12 posts tagged “holden”

Oh well, I just lost the entire post, because of a Firefox bug. Holden might export its Statesman to the US as a Chevy Caprice. I’ve no patience to retype the whole history, sorry.

For some reason my brain has stopped working this Saturday, which can only benefit Autocade. Here are some of the models that were recently added, including some very rare Korean models. In fact, these are so rare there is no detailed mention of them on Wikipedia (the site I love to hate) yet the first listed here, the Saenara, is an important milestone in the history of the Korean motor industry, being its first proper passenger car. All four were built by companies that eventually became Daewoo.

Saenara (P310). 1962–3 (prod. 2,773). 4-door sedan. F/R, 1189 cm³ (4 cyl. OHV). Korean edition of Nissan Bluebird (P310), Korea’s first locally produced postwar sedan. Built on what was a modern assembly line. Styling, while 1950s in flavour, considered attractive in the Korean home market. Engine derived from Austin unit, with 55 hp.

Chevrolet 1700. 1972–8 (prod. 8,105). 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon. F/R, 1692 cm³ (4 cyl. CIH). Holden Torana (LJ), made by Saehan of Korea. Essentially a facsimile of the Australian original, but for an unusual station wagon model that looked more like an Opel at the back. Robust, but a failure on the Korean market, thanks to a perception that it was thirsty (the oil crisis did not help). In theory replaced by facelifted Camina in 1976, though it ran alongside it.

Camina. 1976–8 (prod. unknown). 4-door sedan. F/R, 1492 cm³ (4 cyl. CIH). Facelifted Holden Torana (LJ). No Chevrolet badge; made by GM Korea venture Saehan. Ran concurrently with Chevrolet 1700, which had proved a flop in Korea. Fairly tidy facelift, with the more modern, if bland, Chevrolet-like front end blending well with Torana’s mid-Pacific styling. Short production, and replaced (none too soon) by the Saehan Gemini, a version of the Isuzu Gemini (1976–9).

Daewoo Imperial. 1989–93 (prod. unknown). 4-door sedan. F/R, 2969 cm³ (6 cyl. OHC). Poshest vehicle on the GM V-car (Opel Rekord E) platform, Imperial was the ultimate development of the series at Daewoo. Conceived as a response to the Hyundai Sonata and Grandeur, with styling apeing top Chryslers (notably the last Imperial and the New Yorker) and Japanese luxury sedans. Formal roofline, and new front and rear ends, hid the Opel Senator roots. Double-D ornament on grille. Engine size meant to surpass what Hyundai had put in to the Sonata—the unit was shared with the Senator, and developed 156 hp.

After the ANZAC Day service, we had morning tea. Some of the Miss New Zealand contestants came in after they had their hair and make-up done. Two veterans, Richard and Ken, loved the attention they got—especially Ken, who said, ‘I’ll have to start saying my prayers earlier tonight.’
   I was snapping away on the cell, though I missed the one where some of the present-day soldiers from Linton were getting food and froze when a few of the girls got theirs, bending over to do so. I was told by one of the pageant folks that the lads stopped and forgot they were holding their own food and drinks. I would have, too, probably.

New Zealand women

Richard and Ken pull the babes

3 comments

Contestants at RSA

Levin RSA

Sergeant chats up contestant

I remember we were all at a relative’s house when my uncle’s siblings (not other aunts and uncles—he’s an uncle by virtue of marrying my father’s sister) all were hyped up about a commercial airing that Saturday. This was back in the days when weekend television advertising was a rarity. Even stranger was that this television commercial was broadcast at exactly the same time on both networks (this was 1982), so no matter how you flicked through the channels, you’d see the same thing. It went on for minutes. It was for a car. Not just any car. But a ‘Supercar’. The 1982 Holden Camira.
   Boy, what a piece of junk that turned out to be.
   To British readers: imagine if the Mk II Vauxhall Cavalier was called ‘Supercar’. To American readers: imagine the Chevrolet Cavalier called that. And to European readers: the Opel Ascona C.
   A bit optimistic, yes?
   Here they are on Autocade:

Holden Camira (JB). 1982–4 (prod. 85,725). 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon. F/F, 1598 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). Much-vaunted J-car, hugely anticipated by Holden to plug gap between Gemini and Commodore and to fight Ford Telstar. Related to Opel Ascona C. Huge advertising campaign, calling Camira ‘Supercar’. Underpowered and not that reliable, with Camtech engine design problems (mainly overheating). Sporty SJ trim introduced 1983, cosmetic only. Wagons from 1983, Australian designed—rear ends shipped to Britain to be added behind Vauxhall Cavalier Mk II front.

Holden Camira (JD). 1984–7 (prod. 36,953). 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon. F/F, 1598, 1796 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). Departure from original J-car shape, looking sleeker and more modern, done with more carryover sheetmetal than is immediately apparent. New 1·8-litre engine transformed performance, at least until unleaded fuel hit Australia, whereupon it lost a great deal of its claimed power. The 1·6 was phased out during this period. Not sold in New Zealand, where Holden Camira-badged Isuzu Aska represented this nameplate. Rear of wagon still shipped to UK to make the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk II Estate.

Holden Camira (JE). 1987–9 (prod. 29,129). 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon. F/F, 1998 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). Final incarnation of Australian J-car, with the bugs ironed out and power back up to what buyers expected with fuel-injected two-litre. Minor facelift with small grille. However, with the Button plan, rationalizing Australian models on offer, about to take effect, the Camira’s days were numbered. Build quality not the best. Holden continued to supply rear end of wagon to Vauxhall in UK, which mated it to an Opel Ascona C (Cavalier Mk II) front end, till 1988.

This is a pretty fancy selection from a suburban Daewoo dealer.

Brendan Foot ad in Contact

While I was sick, I did some no-brainer things—like add models to Autocade. See if you can remember these four.

Autobianchi A111. 1969–72 (prod. 56,984). 4-door saloon. F/F, 1438 cm³ (4 cyl. OHV). Largest Autobianchi ever made, a development of the front-drive, transverse-engine Primula, a range which included the first hatchback. Developed under Dante Giacosa, and resembling a cross between the Fiat 128 and 124 models, which it was positioned between.

Dodge Monaco. 1990–2 (prod. 139,051 incl. Renault Premier and Eagle Premier). 4-door sedan. F/F, 2975 cm³ (V6 OHC). Rebadged version of Eagle Premier, inherited from Renault’s ownership of AMC, which Chrysler bought in 1987. Under the contract, Chrysler had to buy 260,000 units of the PRV V6 engine, and since Eagle Premiers were not flying out of showrooms, the Dodge Monaco was concocted as a rebadged range-topper, even though Dodge already had the Dynasty in the segment. Monaco was a better car thanks to the more advanced Renault engineering, though it was never pushed that strongly and it wound up mostly forgotten. Generous equipment levels, roomy, very good handling for its class, better drag coefficient than Ford Taurus Mk I. Anti-lock brakes as option from 1991 as with Eagle; no airbag in any model years. Some of its ideas carried on in successor, Dodge Intrepid (1993–7). Differs from Eagle only in trim, badging and grille.

Holden Sunbird (UC). 1978–80 (prod. 55,000 approx. incl. Torana). 4-door sedan, 3-door coupé. F/R, 1892 cm³ (4 cyl. OHV). Facelifted Sunbird, with rectangular headlamps. Locally developed Starfire engine, a four-cylinder version of Holden’s ageing 2·8-litre six, was a selling point in brochures, considered less fondly in reality due to poor performance. Cramped, certainly by late 1970s’ standards. Three-door Hatchback deleted 1979. Replaced in Holden range by Commodore Four.

Hyundai Marcia. 1995–8 (prod. unknown). 4-door sedan. F/F, 1997 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC). Y3 Sonata-based mid-sized sedan for Hyundai’s home market, but always overshadowed by Sonata. Competent but as with sister car, dull.

Opel has launched the estate version of its Insignia saloon at the Paris Salon. It’s a smart-looking vehicle and if Holden New Zealand wasn’t such a bunch of idiots treating consumers as shoppers at the Warehouse, we’d have it, too, and the company would be raking it in, instead of trying to convince us that the Daewoo Tosca is acceptable. Meanwhile, Ford is cleaning up with the Mondeo in this sector, as is Mazda with the Atenza or 6 in this mid-sized market.

It’s no secret that I hate the Daewoo Tosca (a.k.a. Chevrolet Epica or Holden Epica): a car that may be less safe relative to the competition and utterly outclassed even by a second-hand 2002 Japanese or European car. It has replaced the Australian-market Toyota Avalon in that part of my brain, and comes close to the Ssangyong Rodent Odious (Rodius for short; called Stavic in countries where they can work out the original two words).
  It seems the Irish press, as with the New Zealand Automobile Association, agrees with me, as I read this at RTÉ about the six-cylinder model:

Compared to the new Mondeo, Epica is years behind in the handling stakes. Chevrolet is quick to stress that Epica is targeted at a different buyer. Fans of the old V6 Nissan Maxima are in the sights of the multinational brand—I must rush and dust off the cardigan!
   Prices kick off at €26,995, which is way more than the entry level Ford Mondeo, which is a better car! …
   So is Epica, which was born out of the ashes of the incredibly dull Daewoo Leganza, worth the cash? 
   Eh... no.

   An Australian mechanic writes, saying caveat emptor:

Speaking from a mechanics point of view, nothing that came out of the Daewoo factory before 2005 looked like it would stand the test of time. I am not qualified to offer an opinion on post-2005 cars as I haven’t picked up a spanner in two years due to a back injury and shut-up shop in early 2006. Some of the common problems that we saw were timing belt failure due to a plastic tensioner pulley, twice in 30,000km on one vehicle and Holden refused a warranty claim as the car was older than three years but had travelled only 68,000km when the second belt failed. On both occasions the repairs were done at a Holden dealership yet they wouldn’t honour their repair guarantee. Admitting a design fault was out of the question I guess!
   Horribly soft brake rotors was another issue we encountered. It was not unusual for the rotors to need machining at every service due to being out of round causing pedal and steering wheel vibrations. Holden’s answer to this one—the car must have been driven through water when the discs were hot. More than likely this was the case, so what are you supposed to do? Not drive the car if there is any water on the road?! Disc rotors are not made as well as they used to be, but this is just ridiculous!

   I may be in the market for a Vectra D or a new Laguna, or even the new Mondeo. I now won’t automatically consider renting from Avis in case I get landed with a Tosca, despite being one of its Platinum customers. I just won’t jeopardize my life in a car that might not score better than three stars at NCAP (we don’t know yet, but its immediate predecessors were relatively unsafe cars). It is probably the dullest car on Earth, too, and I might be tempted to smash it to (a) get a thrill or (b) improve its looks.