Question about the VE Commodore Wagon

[Willie Ute]

Was the wagon (VE or VF) ever exported? If yes, also curious if any were built LHD for export and re-badged like the Pontiac G8.

Thanks.

 

[Commo64]

Yep, HSV Wagons were exported to the UK as the Vauxhall R8 Tourer in low numbers... I'm not sure about whether the Arabs and South Africa got VE wagons, though I do know that the Arabian markets got some VT-VZ wagons, badged Chevrolet Lumina...

 

[lmoengnr]

Sportwagons and utes were never exported to the US.
There was a dodgy agreement with the US govt., GM management and the UAW...

 

[Willie Ute]

Thanks for that.
I have a Holden brochure that shows the sedan, sportwagon and ute, all with the Pontiac nose. A friend of mine who owns a G8 said he saw an article years ago that Holden was planning on exporting all three to the states (with the Pontiac nose).... until Pontiac was closed. That would mean all these vehicles would be LHD, if they were built. Kind of curious if this really happened.

 

[Willie Ute]

Sportwagons and utes were never exported to the US.
There was a dodgy agreement with the US govt., GM management and the UAW...

All too familiar as I live in the states. My friend, mentioned above, would die for a sportwagon but alas, they do not exist here. I told him the solution is simple.... MOVE..... then he could have his choice of wagons.

 

[lmoengnr]

Thanks for that.
I have a Holden brochure that shows the sedan, sportwagon and ute, all with the Pontiac nose. A friend of mine who owns a G8 said he saw an article years ago that Holden was planning on exporting all three to the states (with the Pontiac nose).... until Pontiac was closed. That would mean all these vehicles would be LHD, if they were built. Kind of curious if this really happened.

There were lots of G8 parts leftover when Pontiac went under.
They were grafted on to Commodores as a 'special edition'.

 

[losh1971]

There was a company in the States who were importing utes IIRC. They did LHD conversions and sold them. Something like that. I saw it on YT a while back..

 

[Willie Ute]

There were lots of G8 parts leftover when Pontiac went under.
They were grafted on to Commodores as a 'special edition'.

Were they sold there and were they LHD or RHD?

There was a company in the States who were importing utes IIRC. They did LHD conversions and sold them. Something like that. I saw it on YT a while back..

Yeah, I know them well. >>

https://lefthandutes.com/

Although I never did business with them (too pricey), I did find another avenue to acquire my LHD Maloo. The whole process took almost FOUR YEARS!!!

 

[lmoengnr]

Were they sold there and were they LHD or RHD?

They were sold as complete Commodores here in RHD.
Also as spares, as a few owners converted their Commodores to look like G8's.
HSV also dipped into the parts bins to produce Clubsport and Maloo 'lite' versions.

 

[Willie Ute]

They were sold as complete Commodores here in RHD.
Also as spares, as a few owners converted their Commodores to look like G8's.
HSV also dipped into the parts bins to produce Clubsport and Maloo 'lite' versions.

All this is interesting from a historical point of view.

Interesting that they sold as RHD because of what my friend said. I don't know where he got the following info so I don't know if it's accurate. He said for the 2010 model year, there was a container ship loaded with all three body styles to be sold as Pontiacs here, the wagon and ute being the first year. This implies these vehicles were LHD. Then, suddenly, GM announced the closure of Pontiac, so the ship was turned around. So either these vehicles were converted back to RHD or this story isn't true.... or????

Would anyone know if the G8's had its own assembly line because it's LHD? However they do it, I assume it's done in reverse here for the Camaros you get there nowadays.