Holden VQ Statesman
Encyclopedia
The Holden VQ Statesman and Caprice were Holden
's top of the line luxury sedans produced between 1990-1994. It was the first Statesman to be based on the Commodore line. The rear end was an all-new design, with Independent rear suspension.
They were positioned against Ford Australia
's Fairlane
and LTD.
The VQ Statesman was used as an official car by government ministers in Australia, and some were also converted into hearses for funerals or limousines.
Series I Statesmans were released in March 1990, whilst the Series II were released in December 1991. There was a further update in late 1993.
After General Motors Holden's ended production of the WB Statesman in 1984, Ford
was left to market its Fairlane and LTD with no local competition. It was another 6 years before Holden released another long wheelbase sedan. Unlike the Ford NA Fairlane, Holden focused mainly on creature comforts and mechanical improvements in the VQ rather than appearance. They had plans to work on the appearance further, but it would have pushed the production schedule back a further 6 months.
Criticisms of the car looking too much like a Commodore in a dinner suit meant that Holden spent a considerable amount of time on the successor, the VR Statesman, re-designing its panels to look unique.
Originally, the car was going to have an analogue clock in place of the current climate control module, however the late 1980s fascination with digital clocks caused them to change their mind and place a digital clock in the roof instead. Holden was not the only manufacturer to do this - others such as Rolls Royce also did so with the Silver Spirit. The climate control module would have been mounted in the pocket below the stereo headunit if they had gone with the analogue clock.
Although the exterior lighting remained unchanged from the Commodore, there was a large chrome grille fitted to the front, and a decorative garnish between the rear lights.
offered several different versions of the VQ Statesman which were enhanced performance and appearance-wise. These vehicles were designated as the SV90, SV93 and 5000i. SV90's were available in a maroon colour, SV93's in white over champagne, and 5000i in anthracite. SV90 and SV93 had the HSV enhanced 180 kW engine, whereas 5000i had an even higher output of 200 kW.
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39,950 when new.
Although the VQ Series I was based on the VN Commodore
, the Series II was based on the VP Commodore
. This meant that it had a fully revised electrical system consisting of a centralised body control module.
The Series II was fitted with a subtle bodykit and slightly different interior trim. It also had other minor changes such as body coloured side mirrors and indicator repeaters on the front guards.
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
's top of the line luxury sedans produced between 1990-1994. It was the first Statesman to be based on the Commodore line. The rear end was an all-new design, with Independent rear suspension.
They were positioned against Ford Australia
Ford Australia
Ford Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
's Fairlane
Ford Fairlane (Australian)
The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....
and LTD.
The VQ Statesman was used as an official car by government ministers in Australia, and some were also converted into hearses for funerals or limousines.
Series I Statesmans were released in March 1990, whilst the Series II were released in December 1991. There was a further update in late 1993.
History
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
was left to market its Fairlane and LTD with no local competition. It was another 6 years before Holden released another long wheelbase sedan. Unlike the Ford NA Fairlane, Holden focused mainly on creature comforts and mechanical improvements in the VQ rather than appearance. They had plans to work on the appearance further, but it would have pushed the production schedule back a further 6 months.
Criticisms of the car looking too much like a Commodore in a dinner suit meant that Holden spent a considerable amount of time on the successor, the VR Statesman, re-designing its panels to look unique.
Originally, the car was going to have an analogue clock in place of the current climate control module, however the late 1980s fascination with digital clocks caused them to change their mind and place a digital clock in the roof instead. Holden was not the only manufacturer to do this - others such as Rolls Royce also did so with the Silver Spirit. The climate control module would have been mounted in the pocket below the stereo headunit if they had gone with the analogue clock.
Cosmetic changes
The Statesman had a number of changes to the bodywork to set it aside from the Commodore. It was based on the longer station wagon wheelbase which made the car physically larger than the Commodore sedan and improved rear legroom. It was also fitted with a modified C-pillar which was covered in glass, giving the appearance of a wrap-around rear windscreen. The pillars were reinforced not only to provide improved strength, but also to give a more solid 'thunk' sound when closing the doors.Although the exterior lighting remained unchanged from the Commodore, there was a large chrome grille fitted to the front, and a decorative garnish between the rear lights.
HSV variations
HSVHolden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles is the officially designated performance vehicle partner of Australian automobile manufacturer Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the company modifies Holden models such as the Commodore, Caprice and Ute and markets them under the HSV brandname.-...
offered several different versions of the VQ Statesman which were enhanced performance and appearance-wise. These vehicles were designated as the SV90, SV93 and 5000i. SV90's were available in a maroon colour, SV93's in white over champagne, and 5000i in anthracite. SV90 and SV93 had the HSV enhanced 180 kW engine, whereas 5000i had an even higher output of 200 kW.
Series I
Statesman
The VQ Statesman Series I was priced from A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
39,950 when new.
- VQ Statesman Series I standard features included:
- 15-inch steel wheels
- 5.0 L 165 kW V8
- 4 speed automatic transmission
- 6 speaker stereo
- Alarm which incorporated:
- Engine immobiliser
- Central locking which incorporated:
- Keyless entry
- Remote boot release
- Climate control air conditioning
- Cruise control
- Independent rear suspension
- Power Pack which incorporated:
- Front and rear power windowsPower windowPower windows or electric windows as well as electric or power window lifts are automobile windows which can be raised and lowered by depressing a button or switch, as opposed to using a hand-turned crank handle.- History :Packard introduced the first power windows in the 1940 Packard...
- Power antennaAntenna (radio)An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
- Power mirrors
- Front and rear power windows
- Power SteeringPower steeringPower steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
- Trip computer
- Velour interior
- VQ Statesman Series I optional features included:
- HSV enhanced 180 kW engine
- Limited Slip DifferentialLimited slip differentialA limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
(LSD) - Electric Sunroof (Dealer Fitted)
Caprice
The VQ Caprice Series I was priced from A$56,894 when new.- VQ Caprice Series I standard features superseded and added to those of the VQ Statesman variant:
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- 14 speaker stereo
- Cosmetic enhancements (e.g. chrome and woodgrain trim)
- Fog lights
- Rear stereo controls
- Rear vanity mirrors
- VQ Caprice Series I optional features included:
- Leather upholsteryUpholsteryUpholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
- Electric Sunroof (dealer fitted)
- Leather upholstery
Series II
The VQ was the first ever Holden to be officially offered as a Series II model.Although the VQ Series I was based on the VN Commodore
Holden VN Commodore
The Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
, the Series II was based on the VP Commodore
Holden VP Commodore
The Holden VP Commodore is an automobile which was produced by Australian automaker Holden from 1991 to 1993. It is the seventh generation Holden Commodore....
. This meant that it had a fully revised electrical system consisting of a centralised body control module.
The Series II was fitted with a subtle bodykit and slightly different interior trim. It also had other minor changes such as body coloured side mirrors and indicator repeaters on the front guards.
Statesman
The VQ Statesman Series II was priced from A$42,863 when new.- VQ Statesman Series II Standard features superseded and added to those of the VQ Statesman Series I variant:
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- Speed sensitive power steering
- Drivers side glovebox
- VQ Statesman Series II Optional features superseded and added to those of the VQ Statesman Series I variant:
- Anti-lock brakes
- V6 engine
Caprice
The VQ Caprice Series II was priced from A$60,352 when new.- VQ Caprice Series II standard features superseded and added to those of the VQ Caprice Series I variant:
- Anti-lock brakes
- Power front seats
- Speed sensitive power steering