Automotive marque created in 1971 by General Motors Holden
This article is about the automobile produced by Holden from 1971 to 1985. For models marketed from 1990 onwards, see Holden Caprice. For the automobile produced by Nash, see Nash Statesman. For other automotive topics, see Statesman (disambiguation).
Statesman is an automotive marque created in 1971 by the Australian General Motors subsidiary, Holden.[2] Statesman vehicles were sold through Holden dealerships, and were initially based on the mainstream Holden HQstation wagon platform, thereby providing more interior room and generally more luxurious features than their Holden-branded sedan siblings. Production ceased with the last of the WB series cars in January 1985.
GM Holden reintroduced the range in 1990 with two long-wheelbase sedans; however, the cars were no longer marketed as Statesman by brand name, but instead as the Holden Statesman and the Holden Caprice. In September 2010 with the "Series II" updating of the WM series, use of the long-serving Statesman name was discontinued. From 2011 to 2015 Holden's long wheelbase contenders were branded as the Holden Caprice and Holden Caprice V. From the 2016 model year, the Caprice was discontinued leaving the Caprice V as the last remaining Australian build long-wheelbase sedan. The Caprice V was discontinued in October 2017 as Holden shut down Australian manufacturing operations.
HQ
Chevrolet 350 (New Zealand)Statesman Custom (HQ)Statesman de Ville (HQ) (New Zealand)Statesman de Ville (HQ)
The original Statesman HQ long-wheelbasesedans were released on 22 July 1971 as a replacement for the HG series Holden Brougham, although drawings exist of an HQ Brougham, albeit in short-wheelbase guise.[3] Statesman sedans were initially offered in two specifications, the luxury Statesman de Ville and the basic Statesman Custom. Engine availability for the Custom ranged from a 202-cubic-inch (3.3L)Red six-cylinder, a 253-cubic-inch (4.1L)V8 (for marketing purposes, the metric designation given to the 253 V8 was 4.2 L), a 308-cubic-inch (5.0L) V8 and a 350-cubic-inch (5.7L)Chevroletsmall-block V8. All Statesman de Ville sedans featured the 308 V8 engine as standard equipment, with the 350 V8 an option. Compared to the broad range of Holden sedans, the Statesman sedans featured a wheelbase extended by 3 inches (76mm), totalling 114 inches (2,900mm), in common with Holden's range of station wagons. The extra length was incorporated behind the rear doors to allow for additional rear seat legroom.
The Statesman was intended as a rival for Ford Australia's successful Fairlane[1] which had debuted in Australian-designed form as the ZA series in March 1967.[4] The Fairlane had created a new and exclusive category of Australian-made prestige cars. It was derived from the Falcon, with an extended wheelbase and unique front-end and rear-end styling to differentiate the car's appearance. At the time, this category of vehicle proved to be very profitable, in that the sale price was significantly higher than the base car from which the prestige model was derived, and the additional costs of production were only moderate. GM-H went to some length to set the new luxury Statesman marque apart from the Holden equivalent in their sales literature.[5] for the new models, totally avoiding the presence of the name "Holden", even to the extent of using the term "General Motors" in lieu of "General Motors-Holden's". Advertisements in newspapers among other media followed the same format.[6]
General Motors New Zealand assembled the HQ Statesman until 1975, launching it a few months after Belmont and Kingswood assembly began at the Trentham plant, near Upper Hutt in September 1971. Initial build was a single model with 308V8, column shift Trimatic, white headliner, black vinyl roof and electric windows. The only factory options were metallic paint and vinyl roof delete. Only a bench front seat was available and brocade trim options included white, unique to the Statesman. New exterior and interior colours, plus colour matched headliners, were introduced in mid-1973 and, a few months later, separate front seats and T-bar floor shift became a factory option though initially the floor console was black, not colour matched to the rest of the interior. Australian assembled Chevrolet 350s supplemented the locally built cars albeit in low volume. These always had colour matched interiors and had minor styling differences such as the grille, badging and no decorative inserts in the rear bumper. These were also exported to New Zealand and sold alongside the Statesman in Holden dealerships. They shared the grille but were not the same model as the South African built Chevrolet de Ville.
Statesman HQ models were marketed in South Africa as the Chevrolet Constantia and the Chevrolet de Ville[7][8] The Constantia was fitted with a locally assembled five-litre V8 or 4.1-litre inline-six and was considered locally built. The Chevrolet de Ville, however, used an imported 5.7-litre V8 as fitted to the Corvette and was priced 33percent higher than a comparable Constantia V8.[9] The de Ville received praise for being considerably more nimble, lighter, more compact and better handling than the American models it replaced without any loss in accommodation.[9] Power for the 350 V8 was claimed at 205.2 and 174.2kW (279.0 and 236.8PS; 275.2 and 233.6hp), SAE and net figures respectively.[10]
The Statesman was also exported to many other countries with a different grille as the Chevrolet 350.[1] From 1973 to 1976, HQ models were exported to Japan as the Isuzu Statesman De Ville.[11] Isuzu sold 246 De Villes between late 1973 and 1976.
HJ
Statesman de Ville (HJ)Statesman de Ville (HJ)Statesman Caprice (HJ)
General Motors–Holden's updated the range in October 1974 to create the Statesman HJ, retaining the Statesman de Ville whilst creating a new flagship in the Statesman Caprice, replete with standard luxury features such as air-conditioning and leather seating. Statesman Custom was discontinued with the HJ series and engine availability was restricted to the 308-cubic-inch (5.0L) V8 engine. Statesman Caprice was the most luxurious car offered by General Motors in Australia at that point, with air conditioning, leather seats, electric locking, power windows, and no fewer than 13 interior lamps all featuring on the standard equipment list.
The Caprice was visually distinctive with a specific radiator grille, Cadillac-style front bumper overriders, lavish fluted hubcaps, whitewall tyres, and a bonnet ornament borrowed from the Chevrolet Caprice.
Once again, the Caprice was General Motors−Holden's response to a new Ford car. In 1973, Ford upped the ante in the Australian prestige car stakes when they unveiled the LTD. This was a Fairlane which had the wheelbase extended again – to 121 inches (3,100mm) – making it the only Australian car which fitted into the US full-size category. The LTD was a significant success for Ford, both in terms of sales and profits, as well as making a statement regarding their prowess as a manufacturer.
From March 1976, late in the HJ series, an electromechanical rear drumanti-lock braking system (ABS) was made available on the Caprice. This system, a Delco-Moraine unit, carried over to the subsequent Statesman HX models, but after the introduction of rear disc brakes on the Statesman HZ series, ABS was not seen on another Statesman or Holden model until the Holden Calibra coupe and Holden VQ Caprice in 1991. This new ABS system was the electronic Bosch patent system operating on all four-wheel discs.
HJ Statesman de Ville and the HJ Statesman Caprices were sold in South Africa as the AJ series Chevrolet Constantia sedan[12] and the Chevrolet Caprice Classic,[13] respectively.
HX
The Statesman HX de Ville and Caprice models were released in July 1976.[14] A more formal grille was adopted and emissions' regulations saw a retuned 5.0-litre V8.
In November 1977, General Motors-Holden's introduced the Statesman HZ, which involved a minor cosmetic facelift. However, it had a significant engineering upgrade, along with the rest of the GMH range, involving the adoption of Radial Tuned Suspension, giving the Statesman better handling. 4-wheel disc brakes were now fitted to all Statesman models.
The previous Director of GMH Engineering, George Roberts had insisted that the Statesman have a high standard of ride comfort (at the expense of ultimate roadholding). (Roberts previously had been the Chief Engineer of the GM Cadillac Division). Prior to HZ, the Statesman's Cadillac style of ride was not to everyone's taste.
The Statesman de Ville and Caprice were supplemented in 1979 by an intermediate model – the SL/E, which was launched with a different "eggcrate" grille.
Statesman de Ville (HZ)
Statesman de Ville (HZ)
Statesman SL/E (HZ)
WB
The final series to be marketed under the Statesman marque was the Statesman WB. Released in May 1980,[15] the WB series was offered in Statesman De Ville and Statesman Caprice models.[15] As with previous Statesmans, GMH did not use the Holden name in the badging or the official sales literature.[16] The WB had a six-light body, with a longer, squared-off roofline. The design was by GMH's Chief Stylist, Leo Pruneau. The styling of the WB Statesman was a compromise between achieving a fresh appearance and minimising the cost of redesign, by using panels from the existing base HZ model. Production comprised 5,450 De Villes and 3,055 Caprices.[17]
WB Series II models were released in September 1983 with fundamentally cosmetic changes, except for the introduction of a front bench seat (six-passenger) option for De Ville buyers.[18] In early 1985 General Motors-Holden's announced that it intended to vacate the big-car market to concentrate on production of luxury versions of the Holden Commodore.[18] Series II production comprised 4,269 De Villes and 1,153 Caprices.[17]
In addition to the Statesman WB, a range of Holden WB passenger vehicles were prototyped along the lines of pre-existing HZ series vehicles, but only the commercial models (ute, panel van and cab-chassis "One Tonner") actually went into production from 1980 through 1985.
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last three years, it switched entirely to importing cars. It was headquartered in Port Melbourne, with major industrial operations in the states of South Australia and Victoria. The 164-year-old company ceased trading at the end of 2020.
The Holden Commodore is a full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia ending on 20 October 2017.
The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet in North America for the 1965 to 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular car in the U.S. in the 1960s and early 1970s, which, during its lifetime, included the Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala.
The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size, junior series automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac.
The Holden Monaro is a car which was manufactured by General Motors' Australian division Holden. It has a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and was produced with a two-door coupé body from 1968 to 1975 and again from 2001 to 2006 and with a 4-door sedan body from 1973 to 1977.
The Holden Caprice is a full-size car which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1990 to October 2017. The similar Holden Statesman, which was also introduced in 1990 as a model below the Caprice, was discontinued in September 2010. Between 1971 and 1984, Holden marketed their long-wheelbase sedans under the Statesman marque.
The Holden Kingswood is a full-size car that was developed and manufactured in Australia by Holden, from the beginning of the HK series in 1968 through to the conclusion of the WB series in 1985. Prior to 1968, the full-size Holden range of family cars comprised the Holden Standard, the Holden Special, and Holden Premier models. Initially, the HK range of models included the basic Holden Belmont, the Kingswood, and the luxury-oriented Holden Premier, all of which were manufactured in a choice of sedan and station wagon bodies. Commercial variants were offered in three types: coupé utility, panel van, and later from 1971, a heavy-duty Holden One Tonner cab chassis. The utility (ute) version was originally marketed in both Belmont and Kingswood configurations. However, after the Belmont name was deleted from commercials at the end of HQ in late 1974, the base model commercials were sold only with the "Holden" badge.
The Pontiac Parisienne is a full-size rear-wheel drive vehicle that was sold by Pontiac on the GM B platform in Canada from 1958 to 1986 and in the United States from 1983 to 1986. Right-hand drive models were locally assembled in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa until 1969. For most of its run, the Canadian Parisienne was nearly mechanically identical to the American Chevrolet Impala or Chevrolet Caprice. The Parisienne wagon continued under the Safari nameplate until 1989. Parisienne or La Parisienne means a grammatically female person or thing from Paris, France.
The Holden Brougham is a large, luxury automobile that was produced by Holden in Australia between July 1968 and 1971.
The Chevrolet Constantia is an automobile which was marketed by Chevrolet in South Africa from 1969 to 1978.
The Pontiac Grand Safari was Pontiac's top-of-the-line full-size station wagon offered from 1971 to 1978. The Grand Safari used the grille and interior trim of the Bonneville and Grand Ville passenger car series, and most examples were trimmed with woodgrain paneling on the sides and tailgate.
The Holden was a full-sized car produced by the company of the same name across 5 generations from 1948 until 1984. The Holden is also commonly referred to by their model designation and also the H Series. The Holden was introduced to be Australia's car, being the first full scale produced automobile exclusive to the country. Prior to which, General Motors Holden's Ltd. assembled imported CKD kits from overseas General Motors subsidiaries such as Chevrolet, Buick, Vauxhall and more. And the only other cars built in the country being Ford and Chrysler vehicle bodies fitted to imported chassis. The Holden was an instant success among Australians, being the first production car built solely for Australia's unique, rough roads.
The Holden Caprice (VQ) and Holden Statesman (VQ) were Holden's top-of-the-line luxury sedans produced between 1990 and 1994. It was the first Statesman to be based on the Commodore line. The rear end was an all-new design, with independent rear suspension.
The Holden HQ series is a range of automobiles that was produced by Holden in Australia from 1971 to 1974. The HQ was released on 15 July 1971, replacing the Holden HG series. It was the first ground-up redesign of the Holden line since its original release in 1948, and included an all-new body, chassis, and suspension. The HQ was later developed into a series of successor models, finally ending production when the WB series was discontinued in 1985.
The Holden V8 engine is an overhead valve (OHV) V8 engine that was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary, Holden (GMH), between 1969 and 2000.
The Holden HK series is an automobile which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1968 to 1969. Introduced in January 1968, the HK range progressively replaced the Holden HR series which had been in production since 1966. HK models were both larger and heavier than their predecessors and the range would ultimately include thirteen different models against the eight of the HR range. The Holden HK was marketed under Belmont, Kingswood, Premier, Brougham and Monaro model names.
The Holden HJ is a series of automobiles which were produced by Holden in Australia from 1974 to 1976. The HJ series was released on 4 October 1974 and was an improved and facelifted version of the superseded Holden HQ series which had been in production since 1971.
The Holden HX is a range of automobiles which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1976 to 1977.
Holden HZ is a full-sized automobile which was produced in Australia between October 1977 and April 1980 by Holden in a variety of equipment levels and in several different body styles. It was also assembled in New Zealand.
The Holden WB series is an automobile which was produced by Holden in Australia from 1980 to 1985. It is a facelifted version of the Holden HZ series, which it replaced. Unlike the HZ and every other full size Holden series before it, the Holden WB was only offered in commercial vehicle bodystyles with no sedan or wagon passenger car variants. The long-wheelbase WB series models were marketed under the separate Statesman marque, absent of all Holden branding.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
