Australia 1979-1987: Commodore shines, Falcon at its best

1978 Holden Commodore VB

Holden launches the Commodore in November 1978 and installs the new nameplate at the #1 spot in the Australian market as soon as 1979. The Commodore will end up being Holden’s most popular nameplate by a country mile.

Originally one full size smaller and less fuel-hungry than its competitor the Falcon, the Commodore rides on the 1979 energy crisis and stays best seller in Australia in 1980 and 1981. However, with the effects of the crisis fading away, the larger Ford Falcon takes the commands of the market in 1982 with 61,549 sales vs, 35,571 for the Commodore. The Falcon will hold this position for 6 consecutive years until the arrival of a bigger Commodore in 1988.

Commodore and Falcon production figures: click on ‘Read more’ below.

1986 Ford Falcon XF

The first generation Commodore, named VB, was produced between November 1978 and March 1980, adding up to 95,906 units.

The Falcon XF, produced between 1982 and 1984, totaled 193,890 units, and the XF, which remains to this date Ford’s best-selling Falcon model, reached 278,101 units produced between 1984 and 1988.

Source: Wikipedia, Wheels Magazine