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Founded 1969 Mornington Peninsula Historical Vehicles Club Inc. — A0001922T (MPHVC)

Member of the Federation of Vintage, Veteran & Classic Vehicles Clubs and the Association of Motoring Clubs.

OCTOBER 2020

VL Commodore Police Interceptor - 1987

The History and Journey of General Motors Holden

…. and an Australian Icon … Part 4

A FLASHBACK FROM THE 80’S Most Australians link the Aussie muscle car with Bathurst but one of the biggest behind the scenes

influences on local performance car development in the 80’s, was the Police car market. One of the quickest was the 1986 VL Commodore powered by the turbocharged RB30ET engine.

The Australian Police commissioned the turbocharged models as their interceptor Highway Pursuit cars of choice. The allure of the Commodore was quickly established particularly when the top speed was 200 kilo-meters per hour and then extended to 220 kilometers per hour with the addition of the Garret turbocharger.

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Archaeologists have just found an ancient book that has been lost for years in Dublin. It’s called ……

“TRADITION IRISH DANCING - PART 2 …… WHAT TO DO

WITH YOUR ARMS”.

CLUB NEWSFLASH • Due to on-going Covid 19 restrictions (at time of print of this magazine) we continue to suspend Meetings

and Runs. On a cheerful note, our restrictions are easing gradually, so hopefully we can have our meetings and runs again soon. We will notify you all when we plan to commence our Club Runs and Meetings.

• AOMC has emailed us the minutes of a Zoom Delegates meeting on 31st August. Meeting attended by Peter Anscombe. Minutes have been emailed to all MPHVC Members with email. • We have emailed Members a link to an online survey that is currently being conducted by FIVA. It was

emailed to us via AOMC. If anyone that does not have an email address or computer access, but would like to do the survey...maybe you can get a family member to do for you.

“FIVA is the organisation which represents the Historic Vehicle Movement worldwide. Around every five years FIVA conducts a socio – economic survey to determine the financial and employment contribution that the historic vehicle movement makes to the economies of the “survey” participating countries. A major role of FIVA concerns a watching brief on existing and future Government legislation as well as issues with fuels etc., which can impact on the preservation and use of our historic vehicles. The purpose of the survey is to equip FIVA with up to date information, which can be used when negotiating with governments the continu-ing use of historic vehicles and their contribution to society. A similar survey is conducted specifically in the UK by the Federation British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) every few years, which has demonstrated to the UK’s Government that the historic vehicle movement contributes around 4 Billion Pounds annually and significant employment in hotels, food venues, fuels etc. and in cottage res-toration businesses. By having this information available it has enabled the FBHVC to successfully negotiate with government over potentially impactful legislation such as environment, congestion, taxes, electrification, fuel composition etc. It is many years since a survey of this nature has been conducted in Australia. Therefore, this FIVA Survey, which can be completed on line, provides us with the opportunity to gather data specific to Australia and also make a contribution to the world wide data. The Association of Motoring Clubs has been asked to promote this survey to all historic vehicle clubs in Australia and urge all the members of the respective clubs to complete the on line survey. The FIVA Survey became active at the end of August and is scheduled to close at the end of September this year. Specifically, all historic vehicle owners in Australia are urged to give this survey priority and complete it by logging onto fiva.org/en/fiva_survey and then clicking onto the Union Jack Flag for the English Survey. The survey doesn’t take long to complete and is based on the 2019 calendar year and avoids the disrup-tion of 2020 and Covid.”

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR 2020/2021 MPHVC COMMITTEE

Committee are currently investigating requirements and regulations, via

Consumer Affairs, regarding holding our Annual AGM. We will notify

Members when this has been decided.

In preparation for our AGM we call for Expression Of Interest for the

Committee, Sub Officers and Delegates positions, for the next term.

We will accept nominations up to the next publication date of Sidelights,

20th October 2020. This will enable us to publish the final nominations

in the November Newsletter.

Reply via either of our two Club email addresses or ring Darren Crerar

0419 770471. All submissions will be kept confidential until publication

of nominees.

We, the current Committee, declare the below positions open for

Expression Of Interest.

-President - Membership Officer

-Vice President - Committee Members x 4

-Secretary - Memorabilia Officer

-Treasurer - Welfare Officer

-Editor - Permit Officers

-Publisher - AOMC Delegate

-Activities Co-Ordinator - Federation Delegate

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FOR SALE 2019 Mazda 6 Touring GL Series Auto Wagon - $34,900 Blue Mica with Grey alloys. Regretful sale due to moving overseas and would rather not keep it in storage until I return. This is the best car I have ever owned, comfortable, safe, outstanding Mazda build quality and a great amount of storage space within the cabin. Ideal family car. Low km with only 37,297 km on the clock. This car has 6 airbags fitted for your safety with an ANCAP safety rating of 5. The integrated bluetooth system connects your enabled phone through the audio system. Car has USB audio input, front parking sensors, central locking, side airbags, iPod connectivity and keyless start. Additionally this car has been upgraded with an extra $2,000 of features:

Mazda Dealer fitted tow bar - used for transporting bikes

Android Auto and Apple Car play (not a standard feature on this model!) The standard features list is extensive and impressive. The car is in immaculate condition inside and out and has always been garaged. It has a full dealer service history, still has the balance of a 5 year warranty and 8 months Rego left. Rego expires April 2021. Will be sold with a RWC ($500 non-refundable deposit will be required for me to get the RWC paperwork sorted) and I will throw a pair of Rhino Rack removable roof racks in with it! (see Carsales.com.au for full vehicle details)

Vin number - JM0GL103200319749 REGO - 1PC9LP Sophie 0418547770. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2019-

mazda-6-touring-gl-series-auto/SSE-AD-6763486/?Cr=0&gts=SSE-AD-6763486&gtsSaleId=SSE-AD-

At time of print of Sidelights the funeral details have not been finalized. Members are invited to attend via Zoom. If the details are conveyed to us, we will email the details to all Members. For those without email, please ring Marion for details.

Vale Eric Belcher It is with great sadness we report the passing of our friend and long term MPHVC Club Member, Eric Belcher. Eric and his wife Tamie were very active members of the Club, travelling along to many Club functions in their Ford Anglia. The Anglia was always popular with the public as it was a look alike to the Anglia that is in the Harry Potter movies. And even more so because it was also the same in colour. Eric and his famous toy spider were also a favorite attraction for the children at our Club outings and shows. Even after the sad passing of Tamie, Eric remained a busy Club member. He took great pride in organising various events, such as our Across The Bay run and always made sure our guests were well looked after. Eric, at one stage, was our very capable representative to the Federation, and took this position seriously and with enthusiasm. He had a dream to run a rally for the Federation, which he put to the Club, and followed through with a very successful event. He was a great support to raising funds for our Club and took pleasure in selling the Federation raffle tickets. You would buy a few tickets from Eric and he always managed to get you to buy more on another occasion. A happy familiar face that turned up to most monthly Meetings and was always happy to contribute to any discussion with his jovial humour. Even through Eric’s health struggles over the last couple of years, he would always greet you with a happy demeanor and was ready for a yarn. A lasting memory of Eric, for many of our Members, will be his ever familiar saying when ask-ing to convey his greetings to those Members he had not seen for a while…….. “TELL THEM I LOVE THEM ALL” You were a true Gentleman Eric! Your friendly demeanor and kind heart was felt by many! You will be missed. MPHVC would like to send our condolences to Erics daughter Jenny and family.

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Hi Everyone ! A guy who comes to our workshop keeps saying (which has us all perplexed)! ………... ..............."HOW'R DARE HANGIN? …..LONG 'N' LOOSE, FULL OF JUICE, AN REDDY FO' USE ????" .......... sounds suspiciously not connected to "cars", so we dont ask for an explanation; just nod and smile !

Anyway, on looking after your wallet by looking after your car, I have to reiterate previous notes on ………………………...

ENGINE OIL CHANGES which are being flouted/ignored on modern vehicles which CANNOT tolerate transgression. I'm high-lighting this because through our trade talking amongst the brethren, we're finding unacceptably high numbers of Engines and/or Turbo-Chargers are seizing and self-destructing due to owners going OVER the already questionable Service Interval of 15,000 kms. Most of us car owners can change our own oil and filter so there's no excuse not to change same at the very least ONCE A YEAR for very low to almost insignificant mileage. Others will know of a private Qualified Mechanic who will look after you with a modest charge for a basic service such as this. PLEASE pass on to your children who do 20-30,000 kms per year in their modern Vehicles, especially Tradies, that if they want RELIABLE COST EFFECTIVE TRANSPORT, they MUST not go 1 km over the stated Interval as explained in their Owners manual......... NO IFS or BUTS.......... it's a no-brainer. NOTE : Most Service Schedules/Owners manual will explain, for example, that in IDEAL Conditions, 15,000kms is the mileage to change the OIL & FILTER. They explain, sometimes, that in ABNORMAL Conditions, OIL should be changed at 7,500kms or 5,000kms............. even if they don't explain this anomaly anymore (as its in their interest not to make your car last forever!), help somewhat to save your grief, money and landfill, by being kind to yourself and your car by FOLLOWING THE MANUFACTURER'S recommen-dation AT THE VERY LEAST. SO WHAT IS "NORMAL" or "ABNORMAL" CONDITIONS ? ........ this may be explained in your Books or Internet, but in my experience in a nutshell …... "NORMAL" is careful driving from start up until several kilometers allow engine to reach operating temperature, at least 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year. It means careful & LAWFUL driving where there is none, or very rare occasion of "Flat-To-The-Floor" acceleration with no loss of traction (wheel-spin), and 99% on sealed roads. Very importantly, "normal" also means no stop-start driving and/or short trips of less than 6 kms. It means rational gentle safe braking; not flying up to every red light or intersection with heavy braking. "ABNORMAL" is the opposite of above, and poses great danger to all the hundreds of components inside your engine. This calls for your discernment in protecting you assets, whether Modern or Classic, by changing oil often as YOU KNOW! Explain to the "kids" how important it is to adhere to the above, or pay exponentially more, in more ways than one! It means no lugging of heavy Caravans or heavily loaded Trailers on a regular basis. It means driving a well maintained vehicle that has no Brake-Drag or Transmission "Slip" in Manual or Automatic. I, for one, will NEVER allow any of my clients cars or my own cars to be abused by going OVER the individual needs of each car. They are all different in as much as to their USE, and must be protected accordingly. It's common sense, which we all know is not all that common. You don’t need to be Einstein to realize OIL and a FILTER, replaced MORE OFTEN than not, is dirt cheap insurance. UNLESS the manufacturer stipulates it, don't waste money by filling with Full Synthetic Oil, as it was invented purely for Engines that were ENGINEERED to use such expensive oil: end of story. Many buyers CHOOSE to use it in engines that did not need it, under the illusion it would be better for their bearings, which is a subject of unanswered debate. But then they left this SYNTHETIC oil in the engine for ridiculous mileages past its use-by-date and hence suffer the consequences. PLEASE ADHERE RELIGIOUSLY TO THE CORRECT GRADE AS STIPULATED BY THE MANUFACTURER................. If you have any doubts one way or the other, check with Castrol Website, which excels at showing alternatives, if there's any to be had. With our old collectibles, the bare minimum is to change Oil & Filter every 12 months, even if insignificant miles done. Those who do one to five thousand kilometers per year who want the best, will change Oil & Filter every SIX MONTHS. Re any errors I may have inadvertently made, or queries you may have, feel free to call me after 10am (Bankers hours!) on 04031-64031, up to 6pm(Club help hours!) Love and Kisses to all, Bernie Valentini (VACC SMM, Vic Roads Examiner)

CAR CARE CORNER By Bernie Valentini — (VACC Certified SMM)

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THE HISTORY AND JOURNEY OF GMH We hope you enjoy reading about the history and evolution of General Motors Holden. Such an iconic

and loved car deserves to be pride and place in our Club magazine, in detail, over the next few months.

1980s The 1980s were challenging for Holden along with the entire automotive industry. The Australian Govern-ment tried to revive the industry with the Button car plan, which encouraged car makers to focus on pro-ducing fewer models at higher, more economical vol-umes, and to export cars. It was intended to try to rationalize and consolidate the automotive industry by lowering import tariffs. The decade opened with the shut-down of the Page-wood, New South Wales production plant and intro-duction of the light commercial Rodeo, sourced from Isuzu in Japan. The Rodeo was available in both two- and four-wheel drive chassis cab models with a choice of petrol and diesel powerplants. The range was updated in 1988 with the TF series, based on the Isuzu TF. Other cars sourced from Isuzu during the 1980s were the four-wheel drive Jackaroo (1981), the Shuttle (1982) van and the Piazza (1986) three-door sports hatchback. The second generation Holden Gemini from 1985 was also based on an Isuzu design, alt-hough, its manufacture was undertaken in Australia. While GM Australia's commercial vehicle range had originally been mostly based on Bedford products, these had gradually been replaced by Isuzu products. This process be-gan in the 1970s and by 1982 Holden's commercial vehicle arm no longer offered any Bedford products. The start of the 80’s saw the Falcon eclipse sales of the Holden Commodore and began its six-year stint as the best selling Australian car. But despite slipping behind in sales, by the end of 1982 Holden had released three versions of the Commo-dore. By the end of the decade, Holden had reclaimed its number one spot as Australia’s top car manufacturer. Holden had by now turned to the Commodore as its family wheels, but the previous Kingswood platform soldiered on as the WB to form the basis of the Ute, Panel-van and Statesman models. After the WB, Holden wouldn't have a Ute until 1990. In 1981, Hold-en built its four-millionth car.

WB Holden 1980—1984 The new Holden WB commercial vehicles and the Statesman WB limou-sines were introduced in 1980. The Statesman WB range of long-wheelbase luxury sedans, developed by General Motors-Holden’s in parallel with the Holden WB series, was released in May 1980. Like their Statesman HZ predecessors, the two models in the Statesman WB range, the de Ville and the Caprice, were marketed as "Statesman" rather than as "Holden". The WB series was discontinued in late 1984. Pro-duction of the Holden WB and related Statesman WB models totaled 60,231 vehicles. No replace-ment for the Holden WB was offered initially, bring-ing to an end a continuous 34-year run of light commercial models based on Holden passenger cars. This market segment would however be contested by Holden again from 1990 when the VN Commodore-based VG Utility was released.

VC Commodore 1980 - 1981 The VC Commodore was launched on 30 March 1980 and is primarily distinguished by its "eggcrate" style grille. This series brought many improvements over the VB Commodore and maintained the Commo-

dore's place as the best selling car in Australia. It was re-placed by the VH series in October 1981. The improvements included revised suspension to im-prove ride and handling, a few cosmetic changes and the availability of new options such as cruise control. Howev-er, one of the biggest changes were a series of engine upgrades which included redesigned cylinder heads, now with a single intake and exhaust port for every cylinder, improved intake/exhaust manifolds, new camshafts and pistons and an all-new carburetor called the Rochester Varajet, as well as the fitment of electronic ignition. In to-tal, these upgrades brought up to 25 percent more power and 15 percent better fuel efficiency. The engine block on these motors were painted a blue colour (as opposed to the previous red) and were known as the XT5 versions, although are commonly referred to as the Blue motors. A total of 121,807 VC Commodores were produced.

This VC Commodore SL/E shadow tone was the 4 millionth Holden to be manufactured by GMH and shows 138km on the odometer!

WB 1980 Holden

VC Commodore

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VH Commodore 1981 - 1984 The VH Holden Commodore is a mid-size car that was the third iteration of the first generation of the Holden Commodore. This new Commodore was an evolution of the previous Holden VC series model, and was released on 5 October 1981. The frontal appearance was mild-ly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics. It continued to be avail-able as sedan and station wagon, with new taillight clus-ters utilized on sedan models. The engines were carried over but revisions were made to the 1.9- and 2.85-litre engines to improve fuel econo-my. Gains of 12.5 and 14 percent respectively were made to the city cycle fuel economy figures. In 1983 an 'Executive' pack of the base Commodore was intro-duced, primarily directed to fleet buyers. These cars fea-tured automatic transmission and air-conditioning as part of a Commodore SL package, but had no distinguishable external identification badges. Special editions of Commodore released around Christmas 1981, 1982 and 1983 were badged 'Vacationer'. With the effects of the 1979 energy crisis ending, buyers gravitated towards the larger Ford Falcon rival, rather than the mid-size Commodore. Thus for the first time, the Holden Commodore lost its position as Australia's best-selling car. Production of this model ceased in February 1984, to be replaced by the much further facelifted Holden Commodore (VK).

Holden Camira 1982 - 1989 The Holden Camira was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars—GM's third "global" car platform. The name "Camira" comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "wind." After an initial good sales run, Camira sales dropped significantly and the model was discontinued in 1989. The Holden Apollo, a rebadged Toyota Camry was introduced as the Australian market replacement, with New Zealand instead offering the European-sourced Opel Vectra. In all 151,807 Camira's were built, the JB,JD and JE. The early models of JB Camira (1982-1984) suffered from a litany of quality control prob-lems, which included smoking engines, insuffi-cient drainage holes in the doors, poor paint

quality and lack of adequate fan cooling, resulting in overheating in JB Camira's fitted with air conditioning. This tarnished the Camira's reputation and led to its withdrawal from the New Zealand market, where a rebadged version of the Isuzu Aska, known as the JJ Camira, was sold instead. The second series JD Camira (1984-1987) received a facelift, with a more aerodynamic front-end and the absence of a con-ventional front grille. The differences were not only cosmetic, the engine was upgraded from 1.6 to a multi-point fuel inject-ed 1.8-litre on the SL/X and SL/E models (the 1.6-litre remained for the SL). In mid-1986 new emissions regulations required that all cars manufactured in Australia run on unleaded petrol. Firstly, Holden dropped the base 1.6-litre engine. For the 1.8-litre, Holden was forced to engineer another reworking of the engine (all variants prior to this ran on leaded petrol), during which time Holden was operating at a loss. The result was that Holden dropped the multi-point injection for the 1.8-litre and reverted to single-point, akin to a carburetor, and altered the tuning of the engine to suit. A power-robbing catalytic converter was fitted, and power output was reduced by 20 kW (27 hp) to 63 kW (84 hp). Released in April 1987, the JE Camira (1987-1989) was the final in the series. By this time, many of the Camira's early qual-ity problems had been overcome, and Holden now fitted the multi-point fuel-injected 2.0-litre engine to replace the 1.8-litre unit. Styling changes were minor from the JD with the addition of a thin grille up front, revised bonnet, larger 14-inch wheels and new wheel trims. After Camira production wound up during 1989, Holden replaced the Camira with the Apollo, a re-badged Toyota Camry, a result of the Button car plan introduced by the Australian Government, which encouraged a reduc-tion in the number of Australian car-makers and models. The Camira lasted just seven years, and contributed to Holden's accumulated losses of over A$500 million by the mid-1980s. General Motors New Zealand was not affected by this scheme and instead replaced the Camira with the European-sourced Opel Vectra, which after 1994 was rebadged as the Holden Vectra. Holden continued to produce the Family II engine for export well after the Camira was discontinued.

The Last of the Gemini The last 3 series of the Gemini were produced from 1982 to the final one in 1986. TF Gemini (1982–1983) The facelifted TF series Gemini was offered in four-door sedan, three-door wagon, and two-door van variants. All models gained new grille treatments, and the SL/X variant received flush headlamps. The interior received major revisions with a new dashboard (creating the impression of more space in the vehicle) and a relocated steering column that put the steering wheel in line with the driver, rather than angled towards the centre of the car.

1983 VH Commodore

1985 JD Camira Station-wagon

Holden Gemini

(TG) ZZ/Z Sedan

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TG (Gemini (1983–1985) The SL and SL/X versions of TG had an appearance exactly like the TF SL/X, with the flush head lamps, plastic bumpers, and tail lights very similar to that on a VH Commodore. However, the base model of the TG continued the TF theme, with many examples now confused for TF models. Base-model vehicles had vinyl seats, no clock or cigarette lighter, and no console around the shifter. The engine continued to be the 66 PS (49 kW) 1.6-liter as per previ-ous versions, with the optional 54 PS (40 kW) 1.8 diesel also available. In 1983, a performance model, named the ZZ/Z (triple zed), was added. The ZZ/Z was often thought to come with the twin-cam engine that was used in the Isuzu Gemini ZZ/R of the same era, but the ZZ/Z was strictly a cosmetic version and came with the standard running gear of other mod-els. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard, with somewhat altered gearing; an automatic transmission was not availa-ble. The Gemini was built in Holden's Acacia Ridge plant, which closed in October 1984 after all Gemini production had come to a halt. However, wagon and panel-van production came to a gradual halt in mid-1984, as Vauxhall had ended production of the roof and the tailgate used on these models. Sourcing the parts from General Motors' Brazilian operation was consid-ered, but was too complicated for the short time the model had left. Sales of the sedan continued into early 1985. RB (1985–1986) In May 1985, the RB series Gemini was released. Based on the front-wheel drive GM R platform, it did not sell as well as previous rear-wheel drive Geminis, with production totaling just 16,263 units. The RB Gemini was offered only in four-door sedan form, with SL/X and SL/E trim levels, as well as a fleet-only SL. Previous Gemini models had been built in the Holden facility at Acacia Ridge, but following that plant's closure in 1984, the totally new RB series began pro-duction in the Holden plant at Elizabeth, South Australia. The RB Gemini was discontinued in 1987 due to poorer sales than its predecessor. The Gemini was at first sold side-by-side with the first generation hatch-only Holden Astra—a rebadged Nissan Pulsar (N12)—which was introduced in 1984; ultimately, the Astra effectively replaced the Gemini when its second generation, offered as both hatch and sedan, was launched in 1987. The RB Gemini was notable for its 80-day, 200,000 km (120,000 mi) endurance run from a commercial in 1985, tested by a group of Australian racers including the late Peter Brock.

The Second Generation Commodore VK Commodore (1984-1986) The VK was introduced with significant styling changes from the previous VH. It was the fourth iteration of the first generation of the Holden Commo-dore and introduced the luxury variant, Holden Calais (VK) sedan. The VK series was the first Commodore to have plastic (polypropylene) bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models. Apart from the bump-ers and "glasshouse", other changes for the VK Commodore included a front grille redesign and revamped dashboard instru-mentation that included a full digital (vacuum fluorescent display) arrangement for the new luxury version, the Calais. The exterior of the VK Commodore was also updated with a more modern and aggressive appearance. Changes were also made to the interior whereupon the panel of instruments were now square-shaped rather than the more conventional circular layout. In to-tal, 135,705 VK Commodores were built. The VK range introduced new names for the specification levels, with Executive now a stand-alone nameplate alongside the base model SL. The Commodore Executive was basically a Commo-dore SL and was aimed at capturing the fleet market, a market that Holden had lost its share in when the smaller bodied Com-modore originally replaced the Kingswood. Also introduced was the Commodore Berlina (replacing the SL/X) and the Holden Calais (replacing the Commodore SL/E). The station wagon body style was available in SL, Executive or Berlina variants on-ly, however the limited edition Vacationer name plate was also continued over for a period from the VH Commodore. Other vari-ants produced were the Commodore SS sedan which featured its own specification , and the limited edition – available only through affiliated HDT Holden dealers.

VL Commodore (1986-1988) The Commodore was next updated in 1986 as the VL which had new front and rear styl-ing. Controversially, the VL was powered by the 3.0-litre Nissan RB30 six-cylinder engine and had a Nissan-built, electroni-cally controlled four-speed automatic transmission. Holden even went to court in 1984 to stop local motoring magazine Wheels from reporting on the matter. The engine change was necessitated by the legal requirement that all new cars sold in Australia after 1986 had to consume unleaded petrol. Because it was unfeasible to convert the existing six-cylinder engine to run on unleaded fuel, the Nissan engine was chosen as the best engine available. However, changing currency exchange rates doubled the cost of the engine and transmission over the life of the VL. The decision to opt for a Japanese-made transmission led to the closure of the Woodville, South Australia assembly plant. Confident by the apparent sign of turna-round, GM paid off Holden's mounted losses of A$780 million on 19 December 1986. At GM headquarters' request, Holden was then reorganized and recapitalized, separating the engine and car manufacturing divisions in the process. This involved the splitting of Holden into Holden's Motor Company (HMC) and Holden's Engine Company (HEC). For the most part, car bodies were now manufactured at Elizabeth, South Australia, with engines as before, confined to the Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The engine manufacturing business was successful, building four-cylinder Family II en-gines for use in cars built overseas. The final phase of the Commodore's recovery strategy involved the 1988 VN, a significantly wider model powered by the American-designed, Australian-assembled 3.8-litre Buick V6 engine.

1985 VK Commodore

SS group A5 litre V8

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VN Commodore (1988-1991) The Holden Commodore (VN) was the first iteration of the second generation of this Australian made model, which was previously a mid-size car, as well as the first Commodore available as a coupé utility. The new range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VN) and Holden Calais (VN) and, from 1990, introduced the commercial Holden Utility (VG). The VN series was a re-engineered hybrid of the European Opel Omega and Opel Senator.

This donor body was paired to a Buick V6 engine or the Holden V8 engine. As well as being highly based on the Opel Senator, the VN also was similarly based on the Opel Omega, but this time, the previous VL Commodore floor plan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels, although a more basic SL model (opt. code

A9K) was supposedly offered to government and fleet buyers, as it was not officially listed as part of the Commodore range. The VN Commodore was also awarded Wheels Car of the Year for a second time in 1988. For the first time since 1984, Holden again offered a commercial coupe utility with the first-Commodore based VG Utility sold from August 1990. The Holden Statesman and Caprice (VQ) models, which were introduced in March 1990, were also VN Commodore based, but shared a longer wheelbase with the VN Commodore wagon and VG Utility. Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, and the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL. Instead, Holden manufactured their own 90-degree V6 based on old Buick design from the US, although initially it was imported. The 5.0-litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to 165 kW (221 hp). Although not known for its smoothness or quietness, the V6 was nevertheless praised for its performance at the time. A fuel-injected, 2.0-litre four-cylinder VN Commodore model was offered for some export markets including New Zealand. A centre high-mount stop light (CHMSL) was introduced prior to 1 July 1989 due to regulations in Australia requir-ing them to be fitted to all passenger cars manufactured from this date. In September 1989 the Series II of the VN Commodore was released with the EV6 engine. Some of the changes included a new cast exhaust manifold, new camshaft sprocket profile and timing chain, improved air and fuel distribution to combustion chamber, recalibrated ignition and injector firing within the engine management computer, wider conrod bearings and revised throttle uptake. Under the Hawke government's Button car plan, which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, named after the late America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen. Subsequently, the Toyota Corolla and Camry were, similarly, badged as the Holden Nova and Holden Apollo. A total of 215,180 VN Commodores were manufactured during the model's 3-year lifespan, before production ended in August 1991.

Holden began to sell the compact Suzuki Swift-based Barina in 1985. The Barina was launched concurrently with the Suzuki-sourced Holden Drover, followed by the Scurry later on in 1985. In the previ-ous year, Nissan Pulsar hatchbacks were rebadged as the Holden Astra, as a result of a deal with Nissan. This arrangement ceased in 1989 when Holden entered a new alliance with Toyota, forming a new compa-ny: United Australian Automobile Industries (UAAI). UAAI resulted in Holden selling re-badged versions of Toyota's Corolla and Camry, as the Holden Nova and Apollo re-spectively, with Toyota re-branding the Com-modore as the Lexcen. It was about this time in 1987, the Federal Government got serious about the industry’s viability. It worked out that each separate model needed to be built in volumes of 40,000 or more a year to make sense, so the push was on for carmakers to collaborate with each other and share development costs. It didn’t quite work out that way, and after Holden first tried a deal with Nissan, it then hopped into a deal with Toyota. At least the Holden-badged Nissan (the Holden Astra) used a Holden engine – eventually – while the Toyota stuff was a simple rebadging job. Ironically, the most reliable Holden ever made (the Apollo) is actually a Toyota. At least they were built in Australia!

1989 VN SS Commodore

1988 Barina

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Holden Apollo (1989-1997) The Holden Apollo is a compact and later mid-size car that was distributed from 1989 to 1997 in Australia by Holden. As a successor to the GM-engineered Holden Camira, the Apollo was a rebadged version of the Toyota Camry, also sold in Aus-tralia. In paralleling two generations of the Camry, the V20 coded as the JK and facelifted JL series Apollo and the XV10 recoded as the JM and updated JP, there were minor cosmetic differences in the grille, lights and trim. Production ceased in late 1996, although enough cars remained until the replacement Holden Vectra arrived in mid-1997.

By 1990, the five-millionth Holden was a VN Calais.

(info collated from Wikipedia & www.carsguide.com.au)

Hope you are enjoying the journey !

To be continued in November Sidelights

FOLLOW THE LINK FOR A CAR MUSEUM VIRTUAL TOUR

We've been cooped up in our homes for months now and we're sure you're trying to find new things to do around the house. You've run out of things to watch on Netflix and you're getting bored of YouTube…... But what if we told you that you can go to some of the best automotive tours from around the world? After searching far and wide around the web, several of the best Car Museum displays have been compiled in this exciting virtual tour, and you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. The best part is, they're all free of charge. Explore the Museums of Mercedes, Porche, Honda, Corvette and many more.

https://www.autoindustriya.com/features/stuck-at-home-visit-these-car-museums-for-free.html

GEELONG REVIVAL MOTORING FESTIVAL

2020 CANCELLATION

After careful consideration, in consultation with stakeholders and the City of Greater Geelong, the Geelong Revival team have made the difficult decision to cancel the Geelong Revival Motoring Festival 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-

19 situation. Event Director Nicholas Heath said of the cancellation “It is clear that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis prevents large scale events like ours from occurring. We are extremely disappointed to be making this announcement but unfortunately there are far greater issues facing our community at this time. We look for-ward to presenting the Geelong Revival Motoring Festival in 2021. We are sure that the community will be ready to get out and enjoy the event and Geelong’s spectacular waterfront when conditions permit.” Keep up to date via https://geelongrevival.com.au/ or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geelongrevival/

HAPPY MILESTONE BIRTHDAY

KEN NEATE !

A little birdie told us it was a milestone birthday worth

mentioning! From all your friends at

MPHVC……... “We hope you had a

happy day and felt the love and congratulations from those around you!

10

WHAT WAS THE MOST POPULAR CAR

THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN?

1953: Chevrolet Corvette 1953 was the first year the Corvette was produced, it is the original "Classic Corvette". It debuted at the 1953 GM Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It was outfitted with a 6 cylinder "Blue-Flame" engine that produced 150 hp mated to a two-speed Powerglide auto-matic transmission. All 300 Corvettes that were produced in 1953 came with the same options and they were all painted "Polo White" with a red interior. Also included on all 1953's were white-wall tires and two-spinner hub caps. They also did not have outside door handles. To get in the car you must reach inside to open the door.

A total of 301 1953 Corvettes were built in Flint, Michigan at a temporary facility in the rear of Chevrolet's customer delivery garage on Van Slyke Ave. The first production 1953 Corvette was built on June 30, 1953. Because of the short production run, the 1953 model it is the rarest of all Corvettes. After the first 301 were assembled, production moved to the new St. Loius factory. Zora Arus-Duntov joined Chevrolet this year, he would eventually become the Chief Engineer for Corvette. A rare 1953 Chevy Corvette is currently (July 2020) up for sale after being hidden in storage for nearly 40 years in America. The car shows only 5,800 miles, which is astonishing for a car of its age. It’s being sold through Classic Promenade in Arizona for an asking price of US $249,800.

Hope you enjoy this journey of the most popular cars produced from 1918 to 2000. Follow the progress of the automobile in its evolution throughout upcoming editions of Sidelights.

(Info and pictures obtained from https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g23320934/car-history/ and Wikipedia)

Monaro recently sells for $715,000 This unassuming 1969 HT Monaro race car, in its original race livery, crashed and burned in its first race but won its 2nd some weeks later at Bathurst. It is regarded as a hugely significant piece of Australian motor sport history which shaped the success of Holden during the 1970s and 80s, and set the stage for the company's touring car racing domination, much of it with the late Peter Brock. Sold recently at Lloyds Auctions, the Monaro had been expected to fetch $1 million but instead sold at $715,000, quite likely as a result of the potential export ban. Lloyds Auctions said it was the highest price for a road registerable Australian Holden ever sold at auction. Chief operations officer Lee Hames said there were seven bidders, which came down to two enthusiasts who fought it out, both with the intention to keep the car in Australia. The winning bidder wished to remain anonymous. It comes after the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications warned the Monaro might be an Australian Protected Object. The vehicle, which was credited with launching the Holden Dealer Team's racing dominance in the 70s and 80s, might not have been allowed to leave Australian soil. Lloyds Auctions had been recommending General Motors purchase the Monaro and donate it to an Australian museum. Lloyds Auctions said the Monaro was the first factory-built race car to bear a Holden badge. (info from Lloyds Auctions web page )

11

12

OUR CLUB

The Mornington Peninsula Historical Vehicles Club Incorporated was founded in 1969 as a Family Social Club, aimed at assisting in the preservation, restoration, use and maintenance of historic vehicles, stationary engines and other mechanical memorabilia more than 25 years old. Particular emphasis is on veteran, vintage and classic eras together with later vehicles of interest. The MPHVC will also endeavour to assist local non-profit clubs and organizations by participating in their events when invited. Please address any correspondence to: The Secretary MPHVC Inc. PO Box 7056 Karingal Centre, Frankston 3199 Club Email Address: mphvc@live.com.au

Office Bearers, Committee Members and Delegates 2019/20 President: Darren Crerar Vice President: Nyree Parker Secretary: Greg Harvie mphvc@live.com.au Treasurer: David Hunt Sidelights Editor: Dawn & Wayne Etcell - 0414 455 989 mphvc.sidelights@yahoo.com.au Sidelights Publisher: Noelene Warwick Activities Co-ordinator: Len & Glenda Butcher - - 0427 376 530 Membership Officer: John Schipper - 0419 551 378 Committee: Chris Warwick Noelene Warwick Ray Griffin Colin Gardner Welfare Officer: Lorraine Mayne - 0412 446 978 Memorabilia Officer: Colin Gardner - 0409 130 804 Permit Officers: Len Butcher - 0427 376 530 Doreen Madeley - 0488 547 988 Members who wish to post their renewal of permits can do so, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

MPHVC Inc. PO Box 7056, Karingal Centre, Frankston 3199

AOMC Delegates: Greg Harvie & Peter Anscombe Federation Delegates: Alan Saunders & Dominique Ruellot.

Club Meetings and Supper Roster Meeting place: St Francis Xavier Centre Where: Rear of St Francis Xavier Church, 60 Davey St Frankston. Car parks off Baxter Street and Park Street (wheelchair access). When: 2nd Thursday of every month at 8.00pm Supper Roster rotates supper duties among club members (see “Events Calendar” for members on Supper Roster). Duties are as follows: - First named Club Member buys 2x1 litre milks (reimbursed by

Club). - Set up tables, urn, cups and make tea and coffee. - Wash up and stow everything away after supper is finished. - Check tea, coffee and sugar supplies. If insufficient, please advise

next month’s rostered Members. - Put Roster book on table at door. All Members - Please remember to bring a plate to share.

Monthly Club Runs

FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Remuce Café Breakfast Run. 10am meeting at Remuce Café, 2680 Frankston-Flinders Road, Bittern FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH Midweek Picnic Run meeting at 11.30 am. Balcombe Creek Estuary picnic area, Mirang Avenue, Mount Martha. SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH Club General Meeting Club rooms 8pm. Rear of St Francis Xavier Church, 60 Davey Street Frankston. Car park at rear, 1 Park Street. (wheelchair access) OCCASIONAL MID MONTH SUNDAY RUN Sunday after GM. Decided according to seasons and destination planning. Watch Magazine for details. LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Last Sunday Run: 10am meeting at Baxter Tavern Car Park for a run decided by members on that morning or previously planned. Watch Magazine for details.

Club Magazine - “Sidelights” Help make Sidelights a success by contributing material you consider will be of interest to fellow Club Members. The deadline for material to appear in the next issue of Sidelights is the 20th of each month. Where possible e-mail material to the Editor at mphvc.sidelights@yahoo.com.au Where you wish to have a photograph included with your material, please provide the original photograph, (not a photocopy) and/or email photograph in ‘jpeg’ format to the Editor’s email address above. All original material submitted to the Editor will be returned.

MPHVC FACEBOOK LINK

https://www.facebook.com/MPHVC-Mornington-

Peninsula-Historical-Vehicles-Club-

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view_public_for=2488596817927756

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this Newsletter is for general

information purposes only. The MPHVC Club assumes no

responsibility for errors, omissions or accuracy of advice

published in the Newsletter.

Do you want to contact the Club by email ?

Our Club Email Address is: mphvc@live.com.au