Holden Special Vehicles is a joint operation
between the Tom Walkinshaw Racing Group (TWR),
who own 75%, and GMH. Following the formula
established by HDT under the leadership of Peter
Brock, HSV use models from the Commodore and
Statesman range to produce high performance,
and highly desirable versions. The emphasis has
always been on performance modifications, but
with each new model Commodore HSV has included
greater body kit and interior change to uniquely
identify them from the more run-of-the-mill iterations.
Through clever marketing, HSV enjoys an image
that evokes excitement, and has continued to
push the boundaries with concept and one off
vehicles. Customer loyalty to the brand is unsurpassed,
with turnover of vehicles low and resale prices
high. The logo is an amalgamation of the Holden
logo (the lion) and a Racing Driver, which highlights
the profile HSV has with the Australian Touring
Car Championship through the Holden Racing Team
(HRT).
1988 - 1989
The Walkinshaw Commodore was at first rather difficult
to sell. For starters, it was not a “Brock Commodore”,
and the price was almost as over the top as the gregarious
body kit. Holden had undeniably got it wrong, deciding
that instead of producing the required 500 units they
would instead produce 750. Meanwhile HSV set about creating a more sedate Calais
SV88 model, which was released in April 1988. More>>
1988 - 1991
The first of the HSV’s for the VN series Commodore
was, however, not particularly special. The SV3800 was
released in October 1988, the name indicating the size
of the new V6 carried over from the donor car. The HSV
body kit certainly gave the car a more sporting appearance,
and suspension mods firmed up the handling and steering. More>>
1991 - 1993
There wasn’t much to separate the VP over the outgoing
VN, cosmetically anyway. But that would selling the VP
short. HSV were quick to incorporate IRS and other Holden
improvements into it’s own range. The VP would
see HSV clock up their 5000th vehicle, and only two years
later with the same model their 8000th, the latter marked
by the release of 138 special edition 5th Anniversary
models – each painted in Galaxy Blue over Panorama
Silver. More>>
1993 - 1995
The new model HSV displayed bolder lines than its predecessors,
courtesy of a beautifully proportioned body kit which
featured a specially designed bumper incorporating large
central air intake flanked by smaller cooling slots for
brake cooling. You could now option your Club Sport with
a 185kW version of the ever reliable 5.0 litre V8; among
the enhancements were a recalibrated GM-Delco engine
management system linked to a Bosch electronic ignition,
a cold air box fed denser air to the system and reworked
exhaust headers designed to reduce back pressure. More>>
1995 - 1997
With each successive model change in the HSV line-up,
the aspirant’s vehicle of choice had been edging
little by little out of the financial reach of most.
Remembering the quote from John Harvey with the release
of the VP Club Sport, that HSV wanted to create a performance
vehicle within the range of “Mr. Joe Average” (although
any HSV is anything but average), so begat the new entry
level Manta sedan and wagons. More>>
