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The Holden Commodore (VR) is a
full-size car Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...
which was produced by
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
from 1993 to 1995. It was the third iteration of the second generation of the
Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is a series of automobiles that were sold by now-defunct Australian manufacturer Holden from 1978 until 2020. They were manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of ...
. The VR range included the luxury variants, Holden Commodore Berlina (VR) and Holden Calais (VR) and a commercial model, the Holden Ute (VR).


Overview

Launched in July 1993 and sold until April 1995, the VR series came with an updated, sleeker and more modern design, as well as safety enhancements such as
anti-lock brakes An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti- skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintai ...
(ABS). It launched shortly before the
Ford ED Falcon The Ford Falcon (ED) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1993 to 1994. It was the third iteration of the fifth generation of the Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (ED)—the luxury-oriented version. Introductio ...
. From the side, the biggest change was the revised daylight opening around the C-pillar and the use of a round rear wheelarch, instead of a squared-off shape used on the previous VN and VP model Commodores. A Series II model launched in September 1994. The VR Acclaim and Calais included a driver's side Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate in milliseconds during a collision and then deflate afterwards. It consists of an airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. ...
as standard, which was a first for an Australian car. They also had standard ABS brakes and
independent rear suspension Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in ...
(IRS). The airbag, ABS brakes and IRS were also available across the range for both
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...
and
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
models. The rear-end treatment saw raised tail lamps, which were recessed high up on the
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
lid for safety reasons. A new electronic version of the '' Turbo-Hydramatic 700R4'' (TH700) automatic transmission was introduced, known as the '' GM 4L60-E''. The VR Commodore was ''Wheels'' Car of the Year for 1993.


Models


Commodore Executive

Commodore Executive opened up the VR lineup, although it was primarily projected at
fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles * Fishing fleet *Naval fleet * Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles * Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Be ...
customers.
Power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...
, electric side mirrors and four-wheel disc brakes were standard, with
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...
optional. Only one limited edition model was offered in the VR range: * Commodore Equipe: introduced in 1995, a Series II model in either sedan or wagon bodies was based on the Executive.


Commodore Acclaim

With the introduction of the VR Commodore, Holden added the Acclaim model to the Commodore range. Sitting one notch above the Executive, the Acclaim was based on an automatic transmission Executive with a safety pack that was aimed at families and featured ABS brakes, IRS, driver's side airbag and
cruise control Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of an automobile. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the car's throttle to maintain a steady sp ...
as standard. Although the Acclaim came standard with automatic transmission, a buyer could, by taking an Executive with manual transmission, and adding the ABS brakes, IRS, and airbag options, have a Commodore that was almost a manual transmission Acclaim. Only cruise control was not available as an option.


Commodore S

The Commodore S was a sports option based on the Executive, retaining its 3.8-litre engine.


Commodore SS

SS models were similar to the S, except that they were fitted with Holden's 5.0-litre '' HEC 5000i'' V8. A unique-to-SS alloy wheel design was also featured. A engine was offered as an option.


Berlina

The Berlina The Berlina is referred to as the "Holden Commodore Berlina" in the sales brochure "The New Holden Commodore. Executive, Acclaim, Berlina, S and SS.", AD10508, General Motors- Holden's Automotive Limited, August 1993 was the first of the luxury-oriented variants. Alloy wheels, electric windows and automatic transmission were standard fitment. Sedan and wagon variants were offered.


Calais

The Calais topped the VR lineup with an automatic transmission, driver's airbag, IRS, and ABS as standard, as well as features, such as climate control and
velour Velour, occasionally velours, is a plush, knits, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvet or velveteen. It can be made from polyester, spandex, cotton, or a cotton-polyester blend. Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including ...
trim or optional leather, to differentiate it from the lesser Commodore models. File:1994-1995 Holden VR II Commodore Executive station wagon 05.jpg , Commodore Executive wagon (Series II) File:1994 Holden VR Commodore Acclaim.jpg , 1994 Holden Commodore (VR) Acclaim sedan File:1995 Holden VR II Commodore Equipe sedan 03.jpg , Commodore Equipe sedan (Series II, limited edition) File:Holden Commodore SS (1993-1994 VR series) 01.jpg , Commodore SS File:1994 Holden Berlina (VR) sedan (2008-10-09).jpg, Holden Commodore Berlina sedan (VR) File:Holden Calais (1993-1994 VR series) 02.jpg , Holden Calais


Holden Ute

A
coupe utility A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
variant of the VR Commodore was offered in Holden Ute and the Holden 'S’ Ute models. Unlike the Ute which carried no external model badging, the 'S’ Ute was fitted with "Commodore" badges. File:1995 Holden Commodore (VR II) S utility (2011-11-08).jpg , Holden Ute S (Series II) File:1993-1994 Holden VR Commodore S utility 02.jpg , Holden Ute S


Holden Statesman and Caprice (VR)

Holden also produced longer wheelbase variants of the Commodore VR as the Holden Statesman (VR) and the Holden Caprice (VR).


HSV range

Holden's performance vehicle partner
Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Holden Comm ...
produced the following range of Holden VR based models, which were each marketed under the HSV brand.


Clubsport

The VR series Clubsport, which was based on the Holden Commodore (VR), was released in August 1993.Review:HSV VR ClubSport (1193-95), australiancar.reviews
Retrieved 24 May 2016
It was powered by a 185 kW 5.0-litre V8 engine. 1,117 sedans and 77 wagons were produced. File:1993-1995 HSV Clubsport (VR) sedan 01.jpg , HSV Clubsport sedan File:1993-1995 HSV Clubsport (VR) sedan 02.jpg , HSV Clubsport sedan


GTS

The GTS came with a six-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Its V8 engine was stroked from 5.0-litres to 5.7-litres from factory and produced and . 277 were produced.


Maloo

The VR series Maloo
utility In economics, utility is a measure of a certain person's satisfaction from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used with at least two meanings. * In a normative context, utility refers to a goal or objective that we wish ...
was introduced in August 1993 with new front sheetmetal and a reworked interior appearance. The 5.0-litre V8 engine was upgraded slightly to . 156 examples were produced.


Senator

In 1993, the significantly redesigned VR Senator was released. The rear seating was from the Holden Statesman. Along with the rest of the HSV range, the Senator bodykit was penned by designer
Ian Callum Ian Stuart Callum (born 30 July 1954) is a British car designer who has worked for Ford Motor Company, Ford, Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR, and Aston Martin. In 1999 he became the Director of design for Jaguar Cars, later Jaguar Land Rover, a pos ...
to produce a sleeker, more aggressive stance along with a version of the 5.0-litre V8. A new suspension setup was developed, known as the touring package which aimed to provide capable handling and a smooth ride. Additionally from May 1994 onwards, the Senator could be optioned with HSV's new 5.7-litre "stroker" V8 known as the "215i". The $10,000 "stroker" engine option was handbuilt as an upgrade over the standard V8. This engine could be coupled to either the four-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
. 0–100 km/h (0-60 mph) takes 7.8 sec for the 185i and takes 7.3 sec for the 215i. Total number built for both versions was 855.


Toyota Lexcen (T3)

The
United Australian Automobile Industries United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI) was an automobile model sharing firm that operated in Australia between 1987 and 1996 as the result of an agreement between Holden (the Australian subsidiary of General Motors) and Toyota Australia ...
(UAAI) joint venture agreement with
Toyota Australia Toyota Australia is an Australian subsidiary of the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. It markets Toyota products and manages motorsport, advertising and business operations for Toyota in Australia. It is also responsible for Lexus vehicles in A ...
first starting with the VN Commodore continued with the VP and VR. The VR Lexcen equivalent was known as the T3 series, and was introduced at or about the same time as the other VR models; featuring subtle styling differences, particularly, the front panels. While the VR badged as a Holden was either first or second in the monthly Australian automotive sales, the Toyota Lexcen sold substantially fewer, as there was an interpretation of the Toyota Lexcen as Japan returning to its copycat roots. This was due to Toyota specifying styling that was in common with the then new "wide body" Camry, while retaining the original Commodore bodywork and interiors. Lexcen sales were still quite low, also another factor in this is Holden restricted Toyota in the number of Lexcens it was to provide to them. The number of technical service bulletins, recalls and customer service exercises on Holden-supplied Lexcens exceeds typical Toyota exercises on Toyota built vehicles in the era by more than five to one.


References


External links


Holden Commodore, Calais and Ute Colour Chart (VR), www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au
{{Holden timeline Cars of Australia VR Full-size vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Coupé utilities Sedans Station wagons Cars introduced in 1993 Cars discontinued in 1995