
expense of fuel economy. Nobody cared; this car
wasn’t for the economists, it was for the drivers.
The VFII stands as a love letter and thank
you note to the enthusiasts for whom Holden
is life; the ultimate driver’s car with staunch
looks, classy interior and unrelenting V8s. HSV
stepped up to deliver the GTS-R and GTS-R
W1 swansongs, etching the VF in history as one
of the greatest performance cars constructed
on our shores.
Perhaps Denny Mooney summed it all up at
the launch of the VE Commodore, way back in- Speaking of the new platform, he said:
“I’ve been in this business all my life and it
doesn’t get any better than this.” He was right,
just nine years early.
VF
COMMODORE
HSV STEPPED UP TO DELIVER THE GTS-R AND
GTS-R W1, ETCHING THE VF IN HISTORY AS
ONE OF THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE CARS
CONSTRUCTED ON OUR SHORES