CAR.SPACE

VB Commodore 5.0 V8

VB · 1978–1980RWDSedan

The 5.0-litre (308 cu in) Holden Red V8, rated 125 kW and 352 Nm with the automatic (114 kW and 344 Nm with the manual). Fitted to the SL/E with a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 or 400 automatic or a 4-speed manual.

168 hpPower
1978-1980Year
Engineering passport

Specifications

Powertrain
Engineering details
Engine5.0L Holden Red V8, carburettor
Displacement5.0 L
Cylinders8
AspirationNaturally aspirated
FuelPetrol
Transmission4-speed Manual / Turbo-Hydramatic 350 / 400 Automatic
DrivetrainRWD
Performance
Numbers that matter
Power168 hp
Torque352 Nm
Dimensions & body
BodySedan
Doors4
Seats5

STORY

The Commodore was Holden's large family car from 1978 to 2020. The first generation, the VB, went on sale in October 1978. It was an Opel Rekord E with the front end of the Opel Senator A, fitted with Holden's own six-cylinder and V8 engines. It was Wheels Car of the Year for 1978 and Australia's best-selling car in 1979.

The VN of 1988 was a larger, re-engineered car with a locally built 3.8-litre V6 and a 165 kW 5.0 V8, and it was Wheels Car of the Year for 1988. The VT of 1997 used the Opel Omega B platform and won the same award for 1997. The VE of 2006 and the VF of 2013 were built on the Zeta platform, and the VF was sold in the United States as the Chevrolet SS.

The last VF left the Elizabeth plant on 20 October 2017, the last Holden-badged car made in Australia. The final Commodore, the ZB of 2018, was an imported Opel Insignia B built in Russelsheim, Germany. Holden sold it until the brand ended in 2020.

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