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The Holden Statesman is a Full-size Luxury Car produced by the Australian General Motors division Holden since 1971. It was not available between 1985 and 1989. As Of 2006 , it is the largest Rear-wheel Drive Sedan offered by General Motors and sold as a Holden, Chevrolet , Buick and Daewoo in different markets. With the soon to be discontinued Ford Fairlane in Australia, it is popular as a Chauffeur ed Limousine notably by federal and state governments. FIRST GENERATION (1971–1985) See Also: Statesman (automobile) HQ The original HQ Statesman was released on July 22 1971 as a replacement for the Holden Brougham . The first Statesman were based on the short-wheelbase versions of the Holden HQ series. There were two models, the Custom and the de Ville, both marketed under the Statesman marque rather than the Holden name. Engines available in the range were a 202 cubic inch (3.3 L) six cylinder, a 253 cubic inch (4.2 L) V8, a 308 cubic inch (5.0 L) V8 and a 350 cubic inch (5.7 L) V8. The 350 cubic inch Chevrolet -engined model was exported to New Zealand and South Africa as the '''Chevrolet 350'''. HJ Holden updated the range in 1974 with the HJ Statesman, the two models were the Statesman de Ville and the Statesman Caprice, and the six-cylinder option was deleted. The Caprice was the most luxurious car offered by General Motors in Australia at that point, with a push-button AM radio, pile carpet, leather seats, electric locking, power windows and no fewer than 13 interior lamps. HX With the 1976 HX Statesman, a more formal grille was adopted. Emissions' regulations saw a re-tuned 5.0 litre V8. HZ In 1977, General Motors-Holden's introduced the HZ Statesman, which involved a minor cosmetic facelift. However, it had a significant engineering upgrade, along with the rest of the GMH range, involving the adoption of Radial Tuned Suspension, giving the Statesman better handling. The previous Managing Director of GMH, George Roberts had insisted that the Statesman have a high standard of ride comfort (at the expense of ultimate roadholding). (Roberts previously had been the Chief Engineer of the GM Cadillac Division). Prior to HZ, the Statesman's Cadillac style of ride was not to everyone's taste. In 1979, an intermediate SL/E model was launched with a different "egg-crate" Grille and a more sporty positioning. WB The final Statesman of this era was the WB Statesman of 1980. The WB had a six-light body, with a longer, squared-off roofline. The design was by GMH's Chief Stylist, Leo Pruneau . The styling of the WB Statesman was a compromise between achieving a fresh appearance and minimising the cost of redesign, by using panels from the antecedant HZ model. Mid-term 'Series II' revisions came in 1983 before production ceased in 1984 when GMH announced they were vacating the luxury and commercial vehicle fields to build more variations of the lighter, smaller Holden Commodore . At the time, it was thought that the Statesman would be the last all-Australian car from GMH and well kept used models were changing hands in the mid-1980s for more than their final list price. In essence, it was the last Australian produced GMH model that did not have some Opel R&D influences. A full range of WB models including long wheelbase sedans and station wagons bearing the Kingswood and Premier names were planned, but only the Statesman and the commercial models ( Ute , Panel Van and cab-chassis "One Tonner") went into production. The stillborn sedan and wagon models would have shared the front end of the production WB panel van. The sedan used the HZ Statesman long wheel base body with different tail lights. The station wagon was to have used the same tail light assemblies as the ute and panel van. SECOND GENERATION (1990–1999) VQ See Also: Holden VQ Statesman In 1990, demand for a full-size luxury sedan in Australia saw Holden resurrect the name on a long-wheelbase version of its Holden Commodore , which in turn was a heavily revised and enlarged Opel Omega B. The Holden VQ Statesman of 1990 to 1994 featured a 5.0 L engine. Holden made many efforts to distinguish the Statesman from the Commodore, with a formal grille and a very different glasshouse reminiscent of contemporary GM products such as the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme , all while incorporating the doors and lights from the lower models. Both Statesman and Caprice (not Statesman Caprice) models were offered and were equipped with IRS , a year before its introduction on higher-end Commodores. The de Ville name was not resurrected. VR The Holden VR Statesman followed in 1994, following the model change of the standard Commodore and incorporating their engineering improvements as well as sheet metal changes. VS The Holden VS Statesman followed in 1995, again following the model change of the standard Commodore. The VS saw the introduction of a supercharged V6 engine. Revisions ('Series II' and 'Series III') came in September 1996 and June 1998. A limited-edition Statesman International was briefly offered. THIRD GENERATION (1999–2006) WH The next Holden WH Statesman followed two years after the launch of the all-new ) were again shared with the mainstream Commodore. Since the WH, which was engineered for right- and Left-hand Drive , the Statesman has been exported to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Caprice . WK A revised Holden WK Statesman was launched in 2003, with a facelift. The rear lights were now separated by sheetmetal, with a single badge in the centre, rather than visually joined with a horizontal strip of plastic. The front end was more squared off. The Middle East followed the same model change with its Chevrolet Caprice. WL The Holden WL Statesman was released in August 2004. In 2005, GM began exporting the Statesman to the People's Republic Of China , where it is badged as the '''Buick Royaum'''. The Royaum was initially equipped with a new Alloytec 3.6 L V6 Alloytec engine, with the 2.8 L to follow. South Korea n exports began in the summer of 2005, with the same engines. They are sold through the GM Daewoo network and marketed as the '''Daewoo Statesman'''. The V8 is still offered in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, and on limited exports to the UK under the HSV brand. FOURTH GENERATION (2006–PRESENT) WM See Also: Holden WM Statesman The Holden WM Statesman was announced alongside the VE Commodore on July 16, 2006 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. With the Statesman's export plans, it was felt that its launch should be simultaneous with that of the Commodore, rather than months later, as had been the convention. The development programme for the VE and WM had cost General Motors A$1 billion, and previewed the company's Zeta architecture. It no longer shares a base with an Opel sedan and according to Holden boss Denny Mooney, it is an all-Australian effort. As with its predecessor, the Statesman will be exported as the Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Royaum and Daewoo Statesman. The Buick may be exported as CKD kits for assembly in the People's Republic of China. It is possible General Motors may export the Buick Royaum to the United States as a next generation Buick LaCrosse. The WM Statesman has rear doors that are unique to it and the Holden Caprice. Previously, it had to share the doors, or at least the lower parts, with the lesser Commodore. Holden has tried to create greater differentiation between the Statesman and the Commodore on which it is based. SAFETY In Australia, 1982-2003 Statesmans were assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006. {Link without Title}
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