VE COMMODORE [520,000 BUILT INCLUDING 170,000 EXPORT]

THE VE Commodore arrived in mid-2006 with, like the VZ before it, two versions of GM’s 3.6-litre HFV6 (175 and 190kW) and a 6.0-litre V8. As had happened with the VT, the SS was promoted as the hero car of the range and in fact, a red SS was the first production VE to roll off the production line. Thanks to the popularity of the SS and its surprising frugality, the V8 was a strong seller. Pontiac G8 was marketed as a premium performance sedan in the USA. VE ute (with the same independent suspension prioritising good handling over ultimate load-carrying) arrived in 2007 and the great-looking Sportwagon – surprisingly – didn’t arrive until 2009, pointing to the possibility that Holden had prioritised developing the aborted new-gen Adventra SUV for international markets before the traditional Aussie wagon. Engines were updated later in VE – and a smaller 3.0-litre unit introduced – and a Series II update arrived in 2010.