Details of Cars

Chevrolet Lumina SS: the Holden Commodore sold as a Chevrolet

CHEVROLET

Holden VE Commodore SS
A Holden VE Commodore SS, the car sold abroad as the Chevrolet Lumina SS. Photo by John Robert McPherson, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Chevrolet Lumina SS was the version of the Holden Commodore VE that General Motors sold in the Middle East and South Africa. A full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan and, later, a Ute pickup, it was built in Australia and carried a V8 under the bonnet.

Chevrolet Lumina SS at a glance

Chevrolet Lumina SS key facts
Based on Holden Commodore VE
Holden production 2006–2013
Built in Elizabeth, South Australia
Body styles Sedan and Ute pickup
Drive Rear-wheel drive
Names abroad Chevrolet Lumina and Chevrolet Omega
Holden versions Berlina, Calais and Commodore SS
Engines V6 and V8, including a 6.0-litre V8
Australia award Wheels Car of the Year 2006

The article is based on the English Wikipedia page on the Holden Commodore VE, which covers the Chevrolet Lumina and Omega versions.

History of the Chevrolet Lumina SS

The VE Commodore was the first Commodore designed and developed entirely by Holden in Australia, rather than being adapted from an Opel platform. Holden called it its billion dollar baby. The sedan went into production at Elizabeth, South Australia on 13 July 2006 and was shown in Melbourne three days later, alongside the long-wheelbase WM Statesman and Caprice. The Ute was revealed on 22 August 2007, and the Sportwagon estate followed in July 2008, sharing the sedan’s wheelbase rather than the longer Caprice one.

Holden VE Commodore racing car
A VE Commodore racing car. Photo by Yu Chu Chin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Holden built the VE in several forms at home: the Berlina as the mid-range model, the Calais as the luxury version and the ute as the Holden Ute, with performance variants from Holden Special Vehicles. To keep export conversions cheap, the car was designed with features such as a symmetrical centre console and a flush-fitting handbrake lever so that it could be built in left-hand drive.

Abroad the VE was badge-engineered as the Chevrolet Lumina, Chevrolet Omega, Bitter Vero Sport and Pontiac G8. In the Middle East and South Africa the Chevrolet Lumina SS was the V8 performance version, and the Lumina Ute brought the Australian pickup body to those markets. The VE was named Car of the Year by Wheels in 2006 and was frequently the best-selling car in Australia; running changes brought a smaller 3.0-litre V6 for entry-level models and Series II styling revisions in September 2010.

Design and features

  • Australian design: the first Commodore developed entirely by Holden.
  • V8 power: the SS versions used a 6.0-litre V8.
  • Sedan and Ute: both body styles were exported as Chevrolets.
  • Export engineering: designed for easy conversion to left-hand drive.

Chevrolet Lumina SS versions

  • Lumina SS sedan: the V8 four-door sold in the Middle East and South Africa.
  • Lumina Ute: the two-door pickup version.
  • Chevrolet Omega: the luxury version sold in Brazil.
  • Pontiac G8: the North American version of the same car.

The Lumina SS was the rear-wheel-drive V8 relative of the front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Lumina, and shared its Australian roots with the Chevrolet Caprice police car that followed. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.

Video: 6.0 Chevrolet Lumina SS burnout

Video by Mountain Goat Motoring on YouTube.

Sources

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