Holden straight-six motor
| Company type | Engine family |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Replaced by Nissan RB engines in Holden Commodore VL |
| Headquarters | Port Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Inline six-cylinder engines (Grey, Red, Blue, Black), four-cylinder Starfire engine |
| Parent | General Motors Holden |
The Holden inline six-cylinder engine family was manufactured by General Motors Holden at their Port Melbourne facility from 1948 until 1986. The first iteration, known as the Grey engine, derived its name from the colour of its cylinder block. Subsequent versions included the Red, Blue, and Black engines, alongside the four-cylinder Starfire unit. These powerplants were fitted to all Australian-designed Holdens throughout that era, with the Starfire also utilized in the Toyota Corona (XT130). Although the original Grey engine was quite distinct, the later Red, Blue, Black, and Starfire models shared numerous common parts.
Grey
Manufactured between 1948 and 1963, the Grey engine gained its name from its grey-painted cylinder block. It made its debut in the Holden 48-215 equipped with a three-speed column-shift manual transmission; later variants such as the Holden EK and EJ series offered an optional three-speed GM Roto-Hydramatic 240 automatic gearbox. Its design was based on a pre-World War II Buick Straight-6 engine architecture and saw only minor updates during its 15-year production span.
Initially, it displaced and generated 60 bhp (45 kW), with output rising to 72 bhp (53 kW) by 1956 due to an increased compression ratio of 6.8:1 in the FE series. The FB series (1960) expanded displacement to and increased compression to 7.8:1, delivering 76 bhp at 4200 rpm and torque of 120 lb.ft (162 N·m) at 1400 rpm—surpassing contemporary four-cylinder rivals from Austin, Morris, Vauxhall, and Ford Britain. Its robust low-stress construction emphasised dependability through a modest compression ratio, making it popular in racing Holdens and open-wheel cars, as well as marine and forklift applications due to its strong low-end torque characteristics.
The engine utilized a seven-port cast-iron cylinder head with a non-crossflow design featuring siamese inlet and exhaust ports on one side, supplied by a single-barrel Stromberg carburettor and a conventional Kettering ignition system. Early models employed six-volt electrical systems with Delco-Remy components; later versions incorporated Lucas and Bosch parts.
Production numbers commenced at engine number 1001 in 1948 and continued sequentially until July 1956 when engines for the FE model adopted an "L" prefix to indicate new 12-volt negative-earth electrical systems. The "U" prefix denoted engines retaining original electrical setups used in FJ utility and panel vans until mid-1957. The "B" prefix began with larger displacement engines before being superseded by "J" for EJ series vehicles in 1962.
Applications
- 1948–1953 Holden FX
- 1948–1953 Holden 48-215 (sedan)
- 1951–1953 50-2106 (coupé utility)
- 1953 48-215-257 (business/taxi sedan, sometimes referred to as 48-217)
- 1953–1956 Holden FJ
- 1956–1958 Holden FE
- 1958–1960 Holden FC
- 1960–1961 Holden FB
- 1961–1962 Holden EK
- 1962–1963 Holden EJ
Red
The Red engine, produced from 1963 through to 1980, succeeded the Grey motor with a redesigned architecture featuring a seven-bearing crankshaft, full-flow oil filtration, and hydraulic valve lifters. Recognisable by its red-painted block, it was introduced in the Holden EH with displacements of and HP versions generating power outputs of approximately and , representing increases of up to 53% compared to its predecessor.
Early production blocks did not display displacement markings; instead, the HP variant carried an “HP” badge until January 1965 when capacity figures were cast into the block coinciding with the HD model launch. All red engines produced before 1968 employed forged steel crankshafts apart from some HR test vehicles.
After the opening of Holden’s Nodular Iron Foundry in February 1967, cast nodular iron crankshafts were trialled in HR model test engines and fully adopted from January 1968 with the HK model release. Forged steel crankshafts continued to be standard in performance-oriented versions such as the X2 and LC186 XU1 variants. The standard paint colour transitioned to Rocket Red with the HK series and later evolved into Rocket Red MkII by 1978.
- Displacement variants
- 130 – South African HQ export
- 138 – LC & LJ Torana
- 149
- 161
- 173
- 179
- 186
- 202
Holden Standard, Special, Premier (1963–1968)
Holden Belmont, Kingswood, Premier (1968–1980)
- 1968–1969 Holden HK
- 1969–1970 Holden HT
- 1970–1971 Holden HG
- 1971–1974 Holden HQ
- 1974–1976 Holden HJ
- 1976–1977 Holden HX
- 1977–1980 Holden HZ
Holden Commodore (1978–1980)
- 1978–1980 Holden Commodore VB
Holden Torana (1969–1979)
- 1969–1971 Holden Torana LC
- 1972–1974 Holden Torana LJ
- 1974–1975 Holden Torana LH
- 1976–1978 Holden Torana LX
- 1978–1979 Holden Torana UC
Bedford (1971–1979)
- 1971–1979 Bedford CF (Australasian variants only)
Blue
Introduced with the 1980 Holden Commodore VC, the Blue engine was a refined version of the Red engine, featuring a newly designed cylinder head with a 12-port configuration and an upgraded T5 camshaft. Available in both 2.85- and 3.3-litre capacities, the larger displacement variant incorporated crankshaft counterweights on every throw along with reinforced connecting rods. The smaller displacement retained the earlier crankshaft design but increased the main journal diameter to match that of the 3.3-litre.
Key standard equipment included a two-barrel Varajet carburettor, a dual outlet exhaust manifold, and a Bosch HEI distributor—improvements aimed at boosting both reliability and performance for Holden’s mid-size vehicle lineup.
Applications
- 1980–1985 Holden WB
- 1980–1981 Holden Commodore VC
- 1981–1984 Holden Commodore VH
Black
The Black engine was first introduced in the 1984 Holden Commodore VK as a 3.3-litre inline-six, available in both carbureted and fuel-injected forms. While the carbureted variant closely resembled the Blue engine, it featured computer-controlled spark timing (EST) derived from the flywheel. A slightly increased port spacing made manifold interchange impossible between these engines. The fuel-injected model utilized Bosch LE2-Jetronic multipoint injection, paired with a long-runner intake manifold, a tubular exhaust manifold with a 6-3-1 configuration, and traditional HEI ignition. Cylinder head intake ports were modified to include injector notches and camshaft specifications were updated to enhance performance and fuel economy compared to the carbureted version.
By 1986, due to stricter emissions regulations and the transition to unleaded petrol complicating local engine redesigns, Holden replaced its Australian six-cylinder engines in the Holden Commodore VL with Nissan’s RB30E and RB20E units.
Applications
- 1984–1986 Holden Commodore VK
Starfire
The Starfire Four, a 1.9-litre (1,892 cc) four-cylinder engine, was essentially derived by removing two cylinders from Holden’s existing 2.85-litre straight-six. Developed domestically to satisfy Australian local content requirements, it debuted in 1978 during production of the UC Sunbird and replaced the earlier Opel-sourced 1.9-litre cam-in-head engine used in previous Torana/Sunbird models.
This engine generated peak power of , resulting in a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of approximately 17.5 seconds when installed in the VC Commodore. Despite its modest output, it demanded high engine effort which led to fuel consumption rates similar to six-cylinder engines; this earned it nicknames such as Misfire or Backfire. The Starfire was eventually succeeded by the OHC Camtech engine from the Holden Camira in Australia but continued production until 1986 in New Zealand for four-cylinder versions of the Holden Commodore VK.
Additionally, Toyota Australia employed this engine to meet local parts content criteria for their Corona XT130. Toyota's adaptation, known as the "1X," featured distinct camshaft profiles, intake manifold design, and carburettor setup, producing at 4800 rpm and torque of at 2400 rpm.
Applications
- 1978–1980 Holden Sunbird (UC) (red block variant)
- 1980–1981 Holden Commodore VC
- 1981–1984 Holden Commodore VH
- 1984–1986 Holden Commodore VK (New Zealand market)
- 1979–1982 Toyota Corona (XT130)
ADR27A Compliance
ADR27A represented an Australian Design Rule implemented from 1 July 1976, aimed at controlling fuel evaporative and exhaust emissions in Australian passenger cars to combat air pollution. The engines certified under ADR27A included:
- Red (only models produced after 1 July 1976)
- Blue
- Black
- Starfire
Typically, emission control technologies installed on these engines resulted in a reduction of their performance output. The following table illustrates the power and torque differences for the 202ci Red engine before and after conforming to ADR27A standards:
| Power | Torque | |
|---|---|---|
| Before ADR27A | 135 hp (101 kW) at 4400 rpm | 194 lb⋅ft (263 N⋅m) at 2000 rpm |
| After ADR27A Compliance | 109 hp (81 kW) at 3900 rpm | 185 lb⋅ft (251 N⋅m) at 1400 rpm |
See also
- Holden V8 engine
- Nissan RB engine (inline six-cylinder used in the Holden Commodore VL)
- List of GM engines