LS3, 6-speed manual, RWD, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, full-size sedan interior space, and premium features like nav, auto climate, heated/cooled seats, auto wipers, etc. It's like a Dodge Charger, but for a sophisticated gentleman.
Yes it may be outgunned by Hellcats but the best part of this car is the chassis. No other big sedan handles quite like the SS with Magnetic Ride set to "Performance." Almost no body roll, great in transitions. Oh, and bolt-ons can provide horsepower parity. Too bad GM didn't install the LS7 (500+ hp, 7000 rpm).
G'day Ed. Love these Aussie episodes, Travis says he doesn't know why they weren't advertised ect, but there was a reason and the reason was GM had a plan to kill the Holden brand way back in 2012, but were obligated by Holden to sell, so they sold them with little to no marketing so they could say they aren't selling and shut down Holden/Australian production for good.
Same in New Zealand lol. People think it’s super cool having a Chevy badge on their holdens. I was more funny when it was the VE as they came out in the US as a Pontiac not a Chevy lol
I’m an Australian and I was once taken for a ride in a 680whp HSV Maloo (tuned pickup truck version of the ss commodore) and that day was the day that 10 year old me fell in love with cars
Literally had they marketed it, the US market probably could have saved the Holden brand which lasted for 164 years :( We had Holden's my entire life until about 2010's when European and Asian cars just dominated.
So what you effectively had were European Opels (commodores) through the 80s and 90s, with Nissan & Buick engines. A brand that was GM and GM owned since the 60s.
Other way around. The commodore was designed and engineered here in Aus, the V6 and 8’s were originally Chevy engines that we continued to develop and refine. They were sold in Europe as Opel. The brand started out making saddles and then coaching stock and such in the 1800’s before going into cars, then being acquired by GM. Their development, design, and construction remained in Australia till Holden shut down. It was one of the few companies that didn’t get plotted under by US ownership. We had some good tractor companies, pioneers and innovators, got bought out by John Deere, and promptly shut down.
With how good the 6l80e is it handled all the abuse I could throw at it in the statesman the the tr6060 in the VF was mushy and vague even with a ripshiter, I wanted the auto back tbh ahah
Not really.. sales was bad... Ppl are getting into SUV.. and those SUV have way more and more mpg.. very economical. Producing a car that ppl don't buy is waste of money..
@Mr. TA Holdens got massive taxpayer subsidies. Our taxes on fuel probably killed the big engine cars. Australia is too small of a market. If GM got their shit together and advertised the commodore, it might have been a very successful car in the USA. Chevy SS sounds like a dumb name compared to a Commodore.
Blame it on the Aussies this has nothing to do with GM besides the decision to kill the brand but the reason why Holden was flopping is all Australia's fault
@@CirocObama.94 Complete Bullshite GM stole Hundreds of millions of dollars in tax victoms money back to the usa under the pretense that they "needed" the "help" to preserve the local manufacturing jobs only to shut down the Factory anyway 5mins later! Straight up Pr!ck of a thing to do!
They are the mustangs of Australia, everyone's got one lol now they are buying mustangs anyway haha, the Hsv Gts-R Vf is the best ute, the Maloo Gts-R W1 that they made 4 of is better but never seen one. oh and no. Holden GM ceased to exist in 2017, they were bought and produced cars til this year before finally calling it bust. Oh and Holden had not made a profit since late 2004, so they were goin down anyway, the car price Hsv is Called a Grange. Awesome vehicle. The statesman is a luxurely version of the commodore, the GTS and R8 are Hsv performing versions of the ss, oh and Walkinshaw tune them for special editions and also freely to the public.
I am a Texan that lived in Aussie throughout much of the 90s and man, I fell in love with the ‘Ute’. I have family there (QLD and NSW), and drove the hell out of a cousin’s ‘89’ Ute along much of the East Coast from Cairns to Adelaide, and further inland to Ayres and Alice etc...The closest we here in the US that we had to the ‘Ute’ we're the Ford Rancheros and Chevy El Camino, man I would love to see these make a comeback. I have often wondered why Holde never entered the US market under its own brand. I seem to recall reading a newspaper article suggesting that Holden was looking at the US market in the late 80s (during the Aussie craze of the 80s). It is so sad that Holden and even Ford, Australia no longer exist, they produced some seriously tough and great drivers.
My dad worked for Holden and the direction the company took was purely down to the CEO at the time, that was placed here by GM. When Peter Hanenberger was CEO he really made the company bloom, securing deals to sell holdens badged as Chevs in the middle east. Then they replaced him with an american whose philosophy was "If it werks in the USA, it will work here" and had plans to bring the Cadillac brand across. Fortunately, that didnt happen. Would have been a disaster. I know for a fact that GM executives touring the facilities had spotted various projects and killed them on sight for fear they would upstage american counterparts that they would never be in the same market against. One of them was the Holden Torana GTR-X concept in the 1970s. Look that up, its a damn shame it never got its chance.
4:28 "The Caprice is a Statesman in Australia" - not entirely correct, although the trim levels you guys got over there were probably 'Statesman' level. Over here the Statesman is the 'poverty pack version' for want of a better word, mostly always V6, lower trim spec with smaller wheels etc etc, whilst the Caprice here is top of the range (as far as luxury goes in a Holden anyway). HSV (Holden Special Vehicles - a different Company that does Performance Variants) had the 'Grange' which had more power, bigger wheels & brakes usually, with lower suspension & some Body Styling (Bumpers/Spoilers/Side Skirts etc).
@@CBCricketAu there was no VF (WN 2013-2015) statesman and the VE equivalent (WM 2006-2013) was a stretched wheelbase like the caprice. The VFII (2015-2017) which is what the Chevy SS is there is only one trim of Caprice available, 6.2 auto.
Yep youre right, got mixed up with the old models.. after seeing side bybside of my mrs caprice and statesmans i thought no way they were the same wheelbase but apparently they are. The more you know 👍
The PPV used the LWB Statesman/Caprice body shell, but since it was completely customised for the US law-enforcement market the equipment level would be specific and would be very different to what is found in Australia. Detective cars may been better equipped, perhaps.
I am australian myself and am in love with holdens. I was born and raised around holdens all my life and currently drive a 2004 vy spac as a daily. It is lowered on SSL springs all round, speakers done, leather interior, tinted windows, tuned, blue lights throughout the interior, roof wing and Bobtail spoiler. Absolutely love it. Will be doing up a HQ one toner soon fully decked out with a LSA crate motor.
So nice to enjoy a relaxed informative video with a great story line! No jingly jangly rediculous "music" no pointless video effects, no imitation "rap" stuff. Just a great guy telling an interesting story. The fact that it's about Aussie Commodores makes it all the more enjoyable. Thanks Mate!
Awesome to see the love of this car in the US. It was a sad day when the last VF Commodore rolled of the production line, my wife purchased a VF Commodore SV6 Storm edition in Peter Brock Blue, man that car is a beauty.
I use to own a silver VF SV6 wagon as well. A great car but I stepped it up to the SSV Redline VF2. I’ve ticked over 120,000 and have a couple of issues which have been covered by the warranty. Great cars and a real shame they closed the plant.
Well spoken, well said and well informed. The point Travis made about it not being loved by GM but loved by fans makes me angry. Listening to the video also made me very sad. Almost tearing up. I own a 2016 Holden VF Commodore SSV Redline series II sedan, manual in red and I absolutely love it. I have always been a Holden man and so was my father. When they announced the end of manufacturing and then the end of the brand completely, it broke my heart. To hear they are have a strong following in the USA is so cool and that a lot of owners are aware of it's history and that of Holden, so much so that they rebadge them is fantastic. Makes me smile with a tinge of sadness that we won't have an affordable, RWD, V8 sports sedan anymore. That it can also carry 5 people in comfort, all their shopping/luggage AND tow a boat while sounding like a NASCAR/V8 Supercar makes it one of the best cars of all time, in my opinion. It will be the last car I own. Bless you Travis Bell and your family.
Recently picked up a 2004 Vauxhall Monaro and am looking to get it all Holden badged. Makes me so happy to see these legendary cars getting the attention they deserve!
I've got a 2011 (first year imported from Australia) 9C3 Caprice PPV in karma blue. One of 25 shipped to the US in that color in 2011. It's got the L77 6 liter with the 6L80E six speed automatic & 2.92 ratio rear w/posi. It served duty in Texas at a sheriff's department, I think a detective drove it. Minimal holes and I fixed most of the hack work the upfitters did to it. Oh and all the badging is now Holden. I love that car! ❤️
This is my dream car. I Loved the G8 too. I don't know why they never advertised this thing, even the options list is super advertisable. I am watching every Chevrolet SS Video ever now. Best quote: "But they are rear wheel drive and come with 435 horsepower out of the box."
@@dotlaj drive a 205 gti and then we can talk! I'm not a Peugeot fan and it's true that they had a period where they made terrible cars, but they also made very fun to drive cars
I have my G8 GXP 6spd and I'll be buried in that car! I'd love to be able to find a Chevy SS. The man makes a point the creature comforts in the SS are so nice.
@@the_real_d1pper500 I thought about it, but keeping it in its Pontiac design feels more fitting. It was their last hoorah before they were shut down so keeping the Pontiac body and badges is kind of nice. Besides there's a guy out here who's running around in one he converted into a Ute and I can't compete with that level of badassery lol
@@speedemon81 yeah I think if I were to buy a Chevy SS then maybe I'd do the Holden conversion. However, the only way I could afford an SS would be to sell my G8 and that's just not something I'm willing to do.
I remember reading about GXP when it came out, GMs attempt at a European platform - tight chassis and a wide wheel base in a sedan RWD(BMW 5 series) ashamed US buyers never appreciated the design
Travis covered this earlier and has one . The Holden ute was going to be a Pontiac ST in the US : th-cam.com/video/hjTOEX-qJB8/w-d-xo.html Pontiac died first. If you spend enough you can get a Holden ute and wagon in the US by conversions of existing US Chev SS or Pontiac G8. Colorado conversions most common. Still only handfuls though. Even made it to Doug De Muro. US expected to only want high spec V8 versions though.
Mr. Bolian has mentioned the SS Sedan in his list of great Cannonball choices, and I wholeheartedly agree - especially with bolt-on mods. Super stealth...very few people could identify the make/model if de-badged. Very roomy, comfortable, tall 6th gear (120 mph is about 3100-3200 rpm); small-block GM reliability.
I've heard that if you're looking to push over 700hp, you can spend a lot of money on a Hellcat, OR you can buy an SS and slap a supercharger on it. Saves you about $20k. I'm an import guy, but I've LOVED the SS ever since it came out in the states.
Working in a Holden dealership for the last 16 years, it was sad to see the demise of Holden over the last 3 years. The VF was released at a time Australia was falling in love with SUV's so the case for the sedan was fading. VF was a fantastic car.. specially in the Supercharged HSV GTS
My car, my very first car was a 1996 Holden Commodore VP until it was stolen in 2010. Had it as a hand me down from my parents. Loved every inch of it. I almost bought the VE SS 6sp manual but couldn’t coz my wife and I were expecting our first child so I couldn’t get it. Then the VFs came out and I loved the shape. The SS’s were great but I loved the club sports. I’ll own a VF one day. Love the video
Okay, here we go, Australian here! I owned a my13 blue chevy ss (VF SSV, higher trim level 6.0) and an 08 caprice 6.0ls2 (wm statesman/caprice is a higher trim with DVD headrests and stuff) I put a 3.92 Maloo diff, cam, top end heads, tuned the 6l80e for tighter shifts and ran a 11.8 1/4! Things a beast for nearly 2 tons and it owed me less than 25kAUD. The VF was a bucket of shit, radiator blew, electronic power steering stopped working while I was going 80kph around a corner nearly crashed, rear suspension collapsed within 30,000kms, infotainment system never connected to phones, list goes on, it's pretty hated here to be honest.
Your opinion is a minority opinion amongst Australians mate. You do not speak for me nor many others. You sir are a moron. Yes, I own one. S1 VFSS 6spd manual. Owned it since it was 3 yrs old at 19,000kms on th clock. It has had next to no issues. I did decide to AFM delete last year. My choice. My radio and navigation works fine. My Bluetooth works fine. My power steering works fine. My rear suspension is still 100%. It’s done over 126,000kms now. Take your minority BS opinion to a Ford forum. 🤦♂️
I LOVE the SS/Commodore. I borrowed one off turo that had the Holden badges on it and thought about it every day since. Sounds and feels amazing too. I want one as my next car
You had me right until the burnout, it should have been RED! Blue is for Ford, RED is for Holden! Never mind, we all make mistakes :-p Former Holden owner here, just watching this brings back some fond memories. My last Holden was a 2007 VE SSV and I had some great memories with it! The VF was the last Holden V8 Highway Patrol car purchased by the NSW Police (with quite a few still in use). Now they are using the Chrysler 300 SRT! (Still manufactured, until recently, in Canada). BTW, the Statesman and Caprice are not the same. Sure, they are built on the same LWB platform, but the Caprice is a higher trim level.
I've got a 15 SS mine is one of 86. I love mine covered 3k in a week couldn't of picked a better car to do it in. When he said they where unloved by the manufacturer he hit the nail on the head
I bought my Orange Blast Metallic (OBM) 2017 just like his wife did - during the 20% Chevy sale. I also did the Holden birthright conversion and am now thinking also about the radio and DTC conversions to Holden spec as well. Awesome sleeper cars with better than typical Chevrolet reliability.
I’m I live in Australia, and I own a 2017 SV6 Series 2 Gun Metal Grey, VF Holden Commodore….. and I love it!!!! Even it being V6, it’s still very quick!!! One of the last very iconic Australian made, Muscle Car’s. The new Holden Commodores from 2018 up, are made in Europe. Now they look like a Mazda’s, and the VF’s still cost more than them to this day. Highly recommend buying this car, it’s beautiful inside and out - KD
The fit and finish on the Aussie cars is also superior to the domestic GM cars. That's part of what sold me on my G8 GT. That and the fact it can disentegrate a pair of tires anytime I want.
as an aussie teen who owns a Ve series 2 SS it’s great to see the love that these cars get over in the states, shame that GM shut down the production of this aussie icon, however all of us Holden guys intend on keeping the legacy of the Aussie V8 sedans alive as it is a massive part of our manufacturing identity
July 2023 And I just saw my first two ever at a cars and coffee event north of San Francisco. Probably the rarest car there and people didn't even notice, thinking it was a Peugeot or something
You’re an absolute legend mate. Awesome you’re representing Holden and not the so called “Chevy SS” and “Pontiac G8”. The VF also came in a 3.6L V6 LFX Alloytec in the SV6 models. Also the VF Commodore isn’t the only Commodore we’ve made. We’ve been making Commodores since 1978. Make sure to check out the other Commodore series which are the VB (1978-1980), VC (1980-1981), VH (1981-1984), VK (1984-1986), VL (1986-1988), VN (1988-1991), VP (1991-1993), VR (1993-1995), VS (1995-2000), VT (1997-2000), VX (2000-2002), VY (2002-2004), VZ (2004-2007), VE (2006-2013) and of course the VF (2013-2017).
Pmsl Ford v8s of that era were boat anchors, sorry mate. Oh how horrible an engine made in the US. Grow up. Nobody complains about the old Holdens with chev 307/327/350s.
all over the world, lets keep holden alive, regardless of what type of holden you have, lets not let holden die in vein, keep the memory and legacy alive
And to think some people here in australia replace the chevy badges with holden badges. Glad to see it being done the right way, with a proper burnout to boot!
I drive a 2015 manual SS. Got it 2 years old with 2K miles on it. The car is superb. Car people know it is a rare bird, and I get lots of thumbs up on the back roads of Alabama.
As an Australian automotive enthusiast this makes me sad. But at the same time I am glad to see Holden has spawned a small community of passionate fans over in the US who are intent on keeping at least a small fragment of Holden's legacy alive.
I have an entire E3 HSV conversion sitting in my basement for my G8. If you want, google what that is. Cant wait to slap it on when the car gets repainted. I love these cars because even though its a niche car, there are so many factory and aftermarket options. More than many other cars out there. Cant wait to make it out to the barbecue if I have the time, everyone is nagging me on about it but the few conversations I had with you makes me want to go Someday I want to get a VF wagon. But thatll be maybe a couple years from now
I have the 2013 ssv ute with the l77 and I love her and she's my pride and joy!!! I do regret not doing my research and getting a later model at times but she's a beauty and I'll keep her forever
As an Australian living in the USA, I love that Americans want to remove the bow tie and Australians wanted to add it to their cars. No matter what its great to see appreciation from both sides.
What killed the SS was multi-faceted: It was INSANELY overpriced, considering you could get a Mercedes or BMW for similar money. That car was in excess of $50,000 when it was first released, only towards the end were they giving them away which in reality should have been what they sold for initially. Some dealers were still bucking GM's policy of "the Caprice is not to be sold to private buyers" and you could get a brand new 9C3 (detective) Caprice with cloth seats and carpet, brand new, with a full warranty, for $20,000 less than an SS. 20g's buys a lot of nav/leather/insert whatever crazy mods you want here plus more rear seat legroom. No matter what you do, or what quality controls you have, there will always be people who see that something isn't "made in the USA" and will not buy it. It's both a blessing and a curse in that regard, and especially so with NASCAR fans. That might as well be a foreign car to the diehards. Look at NASCAR's ratings since Toyota came in. There were drivers that stated, on record, that they lost upwards of 50% of their fan base simply because the team owner switched to Toyota. The irony that the Camry is built here is not lost on me, but it says Toyota so people see it as foreign. Reverse it and the SS was built in Australia but says Chevrolet, still considered foreign by some. It's a strange thought process but does exist.
As a G8 owner, when you said they are unloved by the manufacturer but loved by the owners, I felt that in my heart
Agreed!
As an Aussie, I absolutely love this true blue blooded American mate! You're an absolute bloody legend! Keep the Holden spirit alive for long to come!
I’ll trade you whatever Chevy car you want for a few 79 Series Land Cruisers kitted out by your local ARB dealer.
@@howardraines5799 only a few? 🤔
Howard Raines lol. You know they are $100k plus each right. Lol
Howard Raines a few fully kited out 79’s is about $300,000
Am I the only one who read this in an Ozzy Man voice haha
The worst thing is people here who chevy badges on Holdens here in Australia
Americans do the opposite here so I guess it’s the way it is
Yeah. But I think the Pontiac badges and grills are the worst
I agree beetle juice
I won't do that with my VE.
I like it stock to be honest.
I hate when ppl do that. I call those ppl wankers!
I have to agree - this thing is a lot cooler than it has any business being for the money. Great car with a great transformation story.
Ed Bolian you should buy one 🤔
you should buy a wrecked ss and convert it to a ute or a wagon. that would be so sick
LS3, 6-speed manual, RWD, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, full-size sedan interior space, and premium features like nav, auto climate, heated/cooled seats, auto wipers, etc. It's like a Dodge Charger, but for a sophisticated gentleman.
Yes it may be outgunned by Hellcats but the best part of this car is the chassis. No other big sedan handles quite like the SS with Magnetic Ride set to "Performance." Almost no body roll, great in transitions. Oh, and bolt-ons can provide horsepower parity. Too bad GM didn't install the LS7 (500+ hp, 7000 rpm).
G'day Ed. Love these Aussie episodes, Travis says he doesn't know why they weren't advertised ect, but there was a reason and the reason was GM had a plan to kill the Holden brand way back in 2012, but were obligated by Holden to sell, so they sold them with little to no marketing so they could say they aren't selling and shut down Holden/Australian production for good.
Australian: Puts Chevy badge on Holden
American: Puts Holden badge on Chevy...so thats where all our Holden Badges went...
People who throw chevy badges on a holden make me sick in Australia
Why in the blue fuck would you ever rebadge a Holden into a Chevy?
Same in New Zealand lol. People think it’s super cool having a Chevy badge on their holdens. I was more funny when it was the VE as they came out in the US as a Pontiac not a Chevy lol
@@aegiseurobeat4559 cos we don't have Chevy's here and people think its kewl
Aegis Eurobeat the same fucking reason we put Holden badges on a Chevy. Cause it’s the same shit and it’s just a badge
One of the coolest sedans that never got the recognition it deserved.
I’m an Australian and I was once taken for a ride in a 680whp HSV Maloo (tuned pickup truck version of the ss commodore) and that day was the day that 10 year old me fell in love with cars
I have a vg maloo. The very first model. Only 132 ever made. I have her wrapped up in a shed
My dad had a VE SSV 9 years ago. It was awesome
@@randomfpv22 Pointless car a made to be driven!
Literally had they marketed it, the US market probably could have saved the Holden brand which lasted for 164 years :(
We had Holden's my entire life until about 2010's when European and Asian cars just dominated.
So what you effectively had were European Opels (commodores) through the 80s and 90s, with Nissan & Buick engines. A brand that was GM and GM owned since the 60s.
Other way around. The commodore was designed and engineered here in Aus, the V6 and 8’s were originally Chevy engines that we continued to develop and refine. They were sold in Europe as Opel.
The brand started out making saddles and then coaching stock and such in the 1800’s before going into cars, then being acquired by GM. Their development, design, and construction remained in Australia till Holden shut down. It was one of the few companies that didn’t get plotted under by US ownership. We had some good tractor companies, pioneers and innovators, got bought out by John Deere, and promptly shut down.
I own a 2017 Holden Commodore SS-V VFll Redline "Chevy SS" with the manual 6-speed an i love it...
I had a 13 SSV and it was plagued with issues ... They fixed the EPS for the my15^ models tho thank god
2015 holden Commodore SS-V VF Redline 6.0L Auto missed out on the manual!
With how good the 6l80e is it handled all the abuse I could throw at it in the statesman the the tr6060 in the VF was mushy and vague even with a ripshiter, I wanted the auto back tbh ahah
The holy grail of V8 four doors
My 2017 has the TR6060 manual 6-speed
GM lost it when it decided to shutdown Holden
Not really.. sales was bad... Ppl are getting into SUV.. and those SUV have way more and more mpg.. very economical. Producing a car that ppl don't buy is waste of money..
That's probably why Chevy didn't advertise them in the states in fear of it outselling it's own range....they wanted holden to fail I'd say
@Mr. TA Holdens got massive taxpayer subsidies. Our taxes on fuel probably killed the big engine cars. Australia is too small of a market. If GM got their shit together and advertised the commodore, it might have been a very successful car in the USA. Chevy SS sounds like a dumb name compared to a Commodore.
Blame it on the Aussies this has nothing to do with GM besides the decision to kill the brand but the reason why Holden was flopping is all Australia's fault
@@CirocObama.94 Complete Bullshite GM stole Hundreds of millions of dollars in tax victoms money back to the usa under the pretense that they "needed" the "help" to preserve the local manufacturing jobs only to shut down the Factory anyway 5mins later! Straight up Pr!ck of a thing to do!
As a Canadian who moved to Australia its so interesting how different the cars here are. Was thinking about getting a Holden.
Do it !
You moved to an area where an amazing car is unavailable to most of the rest of the world you have to
get an xr6 turbo..... for all that non lagggy boost!!
Omar1996 whereabouts in australia are you?
@@Mykelking16 moved to Sydney
🇦🇺 yesssss!!! Aussie pride! So cool to see an Australian icon making it so far across the pond!
You certainly won't see your twin at a traffic light in one of these!
They are the mustangs of Australia, everyone's got one lol now they are buying mustangs anyway haha, the Hsv Gts-R Vf is the best ute, the Maloo Gts-R W1 that they made 4 of is better but never seen one. oh and no. Holden GM ceased to exist in 2017, they were bought and produced cars til this year before finally calling it bust.
Oh and Holden had not made a profit since late 2004, so they were goin down anyway, the car price Hsv is Called a Grange. Awesome vehicle. The statesman is a luxurely version of the commodore, the GTS and R8 are Hsv performing versions of the ss, oh and Walkinshaw tune them for special editions and also freely to the public.
...unless your in straya
That's a lie...I have one more in my town, he's just not chopping or SC. Lol
Come to Australia and they're like assholes 😂 everyone has one
My 2017 is usually the only one at Cars and Coffee - Portland, OR
I am a Texan that lived in Aussie throughout much of the 90s and man, I fell in love with the ‘Ute’. I have family there (QLD and NSW), and drove the hell out of a cousin’s ‘89’ Ute along much of the East Coast from Cairns to Adelaide, and further inland to Ayres and Alice etc...The closest we here in the US that we had to the ‘Ute’ we're the Ford Rancheros and Chevy El Camino, man I would love to see these make a comeback. I have often wondered why Holde never entered the US market under its own brand. I seem to recall reading a newspaper article suggesting that Holden was looking at the US market in the late 80s (during the Aussie craze of the 80s). It is so sad that Holden and even Ford, Australia no longer exist, they produced some seriously tough and great drivers.
My dad worked for Holden and the direction the company took was purely down to the CEO at the time, that was placed here by GM.
When Peter Hanenberger was CEO he really made the company bloom, securing deals to sell holdens badged as Chevs in the middle east.
Then they replaced him with an american whose philosophy was "If it werks in the USA, it will work here" and had plans to bring the Cadillac brand across.
Fortunately, that didnt happen. Would have been a disaster.
I know for a fact that GM executives touring the facilities had spotted various projects and killed them on sight for fear they would upstage american counterparts that they would never be in the same market against.
One of them was the Holden Torana GTR-X concept in the 1970s. Look that up, its a damn shame it never got its chance.
I’m going to miss Holden 😢
That's why I'm keeping mine
4:28 "The Caprice is a Statesman in Australia" - not entirely correct, although the trim levels you guys got over there were probably 'Statesman' level.
Over here the Statesman is the 'poverty pack version' for want of a better word, mostly always V6, lower trim spec with smaller wheels etc etc, whilst the Caprice here is top of the range (as far as luxury goes in a Holden anyway).
HSV (Holden Special Vehicles - a different Company that does Performance Variants) had the 'Grange' which had more power, bigger wheels & brakes usually, with lower suspension & some Body Styling (Bumpers/Spoilers/Side Skirts etc).
Statesman on the vf is also standard wheelbase.. changed in about 2006
@@CBCricketAu there was no VF (WN 2013-2015) statesman and the VE equivalent (WM 2006-2013) was a stretched wheelbase like the caprice. The VFII (2015-2017) which is what the Chevy SS is there is only one trim of Caprice available, 6.2 auto.
Yep youre right, got mixed up with the old models.. after seeing side bybside of my mrs caprice and statesmans i thought no way they were the same wheelbase but apparently they are. The more you know 👍
The PPV used the LWB Statesman/Caprice body shell, but since it was completely customised for the US law-enforcement market the equipment level would be specific and would be very different to what is found in Australia. Detective cars may been better equipped, perhaps.
@@CBCricketAu long wheel base = Statesman, Wagon & Ute
I am australian myself and am in love with holdens. I was born and raised around holdens all my life and currently drive a 2004 vy spac as a daily. It is lowered on SSL springs all round, speakers done, leather interior, tinted windows, tuned, blue lights throughout the interior, roof wing and Bobtail spoiler. Absolutely love it. Will be doing up a HQ one toner soon fully decked out with a LSA crate motor.
Tahi Macfarlane0 is your VY a 5.7 or the V6?
@@ethan_hsv62l V6, A spac comes only with a ecotec v6 while the SS comes with the ls1
Geo Metro the HSV Clubsport and Clubsport R8 also had that LS1 5.7
I love my 2006 GTO. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this also. The build quality is better also. Compared to US built GM cars.
I love the way Travis explains things
So nice to enjoy a relaxed informative video with a great story line! No jingly jangly rediculous "music" no pointless video effects, no imitation "rap" stuff. Just a great guy telling an interesting story.
The fact that it's about Aussie Commodores makes it all the more enjoyable.
Thanks Mate!
I love seeing an American with just as much passion for our cars as we do 🇦🇺
Last time I was this early I was smuggling drugs in from Mexico with my stealth truck
Haha nice reference
Yo same
Awesome to see the love of this car in the US. It was a sad day when the last VF Commodore rolled of the production line, my wife purchased a VF Commodore SV6 Storm edition in Peter Brock Blue, man that car is a beauty.
Dude has turned "whatongodsgrenearth" into a single word, that he says a lot
I own an VF SV6 wagon in “Some Like It Hot” red. I love her dearly. Best car I have ever bought
The best car of all time has to be the hsv maloo
I love my VF SV6 UTE and can't wait for the day I have a VF maloo sitting next to it
I use to own a silver VF SV6 wagon as well. A great car but I stepped it up to the SSV Redline VF2. I’ve ticked over 120,000 and have a couple of issues which have been covered by the warranty. Great cars and a real shame they closed the plant.
Well spoken, well said and well informed. The point Travis made about it not being loved by GM but loved by fans makes me angry. Listening to the video also made me very sad. Almost tearing up. I own a 2016 Holden VF Commodore SSV Redline series II sedan, manual in red and I absolutely love it. I have always been a Holden man and so was my father. When they announced the end of manufacturing and then the end of the brand completely, it broke my heart. To hear they are have a strong following in the USA is so cool and that a lot of owners are aware of it's history and that of Holden, so much so that they rebadge them is fantastic. Makes me smile with a tinge of sadness that we won't have an affordable, RWD, V8 sports sedan anymore. That it can also carry 5 people in comfort, all their shopping/luggage AND tow a boat while sounding like a NASCAR/V8 Supercar makes it one of the best cars of all time, in my opinion. It will be the last car I own. Bless you Travis Bell and your family.
A car so special it can make a man go through puberty again
A N O T H E R O N E @ 2:41
LOLL
Lmao 😂
I've been an enthusiastic fan ever since the G8 GXP was on the market. Fantastic cars.
Great to see you guys love our Aussie iron.
Recently picked up a 2004 Vauxhall Monaro and am looking to get it all Holden badged. Makes me so happy to see these legendary cars getting the attention they deserve!
No ads on this one. Good work Ed. We all really appreciate being able to enjoy a video uninterrupted.
I've got a 2011 (first year imported from Australia) 9C3 Caprice PPV in karma blue. One of 25 shipped to the US in that color in 2011. It's got the L77 6 liter with the 6L80E six speed automatic & 2.92 ratio rear w/posi. It served duty in Texas at a sheriff's department, I think a detective drove it. Minimal holes and I fixed most of the hack work the upfitters did to it. Oh and all the badging is now Holden. I love that car! ❤️
This is my dream car. I Loved the G8 too. I don't know why they never advertised this thing, even the options list is super advertisable. I am watching every Chevrolet SS Video ever now.
Best quote: "But they are rear wheel drive and come with 435 horsepower out of the box."
You hit the nail on the head with this story about Holden and the commodore. I’m in love with my walkinshaw supercharged VFSSV
Love your devotion to our Australian cars
As a French it is absolutely hilarious when English speakers say "Peugeot" ! Amazing video as usual
As a human being I am greatly offended that any body would compare this great car to a piece of 💩 that Peugeot is 😁
@J. Stalin Aluminium, Caramel and so on😋
@@jeremyryan770 y'all
@@dotlaj drive a 205 gti and then we can talk! I'm not a Peugeot fan and it's true that they had a period where they made terrible cars, but they also made very fun to drive cars
We don’t say “Poo” on the UK we pronounce the first part like “Purr” or “per”
I have my G8 GXP 6spd and I'll be buried in that car! I'd love to be able to find a Chevy SS. The man makes a point the creature comforts in the SS are so nice.
Do the ve commodore bumper conversion... would look a tonne better
@@the_real_d1pper500 I thought about it, but keeping it in its Pontiac design feels more fitting. It was their last hoorah before they were shut down so keeping the Pontiac body and badges is kind of nice. Besides there's a guy out here who's running around in one he converted into a Ute and I can't compete with that level of badassery lol
@@Kingjay814 The pontiac conversion kits were a fairly common option in Australia after Pontiac got killed anyway
@@speedemon81 yeah I think if I were to buy a Chevy SS then maybe I'd do the Holden conversion. However, the only way I could afford an SS would be to sell my G8 and that's just not something I'm willing to do.
I remember reading about GXP when it came out, GMs attempt at a European platform - tight chassis and a wide wheel base in a sedan RWD(BMW 5 series) ashamed US buyers never appreciated the design
I fell in love with the Holden Commodore when I use to visit my Aunt in Australia in the late 90's
Puts his hands behind his back and stretches when he says police car. Yeah he's been back there before 😂😂
We own some holden commoders and maloo's from 2012 to 2018 in the netherlands. Getting them through emissions was tough.
I wish the Ute was popular in the U.S.,
such an interesting vehicle type
You're not alone. If they ever offer one in the USDM, I'm on it.
chicken tax is the issue I believe.
www.lsxmag.com/news/report-%e2%80%9cchicken-tax%e2%80%9d-kills-import-plans-for-holden-ute/
It would be nice... but
Holden was shut down over 3 years ago
Travis covered this earlier and has one . The Holden ute was going to be a Pontiac ST in the US :
th-cam.com/video/hjTOEX-qJB8/w-d-xo.html
Pontiac died first. If you spend enough you can get a Holden ute and wagon in the US by conversions of existing US Chev SS or Pontiac G8.
Colorado conversions most common. Still only handfuls though. Even made it to Doug De Muro.
US expected to only want high spec V8 versions though.
@@ravn_blade holden is still in business but is shutting down at the end of the year holdens stoped being made in Australia 3 years ago.
Mr. Bolian has mentioned the SS Sedan in his list of great Cannonball choices, and I wholeheartedly agree - especially with bolt-on mods. Super stealth...very few people could identify the make/model if de-badged. Very roomy, comfortable, tall 6th gear (120 mph is about 3100-3200 rpm); small-block GM reliability.
I've heard that if you're looking to push over 700hp, you can spend a lot of money on a Hellcat, OR you can buy an SS and slap a supercharger on it. Saves you about $20k. I'm an import guy, but I've LOVED the SS ever since it came out in the states.
Technically this is an import...
Or, you can stick with cam, headers/exhaust, and intake and save even more money but be solidly in the 500 hp range.
I don't consider any car made by GM an import, regardless of where it was build. It still came from a USDM company.
Working in a Holden dealership for the last 16 years, it was sad to see the demise of Holden over the last 3 years. The VF was released at a time Australia was falling in love with SUV's so the case for the sedan was fading. VF was a fantastic car.. specially in the Supercharged HSV GTS
This guy is awesome! I love the fact that the yanks show so much love to Holdens!
My car, my very first car was a 1996 Holden Commodore VP until it was stolen in 2010. Had it as a hand me down from my parents. Loved every inch of it. I almost bought the VE SS 6sp manual but couldn’t coz my wife and I were expecting our first child so I couldn’t get it. Then the VFs came out and I loved the shape. The SS’s were great but I loved the club sports. I’ll own a VF one day. Love the video
Okay, here we go, Australian here! I owned a my13 blue chevy ss (VF SSV, higher trim level 6.0) and an 08 caprice 6.0ls2 (wm statesman/caprice is a higher trim with DVD headrests and stuff) I put a 3.92 Maloo diff, cam, top end heads, tuned the 6l80e for tighter shifts and ran a 11.8 1/4! Things a beast for nearly 2 tons and it owed me less than 25kAUD. The VF was a bucket of shit, radiator blew, electronic power steering stopped working while I was going 80kph around a corner nearly crashed, rear suspension collapsed within 30,000kms, infotainment system never connected to phones, list goes on, it's pretty hated here to be honest.
the power steering issue you had was actually a recall back in 2018
Your opinion is a minority opinion amongst Australians mate. You do not speak for me nor many others. You sir are a moron. Yes, I own one. S1 VFSS 6spd manual. Owned it since it was 3 yrs old at 19,000kms on th clock. It has had next to no issues. I did decide to AFM delete last year. My choice. My radio and navigation works fine. My Bluetooth works fine. My power steering works fine. My rear suspension is still 100%. It’s done over 126,000kms now. Take your minority BS opinion to a Ford forum. 🤦♂️
The Metallic Orange Option = Light My🔥Fire!!!
Just buy an SS or Caprice cop cars (still rare). Get parts from Australia
There you go, end video.
Maverickmancarbon and SSonly carry parts stateside
Wasn't the pontiac G8 the same car too?
@@danh2134 G8 was the VE Commodore, so the previous generation.
I love the least gen look better lol. I think it's the wide body and front end. Tail lights are like meh, to much like an impala
@@samlung2724 to me the VE front end looks almost like a Skyline. It's very fitting.
Great to see Holden getting the acknowledgement it deserves in the US, they were such beautifully designed and engineered cars and tuff as nails.
This is cool, I love a Holden and it's very sad to hear about its demise and the failure of SS sales. Keep the dream alive!
this actually makes me so sad. I live in Australia and it's giving me all this nostalgia and it sucks that Holden has shut down...
Back in 2017 I was shopping for cars I tried out a Chevy SS manual and a Camaro SS 1le. I went with the 1le but dang I wish I could have gotten both.
Nice to have the choice. Out of the two I'd get the SS to get the performance but not abandon the practicality!
I LOVE the SS/Commodore. I borrowed one off turo that had the Holden badges on it and thought about it every day since. Sounds and feels amazing too. I want one as my next car
Holden Maloo HSV, I want I want I want!!!
I have a vg maloo. Only 132 made
You had me right until the burnout, it should have been RED! Blue is for Ford, RED is for Holden! Never mind, we all make mistakes :-p
Former Holden owner here, just watching this brings back some fond memories. My last Holden was a 2007 VE SSV and I had some great memories with it!
The VF was the last Holden V8 Highway Patrol car purchased by the NSW Police (with quite a few still in use). Now they are using the Chrysler 300 SRT! (Still manufactured, until recently, in Canada).
BTW, the Statesman and Caprice are not the same. Sure, they are built on the same LWB platform, but the Caprice is a higher trim level.
They were available with the Holden badges, right from the Chevy dealer.
I've got a 15 SS mine is one of 86. I love mine covered 3k in a week couldn't of picked a better car to do it in. When he said they where unloved by the manufacturer he hit the nail on the head
I bought my Orange Blast Metallic (OBM) 2017 just like his wife did - during the 20% Chevy sale. I also did the Holden birthright conversion and am now thinking also about the radio and DTC conversions to Holden spec as well. Awesome sleeper cars with better than typical Chevrolet reliability.
I’m I live in Australia, and I own a 2017 SV6 Series 2 Gun Metal Grey, VF Holden Commodore….. and I love it!!!!
Even it being V6, it’s still very quick!!!
One of the last very iconic Australian made, Muscle Car’s.
The new Holden Commodores from 2018 up, are made in Europe.
Now they look like a Mazda’s, and the VF’s still cost more than them to this day.
Highly recommend buying this car, it’s beautiful inside and out - KD
The fit and finish on the Aussie cars is also superior to the domestic GM cars. That's part of what sold me on my G8 GT. That and the fact it can disentegrate a pair of tires anytime I want.
as an aussie teen who owns a Ve series 2 SS it’s great to see the love that these cars get over in the states, shame that GM shut down the production of this aussie icon, however all of us Holden guys intend on keeping the legacy of the Aussie V8 sedans alive as it is a massive part of our manufacturing identity
July 2023 And I just saw my first two ever at a cars and coffee event north of San Francisco. Probably the rarest car there and people didn't even notice, thinking it was a Peugeot or something
6:29 But the G8 GXP had the 6.2L LS3. You can't compare the G8 GT to an SS.
You’re an absolute legend mate. Awesome you’re representing Holden and not the so called “Chevy SS” and “Pontiac G8”. The VF also came in a 3.6L V6 LFX Alloytec in the SV6 models. Also the VF Commodore isn’t the only Commodore we’ve made. We’ve been making Commodores since 1978. Make sure to check out the other Commodore series which are the VB (1978-1980), VC (1980-1981), VH (1981-1984), VK (1984-1986), VL (1986-1988), VN (1988-1991), VP (1991-1993), VR (1993-1995), VS (1995-2000), VT (1997-2000), VX (2000-2002), VY (2002-2004), VZ (2004-2007), VE (2006-2013) and of course the VF (2013-2017).
There's also the ZB, from 2018 to 2020. Its controversial, but it's ultimately a Commodore whether people liked it or not.
The SS was basically the modern e39 m5. It’s the car we always say we want, and then they killed it. Definitely a future classic.
Great video. Started with a 2008 Pontiac G8 aka VE Holden Commodore SV6. I now have 2016 Chevy SS aka VF2 Holden Commodore SSV Redline.
This is one of my dream cars! Australian muscle
You want Aussie muscle? Ford mate fpv Aussie built motor not like holden us built motor
Gsxr b I agree.
Gsxr b nah go for a VL commodore calais, aussie 5 litre v8 with an aussie shell
Pmsl Ford v8s of that era were boat anchors, sorry mate. Oh how horrible an engine made in the US. Grow up. Nobody complains about the old Holdens with chev 307/327/350s.
Great too see all the Commodore’s getting the love seen a few monaros too ❤️🇦🇺
I miss Holden the real ones the commodore ss and also the hsv’s
It's good to know if I ever move to the US. I can still own a commodore. Thanks for keeping the car alive over there for us.
I wouldn’t mind dailying one of these
We really love this guy.
He is a great speaker and one hell of an interesting guy.
Love him vinwiki, let him speak more
it was a nearly 50k car that looked like a enterprise rental.
all over the world, lets keep holden alive, regardless of what type of holden you have, lets not let holden die in vein, keep the memory and legacy alive
And to think some people here in australia replace the chevy badges with holden badges. Glad to see it being done the right way, with a proper burnout to boot!
They both replace Chevy badges with Holden badges, but one group is in the wrong?
I drive a 2015 manual SS. Got it 2 years old with 2K miles on it. The car is superb. Car people know it is a rare bird, and I get lots of thumbs up on the back roads of Alabama.
Holden's are insane
You are "the Man" ...
I live in Australia but fortunately I love Holdens and Fords ...
I drive an BA Ford Falcon XR8 manual transmission ...
Really want a Maloo...
Saw a Holden in Germany a few years ago. Absolute beast LEGEND!!!
Its kinda hilarious that a lot of people over here take off the Holden badge for a chevy badge but people in the USA doing the opposite.
Nic Wechter I know lol
Difference is they are putting Holden badges back on a Holden, bogans put Chevy badges on Commodores (which were Opel) just because of the engine.
it is really awesome to finally hear an American call a UTE a UTE and NOT a pickup or truck and to talk about SUMMERNATS ..Travis is AWESOME...
Glad I learned something from Forza Horizon 3
As an Australian automotive enthusiast this makes me sad. But at the same time I am glad to see Holden has spawned a small community of passionate fans over in the US who are intent on keeping at least a small fragment of Holden's legacy alive.
Pity that GM has closed down Holden down this year.
You need to import the luxury trim and bits for the Chevy Caprice PPV and make them into the luxury vehicle as it was sold here in Australia.
2:41 boom?
Came to the comments to see WTH that sound was. Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Sounds to me like his voice cracked a little bit 😂
I have an entire E3 HSV conversion sitting in my basement for my G8. If you want, google what that is. Cant wait to slap it on when the car gets repainted. I love these cars because even though its a niche car, there are so many factory and aftermarket options. More than many other cars out there. Cant wait to make it out to the barbecue if I have the time, everyone is nagging me on about it but the few conversations I had with you makes me want to go
Someday I want to get a VF wagon. But thatll be maybe a couple years from now
Aussie Aussie Aussie...
Oy oy oy
oi oi oi!
Oi oi oi
I have the 2013 ssv ute with the l77 and I love her and she's my pride and joy!!! I do regret not doing my research and getting a later model at times but she's a beauty and I'll keep her forever
They should sell the Avalon Kings at the Burger Kings.
You meant Hungry Jacks... lol !
Mate...love that you recognise that they are holdens...love your passion mate...thank you🙂
STRAYA!!!!!
Here in NZ i owned a Holden Adventra VY2 stock and to my eyes she is a beast and i love keeping Holden spirit alive
Morning everyone
clos2221 good morning how are you?
As an Australian living in the USA, I love that Americans want to remove the bow tie and Australians wanted to add it to their cars. No matter what its great to see appreciation from both sides.
It's just an "I wanna be different" thing.
Last time I was this early, Christopher's truck was still hauling the contraband
"They all leave my house like John Force." A great quote Haha
us australians like putting chevy badges on our commodore. and you Americans like putting holden badges on your chevys
No we don't.
Bogan
What killed the SS was multi-faceted:
It was INSANELY overpriced, considering you could get a Mercedes or BMW for similar money. That car was in excess of $50,000 when it was first released, only towards the end were they giving them away which in reality should have been what they sold for initially.
Some dealers were still bucking GM's policy of "the Caprice is not to be sold to private buyers" and you could get a brand new 9C3 (detective) Caprice with cloth seats and carpet, brand new, with a full warranty, for $20,000 less than an SS. 20g's buys a lot of nav/leather/insert whatever crazy mods you want here plus more rear seat legroom.
No matter what you do, or what quality controls you have, there will always be people who see that something isn't "made in the USA" and will not buy it. It's both a blessing and a curse in that regard, and especially so with NASCAR fans. That might as well be a foreign car to the diehards. Look at NASCAR's ratings since Toyota came in. There were drivers that stated, on record, that they lost upwards of 50% of their fan base simply because the team owner switched to Toyota. The irony that the Camry is built here is not lost on me, but it says Toyota so people see it as foreign. Reverse it and the SS was built in Australia but says Chevrolet, still considered foreign by some. It's a strange thought process but does exist.