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Concept
Holden Caprice (VQ)
Summary
The Holden Caprice (VQ) and Holden Statesman (VQ) were Holden's top-of-the-line luxury sedans produced between 1990 and 1994. It was the first Statesman to be based on the Commodore line. The rear end was an all-new design, with independent rear suspension.
They were positioned against Ford Australia's Fairlane and LTD.
The VQ Statesman was used as an official car by government ministers in Australia, and some were also converted into hearses for funerals or limousines.
Series I Statesmans were released in March 1990, whilst the Series II were released in December 1991. There was a further update in late 1993.
After General Motors Holdens ended production of the WB Statesman in 1984, Ford was left to market its Fairlane and LTD with no local competition. It was another six years before Holden released another long wheelbase sedan. Unlike the Ford NA Fairlane, Holden focused mainly on creature comforts and mechanical improvements in the VQ rather than appearance. Holden had plans to work on the appearance further, but it would have pushed the production schedule back a further six months.
Criticisms of the car looking too much like a Commodore in a dinner suit meant that Holden spent a considerable amount of time on the successor, the VR Statesman, re-designing its panels to look unique.
Originally, the car was going to have an analogue clock in place of the current climate control module, however the late 1980s fascination with digital clocks caused them to change their mind and place a digital clock in the roof instead. Holden was not the only manufacturer to do this – others such as Rolls-Royce also did so with the Silver Spirit. The climate control module would have been mounted in the pocket below the stereo headunit if they had gone with the analogue clock.
The Statesman had a number of changes to the bodywork to set it aside from the Commodore. It was based on the longer station wagon wheelbase which made the car physically larger than the Commodore sedan and improved rear legroom.
Official source
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