Sydney 2002 -

SSX

The hatchback 4x4 Commodore was the most ambitious Holden concept car to date. Hughes estimates it cost $3 million create and build. Utester, by contrast, was a $500,000 project.

The SSX also signalled the rise of a new generation of Holden designers, as Max Wolff led the program. A graduate of Monash University, the ever-stylish Wolff went on to work at GM in Korea and the USA and then crossed the great divide to Ford before returning home to Australia to run the blue oval’s Asia-Pacific design centre.

Based on a VY SS V8 with the X denoting AWD, the 2+2 SSX featured a large hatch, fold-down rear gate and fold down rear-seats.

Ferlazzo: “Probably one of the most

expensive builds. Mike wanted to make one with metal panels even if it was only a concept, I think to give it more credibility. Personally I don’t think it was necessary; it’s a concept made out of fibreglass, who cares? But it was something he wanted to do and the engineering guys helped out with some low volume tools to press them. They still had a lot of issues and had to bog it up anyway.

“We knew we could spend more on it because we knew if we put it out there we would get our money back just in publicity and public reaction.”

Hughes: “Max got to do this one because he did VY. He was the next generation and the car was a little bit more angular and overt than what had gone before it. It wasn’t a changing the of the guard, but it was taking Holden design and saying ‘we can do this is as well.’ I saw the SSX as doing that for us.”