REVIEW: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

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Yeow Yi Fan
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REVIEW: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

Post by Yeow Yi Fan » Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:59 am

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Holden have always been synonymous with the automotive landscape of Australia. The company’s origin dates back to the 1850s when James Alexander Holden established his saddlery business in Adelaide. In the ensuing years and decades, Holden’s business and products would evolve from coachbuilding to body fabrication for American and British brands before finally becoming a legitimate Australian automobile designer and manufacturer in the 1940s.

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The Great Depression in the 1930s inflicted massive losses on Holden’s production output and ultimately led to the acquisition by General Motors. Ever since the very first Holden, the 48-215, was released in 1948, the brand with a stone-holding lion was engulfed in an automotive tussle with the Blue Oval. That is until the advent of the major Japanese brands.

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Alas, escalating costs and almost zero import tariffs made Australian car manufacturing very unsustainable. In these days, the best selling cars in Australia are mostly made in Japan or Thailand. Ford Australia closed its factory at Broadmeadows on 7 October 2016. Toyota was able to persevere with its Altona plant that produced Camrys for almost an additional year before subjecting it to permanent closure on 3 October 2017. That is almost 2 weeks before Holden’s plant followed suit.

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To commemorate the first and final Holden Commodores, Biante released this special twin car set in both 1:18 and 1:43 scales.



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This is the single largest parcel yet for me seeing the actual product measures 49 x 36 x 16 cm.

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This commemorative set comes factory-sealed. However, it has not protected the box from some mishap.

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Biante produce almost exclusively Australian vehicles but looking back at the historical product line-up, there seems to be more Holdens than Fords. Not dissimilar to how you can describe BBR and Ferrari.

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With the factory seal removed, the presentation box is only covered by a folded cardboard with artwork.

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Each model is held in place by 4 screws secured to the base and both are further protected by a clear plastic shell. I must confess, it looked so much better on Biante’s webstore than my kitchen floor. I will not deny that the initial impression has been exacerbated by some damages and flaws on both the presentation box and the two Commodores.

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With the clear plastic shell removed, I noticed some peculiar items on the top right corner. Initially thinking they were some diorama pieces, it took me a while to register that those were my rear light components. Fortunately, this was probably caused by insufficient or even no application of adhesive which is an easy fix.

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There are in fact some additional accessories for this twin set. Packed separately in a Ziplock bag is the VFII’s roof antenna and signage denoting its status as the last car manufactured in Australia.

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With the box badly damaged, the idea of displaying the twin set as a whole is discarded. Plus, this takes up considerable space.

What puzzled me was that the delivery cardboard and plastic wrap were both in great shape. So this damage may have come from the production floor instead? How this got passed Biante is anyone’s guess.

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On a positive note, the presentation box does come with a great selection of pictures especially on the VFII rolling down the production line. Not that this matters much to me since the box will be stored for good.



VB Commodore

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The VB Commodore was launched in October 1978 as a successor to the Monaro and HZ full-sizers. To the casual observers who have any vague knowledge of European cars from that period, the VB might appear very familiar. That is because it was based heavily on the Opel Series E Rekord bodyshell. The front section however was modified off the larger Opel Senator in order to accommodate the larger 6- and 8-cylinder engines for the Australian market while making sure it will cope against the harsh environments of Australian roads.

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Specifications for the VB were the standard Commodore followed by the SL and topped off by the SL/E which is the model reviewed here.

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For the top dog SL/E, a 4.2-liter V8 engine was standard while a larger 5.0 was optional. The standard pushrod V8 with 253 cubic inches produced 87kW @ 4,000rpm (~117hp) and 271Nm @ 2,000rpm (~200lb-ft). The more powerful and larger 308 cubic inches made 114kW at the same engine speed (~153hp) with a rated torque of 344Nm at a marginally higher 2,200rpm (~254lb-ft).

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To route power rearwards, you could choose from a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic, regardless of which V8 you opted for. The SL/E was lavishly equipped with plush velour trimming, burred walnut dash, air-conditioning, power steering, Eurovox radio/cassette player and even headlamp wipers. These are impressive specifications to rival the best from Germany from those days.

According to Biante’s literature, the first SL/E that was used by Holden to promote the range in 1978 was painted in this exact Flamenco Red.

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At first glance, the VB presents really well with its handsome design and clever brightwork. This is only Biante’s second release of the VB casting in 1:18 scale after almost a decade. The first VB was released in 2009 in Sandalwood.

The very large headlamps and wipers are certainly prominent as is the chrome bumper.

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Chrome detailing on the bumper continues to the back. This great touch is tarnished a little by the poorly attached dual exhausts. My preliminary assumption was that this flaw was exclusive only to my piece. However, this seems to be present even on the Sandalwood SL/E based on the pictures I could find.

If Biante deserve any credit, they did rectify this on the VC SL/E casting.

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When Holden released the SL/E, the primary focus was more on luxury with added performance not high performance with added luxury. This was evident with all the bells and whistles Holden piled on the VB SL/E. Visual enhancements were achieved with additional chrome detailing and pinstriping.

This otherwise clean silhouette is spoiled by the hood that cannot close properly and worst of all, casting defect on the roof section above the driver’s side.

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To me, the worst deficiency was not the damaged presentation box, poorly aligned exhaust tips and fallen rear lighting set on the VFII, it is the casting defect on the roof at the driver side where there seems to be some “metal deficit”. Basically, even with the door closed, there is still a sizeable gap between the door frame and chrome work running from the A-pillar to the roofline. This is most likely exclusive only to my VB as it was not present on the sample at Biante’s webstore and the Sandalwood SL/Es I could find.

On a more positive note, the pinstriping was done well. Chrome on the side moulding pieces is commendable. Also, kudos to Biante for even producing the door locks.

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A great touch you can find moving to the back is the functioning gas cap.

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Opening this is not easy tough due to the very tight fitment.

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From the frontal view, the VB SL/E looks very classy with its clever brightwork and especially the headlamp wipers. On the flip side, craftsmanship appears a little heavy-handed with heavy adhesive residue between the hood and upper fascia chrome piece. The grille is not perforated and the hood does not close properly on my Commodore.

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Apart from the poor alignment, the exhaust tips also suffer from some clumsy craftsmanship with strong presence of adhesive residue. At least the tips are hollow cylindrical pieces. If you can disregard these flaws, the rear fascia is otherwise amazingly made with exceptional decal application on both sides of the trunk lid. I especially like the “RADIAL TUNED SUSPENSION” emblem on the right.

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The influence of the Opel Senator is most distinctively shown with the front three-quarter view. Speaking of Opel, there was a time when they made some interesting vehicles…

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Another sign of casting issue so far plaguing my VB experience is evident when lifting the hood. The doglegs are so tight that you simply cannot open the hood without holding the model in place. Some adhesive residue is visible on the grille. The positive? At least, the headlamps and indicator lights are well-made and have great depths.

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With the engine bay revealed, I was expecting the optional “5.0 LITRE” instead of the standard “4.2 LITRE”. If this was to honour the actual car Biante referenced and studied for this casting then so be it.

Minor qualms aside, this is a well-crafted engine bay with so many details to look at. All the major ancillaries and components are well laid out while some decals here and there really elevates this space. As the doglegs are such a tight fit, hood prop is not needed at all to keep the hood open.

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The trunk is fitted with doglegs too but operation here is a little easier. You get a spacious compartment that is fully carpeted and also where you would find the full-size spare. Actually that is only a plastic disk, not a full-sizer…

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A red-on-red combination may not be for everyone but I do like it. It certainly suits the VB Commodore and its era. The dashboard is well made while there is a full set of instrumentation. Less well made is my driver seat cushion where the base cushion was not attached properly to the seat frame.

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So far not that good as I am observing so many manufacturing and quality flaws. This is yet another quick fix that was solved by some superglue.

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The door panels, on the other hand, are nothing short of excellent. I have already seen this on the VL Commodore SS acquired a few months ago. Great colour contrasting with an abundance of different materials and trim pieces.

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Most manufacturers struggle with the shift lever, automatic or manual. Biante did an excellent execution here with the shaft just the right girth and the top handle in the right size. The seats here have a very leathery touch to them and feels like the real thing.

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The “leathery” seats continue to the rear passenger compartment. Not many corners were cut here as even the rear door panels have chrome detailing.

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When subjecting the VB to my usual “test drive”, I noticed the model does not roll well. Initial response was “yet another manufacturing issue” which was a wrong diagnosis. To my surprise, the VB comes with a working driveshaft that will roll both rear wheels. The absence of a miniaturized differential and the driveshaft not spinning smoothly affect the “driving” experience.

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This model piece comes equipped with working suspensions. Detailing at the front is great which is typical of Biante models not contracted to AUTOart.

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The VB and VFII are my fifth and sixth Biante models. What I am noticing is that those manufactured by AUTOart have less-detailed undercarriage and less-sophisticated suspensions with minimal travelling.

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On the actual VB Commodore, the limited slip differential was an option on the SL/E. A scaled-down version of that will greatly improve the model’s rolling performance.

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Measuring at 835 grams, the VB Commodore SL/E is no lightweight. Owing much to its relatively compact dimensions, this feels like a very weighty model.

I try my best not to touch the main body when lifting or moving my models so the flared wheel arches on this Commodore are the perfect holding points. 



VFII Commodore

As fate would have it, the very last Holden to be manufactured in Australia also came in red. What’s more, the last Australia-made Commodore would leave the production floor with a proper V8, just like its forebear almost 4 decades back.

The VF Commodore saw production between June 2013 and October 2017. It came with a myriad of bodystyles and engine options aplenty. The entry-level Evoke came equipped with a 3.0-litre V6 while there was also the SV6 with a larger 3.6-litre V6. For those who desire something more premium, there was the Calais or Calais V that were available with either a V6 or a V8 and all had more premium touches and chrome detailing. Of course, any mention of “Commodore” immediately springs to mind the V8-engined SS range. There was the ‘entry-level’ SS followed by the SS V and the ultimate SS V Redline in focus here.

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The Commodore range was so significantly spread out there was also the wagon and ute to choose from. Transmission options were all 6-speeder be it manual or automatic. In September 2015, the VFII was released as an update to the VF which also saw the introduction of the 6.2-litre LS3 V8.

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The Commodore had some brief influences in other continents when it was rebadged as the Chevrolet SS for North America and the Vauxhall VXR8 for the United Kingdom although the latter was fettled heavily by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV).

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I am not totally unfamiliar with this VFII Commodore. It is based on a casting Biante have been fully utilizing in the past. In other words, they have been milking it, a lot.

Having read a review on Diecast Society covering a Heron White SS V Redline I know what to expect from this. What I did not expect is how heavy this model is. This model gives a lot of metal for the money but how does it perform on the emotive and finesse aspects?

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At first glance, this looks well-proportioned and handsomely-designed. The kind of car you will only see in places with wide open roads like Australia. The rear is especially more menacing in looks with the segmented taillights in clear lenses.

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Similar to its VB sibling, the VFII also contains some tolerance mismatch. On the left side, I can only open the front door when the rear door is open.

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To be honest, reviewing this twin set is a roller coaster ride of emotions. One moment you are discovering some pleasant features, then the experience is beset by some quality issues. Case in point the poorly attached exterior door handle of the left rear door. The best way is to pry open the door via the panel line with any available handy tool.

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While the detached rear light housing was an easy fix reattaching it gave me another new problem. Tolerance mismatch again. With the housing in place, I now cannot close the trunk to sit flush.

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There is no denying that the VFII Commodore is a smart-looking car. The “LS3” badging at the lower grille is a great touch. Less great is the Holden emblem that has “dechromed” badly due to abrasion it seems.

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Having a defected emblem affixed at the front is rather unforgiving. The only consolation I can conjure is that the front fascia is fitted with many black components so this defect might not look too glaring at first. Another issue can be seen on the front quarter panel. There is a sizeable gap between the hood, right headlight cover and the front quarter panel. It seems as if the panel piece was casted “short” as this issue is not present on the other side.

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When viewed from the front, the edge of the hood almost aligns perfectly with the left front quarter panel. On the right side however, you can clearly see the front quarter panel “stops” just before the hood edge does.

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When viewed from the side, the scale model appears to have a shorter overhang and the “snout” should be much longer. Some cost cutting is evident on the air vents behind the front wheels where there is no chrome detailing. You do however get some licensed Bridgestone tyres although they look too thick.

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Another eyesore is how astronomically large the front windshield fritting is. This looks at least 3 times larger than it should be.

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With the rear light housing in place, I now face the issue of the trunk not shutting flush. I must confess this may have been due to my poor alignment because the trunk did close perfectly when I reattached the housing temporarily without adhesive. Still, if Biante had done a proper job I would not have messed this beautiful rear up!

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Unlike the VB SL/E, the VFII SS V Redline does not have a functioning gas cap. The window fritting on the sides is also too thick.

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The LS3 V8 produces 304kW @ 5,700rpm (~407hp) and 570Nm @ 4,400rpm (~420lb-ft). This big block can also be found on the C6 Corvette. Unlike Chevrolet, it is such a shame that Holden did not dress up the engine that is worthy of an 8-cylinder powerplant.

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The engine bay here is almost an exact replica of the actual Commodore’s, right down to the yellow and blue fluid caps. Even the left-sided prop strut is included which is commendable.

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The roof-mounted antenna comes separately and adhesive is required to properly affix it. While sunroof is available it is not functional. Also, once you noticed how large the front windshield fritting is you start to see this annoyance everywhere, especially at the rear.

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The interior may look suspiciously familiar because you see very strong resemblance of the Opel Insignia. The interior is pretty drab which comprises mostly of black components and pieces. There are however some metallic effects on the air vents, cup holders and centre console which Biante did not leave out. Also not left out are the metal shift knob and drilled pedals. These touches at least brighten up the interior a few notches.

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The door panels also have plenty of details although the casting could use some additional refinement to make the details more crisp.

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When viewed from the front passenger side, it shows that the shift knob could use some filing for a more refined appearance. The stitching effect on the seats looks quite convincing while the infotainment screen on the console is both clever and praiseworthy.

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In four decades, the Commodore has grown into a proper full-size sedan so it is a given that there is generous room at the back for the rear passengers. The stitching effect continues here.

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At the back, the VFII does have a very cavernous trunk space. Unfortunately, the trunk does not open as much as the real thing, which is usually the problem with dogleg hinges. Other than full carpeting, there is nothing exceptional here.

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The undercarriage of the VFII does not impress as much as the VB. There is no functioning driveshaft but you get the minimal working suspension and detailed exhaust system nonetheless.

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The VFII feels heavy and is indeed heavy. It measures almost exactly 1 kilogram.



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I wrote to my Australian seller to provide these feedbacks. It turns out, Biante acknowledge that there are problems with these products and some customers have even returned their purchases. I have no intention of exchanging mine due to the hassles but even that is impossible as all allocations are sold out. Interestingly, my seller also informed me that there are a few happy ones. Those lucky bastards.

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While both the VB and VFII have their own issues, it is the VFII that leaves me more disappointed. Seeing how significant the subject matter is, I was perhaps too naïve to expect Biante would right the wrongs from the previous six variants. Yes, if my research is correct Red Hot is actually the 6th colour to be based on the same casting. A 7th is on its way being the Director-spec in Son of a Gun Grey. Based on the webstore photos, it seems no changes will be made.

Though Biante did fumble in certain areas on both models, you can always fine delight in either one that may compensate for any shortcoming of the other. A few defects are simply unacceptable on my book like the roof section above the driver for the VB and the front quarter panel of the VFII.

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If there is any consolation at all, it is that these two look fantastic on the display shelf especially in such vibrant red hues. Just do not get too close for inspection.

So there you have it, Biante should have done a much better job of this. I am sure there are many unsatisfied customers especially given the waiting time and the historical significance behind this set.

Honestly, if someone had hot-tipped me in advance about these defects I think I would still have plunged for the set. The thing is, I view them as part of a bigger sum. That way, you can vaguely overlook the problems somewhat even though whichever angle you view the model, there is always a spot where any problem shows. It is just flawed. Such a shame.

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On 20th October 2017, the shift siren at Holden’s Elizabeth plant sounded for the very last time. That signalled not only the closure of the factory, opened in 1963, but also the end of car manufacturing in Australia for good.

Ford and Holden produced some of the fastest and most powerful performance saloons in the world for a fraction of the cost of their German and UK counterparts. As factory workers who would be made redundant concerned about their future livelihoods, car enthusiasts wondered what will replace the homegrown V8 and turbocharged 6-cylinder rear-wheel-drive saloons. Spoiler alert: The Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore never received any worthy successors. The Ford Mondeo was never going to strike a chord with the Blue Oval faithful with its front-driven powertrain and lack of 8-cylinder engines.

The Commodore did not fare any better. Since the last VF, pictured above, was released, Holden introduced the ZB as a direct replacement. The ZB is essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia and fully imported. Like the Ford Mondeo, the ZB is front-driven and can be ordered with only 4 or 6 cylinders. Hardly an emotive combination. It is no surprise that the Commodore suffered its worst sales in 2018 since the very first, the VB, was released in 1982.

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Last edited by Yeow Yi Fan on Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Gavin
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Re: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

Post by Gavin » Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:27 am

Great detailed review. Really enjoyed reading this & I always enjoy seeing comparison shots to the 1:1 cars. We did get the Pontiac GTO & G8 & then the Chevy SS here...all excellent cars.

That's a fantastic set to commemorate Holden. Its too bad GM & Ford felt they had to cease local production.

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Re: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:49 pm

I love the review. Seems the older of the two models is slightly better in detail than the other. Well, that is at least my impression.

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Re: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

Post by Yeow Yi Fan » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:01 pm

Gavin wrote:
Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:27 am
Great detailed review. Really enjoyed reading this & I always enjoy seeing comparison shots to the 1:1 cars. We did get the Pontiac GTO & G8 & then the Chevy SS here...all excellent cars.

That's a fantastic set to commemorate Holden. Its too bad GM & Ford felt they had to cease local production.
Those are surely collectible now! Not a GM guy but I have always have a soft spot for Pontiac. When it was shut I simply lost interest in what GM has to offer nowadays.

Really wonder what the future holds for Holden now that they are under the PSA Group and they are not known for making sporty saloons...
[KRAFTIG] wrote:
Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:49 pm
I love the review. Seems the older of the two models is slightly better in detail than the other. Well, that is at least my impression.
Amazing (and perhaps not surprising) that the 10-year older casting is much more detailed.

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Re: REVIEW: Biante The First and Last Australian Manufactured Commodores Twin Set

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:11 pm

Amazing (and perhaps not surprising) that the 10-year older casting is much more detailed.
Definitely not surprised. Typical nowadays, a shame :shame:

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