how they got the letters for year models

[giddyup]

Hi everyone.I used to know this off the back of my hand but now have forgot.Can anyone tell me how they got the letters for each holden.
I remember there was a chart and it worked of numbers and whatever year the car fell on that is what they named it.
I hope this makes sense to someone.
Regards Mark.

[mcl1959]

First letter denotes decade of intended release
ie F = 50's, E = 60's
Second letter denotes year of intended release
K = 1, J = 2, H = 3, G = 4, F = 5, E = 6, D = 7, C = 8, B = 9, A = 0

Therefore FE = 1956, EH = 1963

Regards  Ken

[giddyup]

Thanks Ken,
I knew you would come through with the goods.

[ratbox]

did they change the formula or stop using it after EH, HD '65 or '66, HR '67, HK '68

[RET]

They did stop using the formula after the EH.

Remember the early 60s brought local competition from Ford and Chrysler. The old backwards letter system was well understood, and a broken code is no code at all. Its continued use would have put Holden at a competitive disadvantage, as the other manufacturers would know when Holden intended to implement something substantial. (For example the HR was the first Holden to have seat-belts as standard IIRC, and the first to have a 4-speed. Had the old system remained, the HR would have been the EE, and a competitor would know Holden intended to introduced these things in 1966 if they heard the relevant model code "on the grapevine".)

The HD is named for the Managing Director of the time, David Hegland. Throughout the "H" series they used random letter codes, and then with the the "V" series the codes were alphabetical, with random gaps. (Although you probably could have guessed the VC Commodore would not be followed by the VD )

cheers
RET

[FCwagon]

It's always intrigued me why Holden chose the V series as it was previously a Chrysler naming code and I didn't think manufacturers would want to have the public confusing them. Valiants went from VC to VH (also missing out on the VD) so as Holden have now got VE, I'm guessing the next model Commodore will be VF?

[RET]

I don't know the definitive answer Leigh, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that it's probably related to the fact that the original Holden Commodore was based on the Opel "V platform", as used on Opel Senators, Rekords and indeed, Commodores.

cheers
RET

[ratbox]

thanks that cleared that up

(Although you probably could have guessed the VC Commodore would not be followed by the VD )

cheers
RET

although they are great cars for getting around in going shopping etc but i think all commodores should be coded VD

i saw on ebay a guy trying to sell one once he claimed was a factory mistake that was tagged as a VD, had a pic in the add with VD clearly stamped on the tag although somebody could have doctored it

[DN2168]

Yep...I'd get doctored if I was stamped "VD"