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The Holden Caprice is a full-size car which has been produced by Holden in Australia since 1990. The similar Holden Statesman, which was also introduced in 1990, was discontinued in September 2010. Between 1971 and 1984, Holden marketed their long-wheelbase sedans under the Statesman marque. The Statesman and Caprice are essentially long-wheelbase variants of the Commodore range and, as of 2006, were the largest rear-wheel drive sedans offered by GM. Internationally, Statesmans and Caprices have been sold as the rebadged Buick Royaum, Daewoo Statesman and Chevrolet Caprice. In addition, there have been the rebadged and subsequently Chinese-built Buick Park Avenue and the Bitter Vero, a rebodied version from Germany. The main difference between the Statesman and the Caprice lies within their equipment packages. Moreover, Caprices are commonly powered by V8 engines rather than V6s and, whilst modern Caprices may be mistaken as fully specified versions of the cheaper Statesman, the two were separate Holden models in the past. Appearance wise, Caprices can be distinguished by their unique interior and exterior trim such as the grille insert. In addition to the large V8 engine, in latter years the Caprice suspension was often more sport-orientated as from the WH series. Holden Special Vehicles has modified a version of the Caprice called the HSV Grange since 1996 with styling and performance enhancements. Previously, HSV has offered HSV Statesman and HSV Caprice models in the same tradition. Traditionally in Australia, the Statesman and Caprice have been direct rivals to the Ford Fairlane and LTD, respectively. However, Ford's decision to discontinue these models in 2008 left Holden without direct competition at pricing point occupied, at least until the launch of the Hyundai Genesis in 2015. As announced by Holden in 2014, its entire Australian production comprising the Caprice will cease in 2017.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Bad News From Oz: No More Holden Caprice After 2017 )〕 == Statesman (HQ–WB; 1971–1984) == (詳細はwheelbase range through a separate Statesman marque, absent of all "Holden" branding.〔Luck (1971), p. 62.〕〔Wright (1998), p. 336. "Back in 1971 when the HQ Statesman was launched, the name Holden was not even applied. Ridiculously, GM-H's marketing people wanted to convince the public that somehow 'Statesman' was a marque rather than a model."〕 These original vehicles, were sold through the General Motors-Holden's dealership channel, and were based on the mainstream Kingswood/Premier range, offering more luxury, additional length, and styling to differentiate it from the smaller donor cars.〔Wright (1998), p. 209. "...although the ineffective Brougham luxury model was replaced by the Statesman, which used a longer wheelbase and featured styling that set it more clearly apart from the smaller models."〕 The first of such cars were introduced in 1971 as the HQ series Statesman, replacing the short-lived Holden Brougham.〔Bebbington (1998), p. 40. "The all-new HQ series Holden was GM-H's most important new model range to date. () The Brougham was replaced by the all-new Statesman...".〕 Subsequent HJ, HX and HZ models were updates to the original HQ bodywork,〔Bebbington (1998), p. 52. "GM-H () released the HZ series in October 1977, this being the fourth version of the HQ/HJ/HX body style."〕 as was the final WB series which introduced a new six-window glasshouse.〔Robinson (1980), p. 25. "...the WB has gained an extra windows in the C-pillar...".〕 WB represented the most significant update yet, with only the front doors and bonnet common with the HZ sheetmetal.〔Bebbington (1998), p. 56. "() Statesmans were more than minor facelift of the HZ. They had virtually all-new exterior sheetmetal, with only the front doors and bonnet carrying over from their predecessors."〕 Notwithstanding these alterations, the WB fell short of great market success, that is, until 1984 when production cessation was announced, generating a rapid sales ascent. For Holden, the decision had been made—the line's discontinuance was irreversible.〔Davis, Wright (1994), p. 10–11. "...the days of the big Holden were short numbered. Late in 1984 GM-H announced it was vacating the big car field... Incredibly, sales of Statesman were on the rapid ascendent when production was stopped in 1984. However, GM-H was already irreversibly locked into the decision to discontinue the model line."〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Holden Caprice」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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