1984 Holden WB Statesman DeVille Sedan

Description

Holden's final series of long-wheelbase luxury models to be marketed under the Statesman brand was the WB Statesman introduced in 1980. As with previous Statesmans, GMH did not use the Holden name in the badging or the official sales literature. The WB had a six-light body, with a longer, squared-off roofline designed 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 antecedent 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 Commodore. As a result, well-kept used WB Statesman Caprice models were changing hands in the mid-1980s for more than their final list price. A full range of WB models including long wheelbase sedans and station wagons bearing the Kingswood and Premier nameplates were planned, but only the Statesman and the Ute, panel van and cab-chassis "One Tonner" commercial models went into production. Today these V8-powered, automatic long wheelbase cars are sought after as the last of a long line which wasn't reborn until the completely new VQ Statesman and Caprice range of 1990.