Would this ever have been the new Senator?

[ChinaTom]

Every time I see one, I naturally think that. (Buick Royaum)

 

 

[Station]

Yeah! Think Opel/Vauxhall had enough of executive cars after the Omega.

[Guest]

That's bloody handsome, stick it on my list. I especially like the silver in-fill panel on the boot. B U I C K

[Cavcraft]

Definate Omega look to it.

[Formula Autos]

There is a definite Omega look to it.

 

Speaking of which, as Omega succeeded Carlton in Vauxhall's line-up, surely this would have been the new Senator, had one been produced -

The Holden Statesman. Omega based shell/running gear, and RHD. Vauxhall could have imported this and slapped Senator badges on with no real problem.

[ashmicro]

"Royaum" is an approximation of the French word for "Kingdom"

 

PPPPPPPPHHHHHHAAAAKKKKTTT!

[Formula Autos]

How about this FTW? A sort of longer bodied version of the last Senators we got in the UK - The Holden Statesman Caprice:

 

 

Not shite enough? Here's an earlier model:

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Wow that silver one is super shitey, great stuff

[Formula Autos]

There's a veritable haul of exactly the sort of car most of us on Autoshite love in Holden's back catalogue. All RHD as well, handily.

 

Wonder how much shipping from Oz would cost?

 

Some of the sportier ones have been imported to the UK over the years, in limited numbers. Recently some have even worn the Griffin (Monaro, VXR8).

 

Anyhow, here's a link to Holden's greatest hits:

 

http://richardlewis.is-a-geek.com/pictu ... holden.htm

 

My personal favourite is the HJ range.

 

Back to the original thread topic though. If Vauxhall had wanted to continue the Senator, surely Holden would have provided the goods, as they provided the Mk2 Cavalier estate bits in the '80s.

 

Imagine a UK police spec Holden Statesman/Vauxhall badged equivalent pounding round the M25 in the mid '90s. We missed out in a big way there.

[Station]

I'm not keen on the extreme sloped front end thing on any car when they put a load of standard lights on. SHRAK NOSE FTW.

[Pillock]

For me, they tick more boxes than an American car and I'd actually quite fancy one. Not sure I'd go whole hog and import one myself, but I spied a Holden alongside British chod in Autotrader, they look a very pleasant thing to have.

[Spiny Norman]

I love old Holdens, I'd have one of these special edition Brock Commodores in a heartbeat.

Just like a Senator A/VX Royale but with added V8-ness!

 

[Station]

That's just gorj!

Is there some Cavalier mk2 in that?

[Tayne]

.

[Formula Autos]

There's currently two Holdens based in the UK for sale on the Holden Register's website, if anyone's interested:

 

http://www.holdenuk.co.uk/page4.html

 

A VL Walkinshaw replica, which if it's anything close to the real thing will be an awesome piece of kit:

 

and a 2001 HSV model, 5.7L Supercharged (WTF!?!) which was an official UK import:

[Milford Cubicle]

The Holden Statesman. Omega based shell/running gear, and RHD. Vauxhall could have imported this and slapped Senator badges on with no real problem.

That's what the Chinese Buick thingy is isn't it?

[Formula Autos]

That's what the Chinese Buick thingy is isn't it?

More or less - they're both based on what we in Europe would call the Omega. Well, bodily/interior wise at least - the Aussie versions have some serious changes mechanically to cope with the monster power in the sportier versions.

 

There's also a Cadillac (the Catera) based on the Omega, amongst many others worldwide.

 

 

[Milford Cubicle]

It looks very directly based on the Statesman to me, aside from minor trim differences.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I think the Aussie/Buick effort is a bit wider in the bodyshell than the Omega/Pontiac. I dont think theyve got much in common beyond perhaps the front doorskins.

[Formula Autos]

It looks very directly based on the Statesman to me, aside from minor trim differences.

They may be one and the same. I would imagine GM may have moved the tooling up to China when that incarnation of the Commodore/Statesman went out of production in Australia.

 

BTW Holden had the Commodore (their standard big family car), which tended to be based on what we in the UK would call a Senator, with luxury (but not performance) versions being a longer bodied version (Statesman, Caprice, Kingswood et al) of that. The performance saloons were always in the smaller (to the Aussies) Commodore shell.

 

Basically three lengths of car from one base vehicle - Australia getting the middle sized and largest ones, and Europe getting the smallest sized (Carlton/Omega) and middle sized ones (Senator).

 

And that's without mentioning the Aussie variations (estates, Monaro coupes, and 'Utes').

[chaseracer]

And that's without mentioning the Aussie variations (estates, Monaro coupes, and 'Utes').

Was there ever a 'Monaro ute'...?

[Milford Cubicle]

Sort of.

[Formula Autos]

And that's without mentioning the Aussie variations (estates, Monaro coupes, and 'Utes').

Was there ever a 'Monaro ute'...?

Yes, more or less.

The snappily named Holden VZ Ute Thunder S (I kid you not). Though later known as the Maloo.

 

The non-mental versions were also available in crewcab form:

 

The mental versions came with a 5.7 litre V8, closely related to those found in Corvettes.

 

The current model can be had with a 6 litre V8.

 

GR8 4 DRFTN and popping down the builders' merchants.

[pogweasel]

One of my mates is umming & aahing over buying a Monaro that the local garage has for sale.

He's undecided as it's going to cost about two grand a year to insure it.

Not the fact that he WILL be deceased within a week.

[Richard]

I'll be seeing an ex-Monaro owner tomorrow, I'll ask him how he got on with it.

[Guest]

One of my mates is umming & aahing over buying a Monaro that the local garage has for sale.

He's undecided as it's going to cost about two grand a year to insure it.

Not the fact that he WILL be deceased within a week.

He should get one of those which are on a monthly Direct Debit, then he'll only have to make the first payment before he carks it.

[Formula Autos]

This thread seems to have veered off Down Under. Mostly my fault that.

 

In response to the initial question, I would say yes - albeit the Chinese Buick would probably have been based on an earlier (i.e. mid to late '90s) replacement for the Senator.

 

The Senator replacement (had Vauxhall decided to sell such a thing) would probably have been heavily based on the longer bodied versions of the Holden Commodore, if not the Commodore itself.

 

Instead we just got bigger engined versions of the Omega. No bad thing, but I suspect the police, for one, mourned the Senator's passing (with no direct UK replacement).

 

For old time's sake, here's a Senator: