WB Statesman Respray
This WB Statesman came into Finest Restorations for detailing and touch up. Upon the owner realising Finest Restorations’ ability and potential to totally transform the vehicle a quote was provided, and a detailed discussion took place where the owner more than happily agreed and gave the go-ahead for a close door respray and a few minor touch-ups inside door apertures, engine bay and inside boot reproducing a factory finish. The team got straight to work stripping and prepping the vehicle and getting in primer. We then prepped and painted the vehicle and then the final stage was to cut, buff and polish the vehicle for a flawless finish.
Vehicle Specs
Make – Holden WB Statesman
Year – 1980
Colour – Atlantis Blue
Engine – 308 5L Carburettor
Gearbox – 3 Speed Tri-Matic
The final series to be marketed under the Statesman marque was the Statesman WB. Released in May 1980, the WB series was offered in Statesman De Ville and Statesman Caprice models. 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. 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 ancient HZ model. Production comprised 5,450 De Villes and 3,055 Caprices.
WB Series II models were released in September 1983 with fundamentally cosmetic changes, except for the introduction of a front bench seat (six-passenger) option for De Ville buyers. In late 1984 General Motors-Holden announced that it intended to vacate the big-car market to concentrate on production of luxury versions of the Holden Commodore. Series II production comprised 4,269 De Villes and 1,153 Caprices.
In addition to the Statesman WB, a range of Holden WB passenger vehicles were prototyped along the lines of pre-existing HZ series vehicles, but only the commercial models (ute, panel van and cab-chassis “One Tonner”) actually went into production from 1980 through 1984.
