The frontal appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics.

Mechanical specifications were as before, except for an additional five-speed manual transmission which was an option only (due to the limits of the transmission-box) on the 1.9-litre four-cylinder and 2.85-litre straight six versions.

Offered with Holden's 4.2 L V8 as standard, the factory SS was supplemented by three up-spec versions produced by Peter Brock's HDT Special Vehicles company.

These cars featured automatic transmission and air-conditioning as part of a Commodore SL package, but had no distinguishable external identification badges.

With the effects of the 1979 energy crisis ending, buyers gravitated towards the larger Ford Falcon rival, rather than the mid-size Commodore.

[4] After having been absent from the Malaysian market for nearly a decade, Almas Motors Corporation (AMC) brought the Holden brand back in 1983 with the VH Commodore.

Unfortunately controversy reigned as the Holden Dealer Team attempted to run Peter Brock's car with yet-to-be homologated parts.

The Commodore was still a major force in the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship with both Grice and Brock each winning two of the eight round series.

Moffat won four of the eight rounds, and with the emergence of the smaller capacity Nissan Bluebird turbo of George Fury, Brock and Grice finished only 3rd and 4th at the end of the championship.

Peter Brock set pole position at the 1983 James Hardie 1000 (VH Commodores filled seven of the top 10 spots on the grid), and although his own car suffered a rare engine failure on lap 8 of the race, he and Perkins then moved into the team's second car with its lead driver John Harvey to go on and win the race.