HX Holden Statesman TV Ad.

[Croklokan]

I remember my mate taking his dad's new Caprice on the M4 at breakneck speed - 1979

[durko83]

Its a HJ Caprice. Not an HX.

[durko83]

holden introduced the name in july 1974

[bumtownv2]

At least in this ad they realised people who can't afford helicopter rides on to oil rigs may want to buy this car.

[gojoe283]

GM introduced the Caprice name in the USA in 1965. Not sure when the Holden introduced the name...

[Seattlecarnut]

I've never owned a Cadillac, but there are some Cadillacs I'd rather have over others. The Statesman reminds me of the kind of luxury car I would love to be seen driving.

[TheLuke2reeve]

is this the de ville statesman or caprice ??

[Sentowon]

Holden HQ Statesman and WBs are the best looking

[quirpco]

I wish those were sold in North America, I would've bought one. It's a larger size car without being TOO big, like the ocean liners that were sold here.

[Mechknight73]

@quirpco They were the closest thing Holden built to a Cadillac, buth thankfully they didn't have a Cadillac's 1. thirst 2. bulk and 3. crap road manners. This is a car that was not only comfortable, but could still be driven fairly hard into the corners.

[quirpco]

@Mechknight73 Yeah, sounds like GM built better cars for Australia than they did for their own native land! Unfair.

[Mechknight73]

@quirpco That's because Australians would never tolerate that "boat through the surf" suspension you see on Cadillacs. Our roads just don't allow that, the distances travelled would never allow fuel economy like a Caddy's. It's part of the reason why the current Chevy "police Caprice" G8, and GTO were all built here. The current Camaro was designed and built by Holden. Chevy builds it now

[quirpco]

@Mechknight73 Good - hopefully GM U.S.A. is learning a few design/performance lessons from their Holden division.

[Mechknight73]

@quirpco Kind of embarrassing that the smallest and "poorest" of their divisions is not only turning out some of GM's best work, but they're still pulling approximately $80 million US profit, as of last year. When every US division needs bailing out. Holden was given the job of designing the world rear drive platform, then they don't use it! Look up "Holden EFIJY" for Holden's best work yet

[OlegKostoglatov]

@Mechknight73 Ironically enough a Cadillac was better on fuel for it's size then a lot of Chevrolets were. G.M put out a smaller Cadillac in the mid to late 70s called a Calais, it was basically a Chebby Malibu with a 350 and leather seats as opposed to the 472s and 500 cid engines used in the Caddy. To make a long story short even though it weighed 500 pounds less and was two feet shorter and a foot narrower, it gave 1 mpg better gas mileage then the Eldorado barge with a 500 cid engine.

[Mechknight73]

@OlegKostoglatov Holden took the Calais nameplate in 1984. In the late 1970s, they downsized their family car, their starting point being the Opel Rekord. Calais was the name they gave to the luxury version of the then new VK Commodore

[durko83]

these are all HJ models. the large arm rest in the back seats and grille are all HJ originals. altho some shots it looks like a HX grille but later HJs came out with a HX horizontal grille.

[karatcha]

So this large one actually started by just a Statesman name. And it looks almost like a start for one upmarket brand by GMH for that market.

But it beared Holden brand at last...

[Mechknight73]

@karatcha The tradition for the Caprice name started with this model. The long wheelbase bottom model was the Statesman, if you wanted more, you buy a Caprice. What's funny now, is that Chevrolet no longer build their own Caprice, they import theirs from Holden

[hawkeye087]

It's a 253 yay!!................you make it sound like a 383 Stroker making 700hp

[AshtrayI]

A great car by a great company