DID YOU KNOW?

• Perhaps the most special of special editions was the VF Reserve Edition, available only to Holden employees who were current as at 31 December 2013. The budget-conscious could order it as an SV6 sedan or wagon, while the enthusiastic could grab an SS-V sedan, wagon or ute. Of the 171 built, 93 were V8s and of them, only five were utes. And one was manual.

• With variations of the Aussie-built GM High Feature V6, known locally as Alloytec, powering Cadillacs, Opels and Saabs, it made sense that a few of its turbocharged donks might find their way into some engineering mules. Holden had a fleet of turbocharged VE Commodores stalking Melbourne, running 24-valve, DOHC 2.8L LP9 V6s, force-fed by twin-scroll turbochargers and good for 221kw. If you ever got your doors blown off by a sneezy Omega, this may be why!

• The VE and VF featured the widest and most international selection of GM gearboxes ever offered by Holden: GM Powertrain: Four-speed auto (Toledo, Ohio); fivespeed auto (Strasbourg, France); six-speed auto (Yspilanti, Michigan) Aisin: Six-speed V6 manual (Nagoya, Japan) Tremec: Six-speed V8 manual (Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico)