Holden WB
| Company type | Automotive model series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | Holden HZ series |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Utility vehicles, panel vans, cab chassis trucks |
| Parent | Holden (General Motors-Holden's) |
The Holden WB series, manufactured by Holden in Australia between 1980 and 1985, served as a refreshed iteration of the Holden HZ. Diverging from earlier full-size Holden offerings, the WB was exclusively available in commercial body styles, with no sedan or wagon options. Long-wheelbase versions were sold separately under the Statesman marque, distinct from the Holden name.
Model range
Introduced in April 1980, the WB lineup consisted of two coupe utility variants, a panel van, and a cab chassis truck. The Kingswood panel van and Sandman models from the preceding HZ commercial series were discontinued. The WB series included:
- Holden (utility and van)
- Holden Kingswood (utility)
- Holden One Tonner (cab chassis)
The Kingswood utility was characterized by a black slatted grille and rectangular headlights, whereas the base models initially featured a split grille with round headlights. In August 1980, a facelift aligned the front-end design of all base models with that of the Kingswood utility.
Plans existed for sedan and wagon models to complement the new Holden Commodore in the family car segment; however, these versions were never produced.
Statesman
Launched in May 1980 alongside the Holden WB range, the Statesman WB series comprised long-wheelbase luxury sedans developed by General Motors-Holden’s. Following the precedent set by their HZ counterparts, the Statesman WB models—the de Ville and Caprice—were marketed under the "Statesman" brand instead of "Holden."
Powertrain
The standard powerplant was a 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder engine, with an optional 4.2-litre V8. Although the 5.0-litre V8 available in the HZ lineup was discontinued as a standard option, it remained accessible through special order and retained popularity among Kingswood purchasers.
Production
Manufacturing concluded in January 1985 after producing a total of 60,231 units across both Holden WB and Statesman WB models. No direct successor was introduced immediately afterward, marking the end of a 34-year tradition of light commercial vehicles derived from Holden passenger cars. During this interim period, rebadged Isuzu imports filled the market gap until Holden re-entered with the VN Commodore-based VG Utility in 1990.