Holden Commodore VN

 
The Commodore VN model marked the end of Holden’s small car production and ushered in a new era of large, family-oriented and space-optimised cars in August 1988. Australians were likely waiting for it, as the VN Commodore was a tremendous success from the day it was launched. The VN made a clean sweep of all the car awards, again putting Holden at the top of the 1989 best-selling car list. Even more significant to the production of the Holden VN is that it saw the sale of the 5 millionth Holden. The inside space of the Holden VN was a perfect match for Australians’ demands, as up to that point, Holden had provided them with many small cars catering to the fuel economy need. The production of the Holden VN line lasted until 1991.

Design features of the Holden VN

The design of the Holden VN was inspired by the German Opel design, and was specially redesigned to suit Australian road conditions. The Holden VN was equipped with a new 3.8 L EFI V6 engine, enabling even the base Commodore model to produce as much power as the old carburettor-equipped V8. Holden continued to import the parts for this model- the 4 Spd TH 700 auto was sourced from the USA- but the 5-Spd manual transmission model was an Australian-made B-W T5. Power steering was provided as the standard on all VN models and 4-Spd automatic transmission was also introduced.

What came out of the Holden VN line was a landmark in Australian auto-manufacturing history: the most powerful mass-produced Australian engine, known as the 5.0 L EFI V8. This record still stands and the engine was entirely locally designed. This engine produced a whopping 165 kW, and was made available as an option throughout the entire line. The Holden VN line promised to be a one-for-all line, as it offered a variety of models that fulfilled different driving needs. A V8-powered SS sports sedan was also offered, although a V6-powered S model was already available for sports enthusiasts.

In 1990, Holden introduced the Statesman and Caprice luxury models, which were built on the VN wagons’ extended wheelbase and were powered by the EFI V8. A major success, this line helped Holden immensely to have a greater impact on the luxury car market.

Engines

3.8 L EFI V6 – 127 kW

5.0 L EFI V8 – 165 kW

5.0 L SS Grp A V8 – 215 kW

5.0 L SV5000 V8 – 200 kW

Transmissions

M78 five-speed Borg Warner manual (V6 and V8)

MD8 four-speed TH 700 automatic (V6 and V8)

ML9 six-speed ZF manual (SS Group A )

M40 three-speed Trimatic automatic (V8)

Model Range

Commodore Executive sedan

Commodore Vacationer sedan

Commodore S sedan

Commodore SS sedan

Commodore Berlina sedan

Calais sedan

Commodore Executive wagon

Commodore Vacationer wagon

Commodore S wagon

Commodore Berlina wagon

Steering

Power assisted with variable assist

Variable ratio rack and pinion

Dimensions (mm) Berlina
	Berlina Sedan	Berlina Wagon
Length	4850	4896
Width	1802	1802
Height	1400	1474
Ground Clearance	142	139
Wheelbase	2731	2822
Front Track	1451	1451
Rear Track	1478	1478

Dimensions (mm) Ex
	Ex. Sedan	Ex. Wagon
Length	4850	4896
Width	1794	1794
Height	1403	1422
Ground Clearance	143	141
Wheelbase	2731	2822
Front Track	1451	1451
Rear Track	1478	1478

Fuel Tank Capacity

Sedan (V6): 63 L

Sedan (V8): 80 L

Wagon (V6 & V8): 68 L