Holden has decided to discontinue the Commodore name as of its 2020 line-up, putting an end to a name carrying over 40 years of history in Australia and New Zealand's motoring culture.

Holden announced it was retiring the ZB Commodore and the BK Astra from its 2020 lineup, which now only features SUVs, Utes (pickup trucks) and light commercial vehicles.

The Commodore was first introduced in Australia in 1978, taking the torch from the the long-serving Holden Kingswood family sedan.

The Commodore has been built in Australia from 1978 to 2017, and has the honour of being the country's best-selling car well into the late 1990s.

The Commodore, which can also be seen in station wagon or ute forms, quickly developed a passionate fanbase, partially due to it's Australian-tuned suspension, large interior room and accessibility of parts.

Most enthusiasts and true Holden fans agree, however, that the Commodore name died a couple of years ago, when, in October 2017, Australian manufacturing stopped production of the VF Commodore (pictured).

The ZB Commodore that replaced the VF Commodore was based on the German Opel Insignia.

Kristian Aquilina, Holden's Interim Chairman and Managing Director, has said that the choice to end Commodore name wasn't easy:

"The decision to retire the Commodore nameplate has not been taken lightly by those who understand and acknowledge its proud heritage," he said.
"The large sedan was the cornerstone of Australian and New Zealand roads for decades.

"But now with more choice than ever before, customers are displaying a strong preference for the high driving position, functionality and versatility of SUVs and Utes."

The Holden Commodore 'Ute', an Australian and New Zealand motoring staple. Some performance models of the ute  house a twin-turbo V6, or even a mental 6.2L, 400-and-something kW supercharged V8 beneath the hood, and theres still room for all your tools in the back.

Atrocious new car sales figures are reported for the ZB Commodore, with Holden having projected sell only 8,700 new units in 2019.

At the peak of its power back in 1998, 94,682 new Commodore's were bought in Australia.

Sales and deliveries of Commodore and Astra will continue through 2020 with diminish availability.