GM V platform (RWD)
Encyclopedia
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
that underpinned various General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
(GM) vehicles from 1967 through to its final discontinuation in 2007. The V platform was developed in the 1960s by the European subsidiary of GM, Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
, however, it was not without significant revision over its lifetime. The platform's phase-out began when European production ended during 2003, while the Australian variants, produced by Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
continued until 2007, after their final replacement by Zeta
GM Zeta platform
Zeta was the original name for General Motors' full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform. The architecture was engineered by Holden of Australia and was most recently referred to as the "Global RWD Architecture". The GM Zeta replaced the Australian V-body and was considered as the replacement...
-derived models. The first of these Zeta cars came in 2006, with the remaining changing over in 2007. V-cars are identified by the "V" fourth character in their Vehicle Identification Number
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
. Although completely unrelated, the "V platform" designation was also used for a series of North American front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
personal luxury coupes (see: GM V platform (FWD)
GM V platform (FWD)
The V platform, or V-body, automobile platform designation was by General Motors for the Cadillac Allante halo car. It was a shortened version of the E-body used in the Buick Riviera and Cadillac Eldorado...
).
Applications
- Daewoo PrinceDaewoo PrinceThe Daewoo Prince is mid-size luxury car that was produced by Daewoo in South Korea between 1991 and 1997. The car was based on the rear-wheel drive Opel Rekord E, although the body was of Daewoo design, as opposed to the Opel-designed, Holden-manurfactured body of the Prince's Royale predecessor....
- 1991–1997: Daewoo Prince.
- Holden CommodoreHolden CommodoreThe Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
- 1978–1988: Holden Commodore, Holden Calais, (VB, VC, VHHolden VH CommodoreThe Holden VH Commodore, an evolution of the previous Holden Commodore VC model, was released in October 1981. The frontal appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics...
, VKHolden VK CommodoreThe Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...
, VLHolden VL CommodoreThe Holden VL Commodore and Calais were a range of mid-sized cars manufactured between 1986 and 1988 by the General Motors Australian arm, Holden...
).
- 1978–1988: Holden Commodore, Holden Calais, (VB, VC, VH
-
- 1988–1997: Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, (VNHolden VN CommodoreThe Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
/VGHolden VN CommodoreThe Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
, VPHolden VP CommodoreThe Holden VP Commodore is an automobile which was produced by Australian automaker Holden from 1991 to 1993. It is the seventh generation Holden Commodore....
, VRHolden VR CommodoreThe Holden VR Commodore of July 1993 came with an updated, sleeker and more modern design, as well as safety enhancements such as anti-lock brakes . From the side, the biggest change was the use of a round rear wheelarch, instead of a squared-off shape used on the previous VN and VP model Commodores...
, VSHolden VS CommodoreThe Holden VS Commodore, released in 1995, was the ninth model of the Holden Commodore, a large car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. The VS Commodore served as a mechanical update of the second generation architecture, destined to assist sales before the all-new VT model...
).
- 1988–1997: Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, (VN
-
- 1997–2007: Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, Chevrolet LuminaChevrolet LuminaThe North American Chevrolet Lumina sedan , coupe and minivan were first introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year as a new range of vehicles from the Chevrolet brand of General Motors to replace the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, and the Monte Carlo coupe. The Lumina was an answer...
, Chevrolet OmegaChevrolet OmegaBased on the Opel Omega A, the Chevrolet Omega A debuted in Brazil in 1992 with a choice of two engines — a 2.0 L four-cylinder and 3.0 L six-cylinder . From 1995, the engines were upgraded to a 2.2 L four and a 4.1 L six respectively...
(VTHolden VT CommodoreThe Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, and Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors...
, VXHolden VX CommodoreThe Holden VX Commodore, Berlina and Calais range of full-size cars were the eleventh instalment of Holden Commodore, a model manufactured by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors...
, VY, VZ).
- 1997–2007: Holden Commodore, Holden Berlina, Holden Calais, Chevrolet Lumina
- Holden MonaroHolden MonaroThe Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...
- 2001–2006: Holden Monaro, Chevrolet Lumina SS, Pontiac GTOPontiac GTOThe Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...
, Vauxhall Monaro (V2, VZ).
- 2001–2006: Holden Monaro, Chevrolet Lumina SS, Pontiac GTO
- Holden Caprice
- 1990–1999: Holden Statesman, Holden Caprice (VQ, VR, VS).
- 1999–2006: Holden Statesman, Holden Caprice, Buick Royaum, Chevrolet CapriceChevrolet CapriceThe Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors in North America for the 1965 through 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular American car in the sixties and early seventies....
, Daewoo Statesman (WH, WK, WL).
- Holden UteHolden UteThe Holden Ute is a coupe utility built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors, since 2000. Before then, Holden had marketed their Commodore-based utility models under the Holden Utility and Holden Commodore utility names, although the term “Holden Ute” was also used in their...
- 2000–2007: Holden Ute, Chevrolet Lumina UteChevrolet LuminaThe North American Chevrolet Lumina sedan , coupe and minivan were first introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year as a new range of vehicles from the Chevrolet brand of General Motors to replace the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, and the Monte Carlo coupe. The Lumina was an answer...
(VUHolden VX CommodoreThe Holden VX Commodore, Berlina and Calais range of full-size cars were the eleventh instalment of Holden Commodore, a model manufactured by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors...
, VY, VZ).
- 2000–2007: Holden Ute, Chevrolet Lumina Ute
- Opel CommodoreOpel CommodoreThe Opel Commodore is an executive car produced by Opel. It is the six-cylinder variant of the Rekord with styling differences. The Commodore nameplate was used by Opel from 1967 to 1982. However, its lineage continues with the Australian Holden Commodore...
- 1967–1971: Opel Commodore A, Chevrolet Commodore.
- 1972–1977: Opel Commodore B, Opel Ranger, Chevrolet Commodore, Chevrolet Iran.
- 1977–1982: Opel Commodore C, Vauxhall Viceroy, Chevrolet Commodore, Daewoo RoyaleDaewoo RoyaleThe Daewoo Royale is a series of mid-size cars that was produced by Daewoo Motors in South Korea from 1983, being replaced by the Daewoo Prince in 1991, although production of the top-line Daewoo Imperial continued until 1993...
.
- Opel MonzaOpel SenatorThe Opel Senator was a large automobile, two generations of which were sold in Europe by Opel, from 1978 until 1993. A saloon, its first incarnation was also available with a fastback coupé body as the Opel Monza and Vauxhall Royale Coupe....
- 1978–1986: Opel Monza A, Vauxhall Royale Coupe.
- Opel OmegaOpel OmegaThe Opel Omega was an executive car marketed by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003 in two generations, both manufactured at Opel's Rüsselsheim, Germany plant. The first generation, the Omega A , superseded the Opel Rekord, was voted European Car of the Year for 1987, and was available...
- 1986–1994: Opel Omega A, Vauxhall CarltonVauxhall CarltonThe Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...
Mark II, Chevrolet OmegaChevrolet OmegaBased on the Opel Omega A, the Chevrolet Omega A debuted in Brazil in 1992 with a choice of two engines — a 2.0 L four-cylinder and 3.0 L six-cylinder . From 1995, the engines were upgraded to a 2.2 L four and a 4.1 L six respectively...
A (1992–1999), Lotus CarltonLotus CarltonThe Lotus Carlton was a Vauxhall Carlton saloon upgraded by Lotus Cars to be a 177 mph sports sedan with acceleration to equal contemporary supercars. Like all Lotus vehicles, it was given a type designation — Type 104 in this case...
, Lotus OmegaLotus CarltonThe Lotus Carlton was a Vauxhall Carlton saloon upgraded by Lotus Cars to be a 177 mph sports sedan with acceleration to equal contemporary supercars. Like all Lotus vehicles, it was given a type designation — Type 104 in this case...
. - 1994–2003: Opel Omega B, Vauxhall Omega B, Cadillac CateraCadillac CateraThe Cadillac Catera is a mid-sized automobile manufactured in Rüsselsheim, Germany, as a rebadged variant of the Opel Omega—and marketed by Cadillac in North America as an entry-level model, with approximately 95,000 examples manufactured from 1997–2001.A Sport model was offered beginning in...
.
- 1986–1994: Opel Omega A, Vauxhall Carlton
- Opel RekordOpel RekordThe Opel Rekord was a large family car/executive car which was built in several generations by the German car manufacturer Opel.-Naming:The Rekord name evolved into the main name of the model; at first the name was used in close relationship with the Opel Olympia name, which pre-dated the Rekord...
- 1967–1971: Opel Rekord C, Opel Ranger, Chevrolet Comodoro, Chevrolet OpalaChevrolet OpalaThe Chevrolet Opala was a mid-size car sold by General Motors do Brasil from 1969 to 1992. It was derived from the German Opel Rekord and Commodore, but used GM USA sourced engines, two four-cylinder engines: the Chevrolet 153 4-cylinder from Chevy II/Nova which later got a new crankshaft and...
. - 1972–1977: Opel Rekord D, Opel Ranger.
- 1977–1986: Opel Rekord E, Vauxhall CarltonVauxhall CarltonThe Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...
Mark I.
- 1967–1971: Opel Rekord C, Opel Ranger, Chevrolet Comodoro, Chevrolet Opala
- Opel SenatorOpel SenatorThe Opel Senator was a large automobile, two generations of which were sold in Europe by Opel, from 1978 until 1993. A saloon, its first incarnation was also available with a fastback coupé body as the Opel Monza and Vauxhall Royale Coupe....
- 1978–1987: Opel Senator A, Chevrolet Senator, Vauxhall Royale.
- 1987–1994: Opel Senator B, Vauxhall Senator.