Holden WB
Encyclopedia
The Holden WB series is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia
from 1980 to 1984. It is a facelifted version of the Holden HZ
series, which it replaced. Unlike the HZ and every other full size Holden series before it, the Holden WB was only offered in commercial vehicle body styles with no sedan or wagon passenger car variants. The long-wheelbase
WB series models were marketed under the separate Statesman
marque, absent of all Holden branding.
models, a panel van
and a cab chassis truck. The Kingswood panel van, Sandman utility and Sandman panel van models were not carried over from the HZ commercial range. The WB range therefore consisted:
The Kingswood utility featured a black grate style grille
and rectangular headlights, unlike the more basic models which shared a divided grille with circular headlights. In August 1980, the base models received an update which gave them the same frontal treatment as the Kingswood utility.
Plans to produce sedan and wagon versions of the Holden WB reached an advanced stage but ultimately were not pursued. These variant would have supplemented the new Holden Commodore
models in the family car market.
-based VG Utility
was released.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1980 to 1984. It is a facelifted version of the Holden HZ
Holden HZ
Holden HZ is an automobile which was produced between 1977 and 1980 by General Motors-Holden's Ltd.The Holden HZ received minor updates to the exterior over the HX series, and saw the introduction of what Holden termed "Radial Tuned Suspension" on all models...
series, which it replaced. Unlike the HZ and every other full size Holden series before it, the Holden WB was only offered in commercial vehicle body styles with no sedan or wagon passenger car variants. The long-wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
WB series models were marketed under the separate Statesman
Statesman (automobile)
Statesman was an automotive marque created in 1971 by General Motors Holden , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. Statesman vehicles were sold through Holden dealerships, and were initially based on the mainstream Holden HQ station wagon platform, thereby providing more interior room and...
marque, absent of all Holden branding.
Model range
The Holden WB series was released in April 1980, the range consisting of two coupe utilityCoupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
models, a panel van
Panel van
A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
and a cab chassis truck. The Kingswood panel van, Sandman utility and Sandman panel van models were not carried over from the HZ commercial range. The WB range therefore consisted:
- Holden (utility and van)
- Holden Kingswood (utility)
- Holden One Tonner (cab chassis)
The Kingswood utility featured a black grate style grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
and rectangular headlights, unlike the more basic models which shared a divided grille with circular headlights. In August 1980, the base models received an update which gave them the same frontal treatment as the Kingswood utility.
Plans to produce sedan and wagon versions of the Holden WB reached an advanced stage but ultimately were not pursued. These variant would have supplemented the new Holden Commodore
Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
models in the family car market.
Statesman
The Statesman WB range of long-wheelbase luxury sedans, developed by General Motors-Holden’s in parallel with the Holden WB series, was released in May 1980. Like their Statesman HZ predecessors, the two models in the Statesman WB range, the de Ville and the Caprice, were marketed as "Statesman" rather than as "Holden".Powertrain
A 3.3-litre inline six cylinder engine was standard equipment and a 4.2-litre V8 was offered as an option. The 5.0-litre V8 option was not carried over from the HZ range.Production
The WB series was discontinued in late 1984. Production of the Holden WB and related Statesman WB models totalled 60,231 vehicles. No replacement for the Holden WB was offered initially, bringing to an end a continuous 34 year run of light commercial models based on Holden passenger cars. This market segment would however be contested by Holden again from 1990 when the VN CommodoreHolden VN Commodore
The Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
-based VG Utility
Holden VN Commodore
The Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
was released.