VB COMMODORE [95,906 BUILT]

THE ORIGINAL Commodore offered a sedan in three levels of trim: Commodore, Commodore SL and Commodore SL/E. It was joined eight months later by base and SL wagon. The engines were 2.85 and 3.3-litre sixes, with 4.2 and 5.0-litre V8s (both available with single or dual exhausts) and a mix of four-speed manual or three-speed auto (Trimatic or Turbo Hydramatic) transmissions. Yes, there were quality problems from the factories where Commodore was made – Pagewood, NSW; Dandenong, Vic; Elizabeth, SA; and later Acacia Ridge, Qld – such as the front doors often sitting too far forward on the bodyshell; poor rust-proofing; patchy and lacklustre paint and interior trim pieces such as door handle surrounds that fell off. But as most road tests of the day concluded, few cars could match the dynamic package of Commodore’s handling, grip and road-holding even against stuff such as BMW and Volvo.