title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: During the late 1960s, Terre'Blanche increasingly opposed what he called the "liberal policies" of B. J. Vorster, then Prime Minister of South Africa. After four years of service in the South African Police, he resigned to pursue a career in politics, running unsuccessfully for local office in Heidelberg as a member of the far-right Herstigte Nasionale Party.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Disillusioned with the established avenues for political participation, Terre'Blanche founded the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) in Heidelberg with six other individuals in 1973. Initially a secret society, the AWB first appeared on the public scene after its members were charged and fined in connection with the tarring and feathering of Floors van Jaarsveld, a professor of history who had publicly voiced the opinion that the Day of the Vow, a religious public holiday in remembrance of the Battle of Blood River, was nothing more than a secular event with hardly any real reference point in history. Although Terre'Blanche would later express his regrets regarding the incident when testifying before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he suggested that his convictions relating to the sanctity of the Day of the Vow might make his actions more understandable. In the years that followed, Terre'Blanche's speeches at public gatherings often evoked the Battle of Blood River, and his oratorical skills earned him much support among the white right wing in South Africa; the AWB claimed 70,000 members at its height. In September 1977, Johannesburg newspaper "The World" reported that Terre'Blanche had been investigated on charges of bestiality involving a number of African bushpigs.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Throughout the 1980s, Terre'Blanche continued to present himself and the AWB as an alternative to both the National Party-led government and the Conservative Party, and he remained staunchly opposed to the reform policies of P. W. Botha to establish additional, albeit still separate, parliamentary chambers for non-whites, and to grant suffrage to Coloureds and South Africans of Indian origin. The organisation's strongest support was found in the rural communities of South Africa's North, with comparably few supporters in urban areas where his following was largely limited to middle and lower-income Afrikaners.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche viewed the end of apartheid as a surrender to communism, and threatened full-scale civil war if President F. W. de Klerk handed power to Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress. When De Klerk addressed a meeting in Terre'Blanche's hometown of Ventersdorp in 1991, Terre'Blanche led a protest, and the Battle of Ventersdorp ensued between the AWB and the police, with a number of people killed. Terre'Blanche claimed that it was only when he stood between the police and the AWB and demanded a ceasefire that the shooting ended. Terre'Blanche accused President de Klerk of instigating the riot for political gain.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In an attempt to disrupt the negotiation process in 1993, Terre'Blanche led an armed invasion of the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park while negotiations to end apartheid were in progress. After a memorandum of grievances was presented to National Party minister Roelf Meyer and Dawie de Villiers and after an agreement that no arrests would be made, the AWB withdrew from the premises. That evening several identified AWB leaders were arrested and their wives were incarcerated in Soweto, separately from their husbands. Vlakplaas General Krappies Engelbrecht was appointed to launch an investigation.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche claimed he and President Lucas Mangope of the predominantly ethnic Tswana Homeland of Bophuthatswana came to a "mutual agreement" on 17 February 1992 to aid each other in the "event of a communist threat". On 4 March 1994 Mangope announced that Bophutatswana would not participate in the South African general election in an effort to maintain Bophutatswana's independence from the Republic of South Africa. Bophuthatswana's minister of justice, Godfrey Mothibe tried in vain to convince Mangope to participate in the election, but then accused the ANC of orchestrating the revolt, which was helped by the stance taken by South Africa's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pik Botha. Thousands of ANC supporters were bussed in from outside Bophuthatswana to support the popular uprising. Terre'Blanche claimed a conspiracy by citing a "three-step plan" by the ANC in an effort to destabilise Bophuthatswana, which included ANC infiltration of the Bophuthatswana police and military. However, ANC candidate for the North West Province, Popo Molefe claimed the ANC was merely supporting the people of Bophuthatswana after it became clear that their political freedoms were limited.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: The AWB were subsequently defeated while invading Bophuthatswana to prop up the autocratic leader of the Bantustan in 1994 and Terre'Blanche did not follow up on his earlier threats of war.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche claimed he had personally communicated with Mangope on 10 March 1994, prior to mobilising his men to protect the capital Mmabatho against looting and unrest. Officers of the Bophuthatswana Defence Force initially received the AWB militia with "great joy and surprise".(Vuur en Verraad, Arthur Kemp) The AWB militia assembled in an airport hangar in Mmabatho, where they were to be provided with rations and firearms. Terre'Blanche ordered his men to remove their AWB badges upon the request of the Bophuthatswana Defence Force. While contained at the hangar, an unidentified and independent faction carrying the AWB emblems started shooting indiscriminately at the public. Terre'Blanche concluded that the South African intelligence services may have set up the shooting in order to discredit the AWB, since the media broadcast footage of the individuals' emblems, but did not publicise their identity. The Bophuthatswana police systematically began to remove the media from strategic locations, and the initial hospitality shown to the AWB militia was replaced by contempt. When Bophuthatswana fell into complete anarchy, the AWB withdrew.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche was the subject of the television documentary "The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife" (1991), directed by British filmmaker Nick Broomfield. Broomfield's documentary claimed Terre'Blanche had an affair with Jani Allan, the journalist who had interviewed him for South Africa's "Sunday Times"; an assertion she disputed as well as her portrayal in the documentary. This provoked a scandal in the AWB. In July 1989, Cornelius Lottering, a member of the breakaway Orde van die Dood group, orchestrated a failed assassination attempt on Allan's life by placing a bomb outside her Sandton apartment.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: This led to Allan taking libel proceedings against the documentary broadcaster Channel 4 in 1992 in the London's High Court. During the court hearings, several transcripts of their alleged sexual relationship appeared in the South African and British press. Terre'Blanche submitted a sworn statement to the London court denying he had had an affair with Allan. In a rare interview with the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper "Die Rapport", his wife Martie Terre'Blanche denounced the rumours. Although the judge found that Channel 4's allegations had not defamed Allan, he did not rule on whether or not there had been an affair. The South African business newspaper "Financial Mail" published a lead story on 6 August detailing the theory that F.W. de Klerk had orchestrated the libel case to discredit Terre'Blanche and the far right movement in South Africa. Allan has continued to dismiss the claims.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Following the end of apartheid, Terre'Blanche and his supporters sought amnesty for the storming of the World Trade Centre, the 'Battle of Ventersdorp', and other acts.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In 2004, he was voted No. 25 in SABC3's "Great South Africans", a list of 100 South African personalities. Controversy over the list led the SABC to cancel the television series.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche was much ridiculed after he was filmed falling off his horse during a parade in Pretoria. After his murder, the state-owned SABC said on the evening news that he would be remembered "as a failed horseman". Terre'Blanche claimed the media only showed part of the fall and explained that unedited footage of the incident would show that the horse had slipped. He accused the media of double standards in reporting when praising Mbhazima Shilowa when he fell from, but immediately remounted his horse.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Broomsfield's sequel to his 1991 documentary, "His Big White Self", was first broadcast in February 2006. Terre'Blanche was also interviewed by Louis Theroux in episode 3.3 "Boer Separatists" of the BBC series "Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends", and was characterized during the episode by Theroux speaking to a former follower of Terre'Blanche as "very hostile, deeply racist".


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In March 2008, the AWB announced the re-activation of the political party for 'populist' reasons, citing the encouragement of the public. Reasons for the return have been attributed principally to attacks on commercial farmers and ethnic Boers, the electricity crisis, corruption across government departments and rampant crime. Throughout April 2008, Terre'Blanche was to be the speaker at several AWB rallies, encompassing Vryburg, Middelburg, Mpumalanga and Pretoria.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: He had been calling for a "free Afrikaner republic", and vowed to take his campaign to the United Nations' International Court of Justice in The Hague in a bid to secure this. He favoured large tracts of land that he claimed had been purchased from the ethnic Swazis in the eastern portion of the South African Republic, from the Zulus in northern Natal, and others, as well as largely uninhabited portions of the interior that had been settled by the Voortrekkers. In June 2008, it was announced that the AWB Youth Wing would be launched and Terre'Blanche was to be its founding member.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In a video interview in 2008, he voiced his objection to a proposal to change the Springbok emblem of the South Africa national rugby union team (Springboks). He stated that the Springbok emblem could be replaced with an impala or kudu for sports teams representing the new Afrikaner republic.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In September 2009, he addressed a three-day convention attended by 300 Afrikaners which was intended to develop a strategy for ""Boer liberation"". Terre'Blanche reinforced earlier claims for land in Northern Natal and the Eastern Transvaal. In October 2009 several right-wing groups led by Terre'Blanche outlined their future plans at a Ventersdorp meeting. In an interview with the "Mail and Guardian" he said he wanted to unite 23 organisations under one umbrella, in order to take, as he had vowed, the fight of "the free Afrikaner" to the International Court of Justice.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In an interview with the "Mail and Guardian", he stated that he would publish his biography, "Blouberge van Nimmer" ("The Blue Mountains of Long Ago"), in December 2009. The biography was ready for press at the time of his death and published under the name "My Storie", as told to author Amos van der Merwe. A complaint was lodged in December 2009 with the South African Human Rights Commission regarding inflammatory comments he was alleged to have made.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: On 17 June 2001, Terre'Blanche was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served three years, for assaulting John Ndzima, a petrol station worker, and the attempted murder of Paul Motshabi, a security guard, in 1996. Terre'Blanche denied both accusations.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: One of only three whites in the Rooigrond prison near Mafikeng, during his time in prison he claimed to have become a born-again Christian and to have moderated many of his racist views.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: The assault on Ndzima occurred after a confrontation over Ndzima's testimony against two white boys who had broken into a pharmacy in Ventersdorp. Terre'Blanche said that he merely argued with Ndzima after the burglary, questioning Ndzima's claims to have seen the burglars. According to Terre'Blanche, during the argument his dog broke loose and chased Ndzima. Terre'Blanche asked the state prosecution to explain why there was no blood on his overall after the alleged assault. He claimed that a bogus case had been built against him in order to "bury the conservative element of Afrikaner-nationalism in the shallow grave of injustice". The court rejected his claims, concluding that Terre'Blanche had assaulted Ndzime as retribution for testifying against whites. Terre'Blanche later pointed out that his defence attorney suddenly resigned as a member of the ultra-conservative white Conservative Party's Volksraad and joined the ANC shortly after the conclusion of the court case.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Security Guard Paul Motshabi was permanently disabled when he was beaten in 1996. He was crippled and intellectually impaired by brain damage sustained in the attack, and his wife left him. He was one of 16 victims of violence in the South Africa's North West who received new houses as part of the national government's campaign to mark 16 days of activism against violence against women and children.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche also maintained his innocence in the Motshabi case, stating that he had discovered Motshabi already beaten in a park while patrolling Ventersdorp, after which he took him to hospital. Although he was not present when the alleged attack happened, Gabriel Kgosimang, an ex-employee of Terre'Blanche, testified that his former employer had repeatedly beaten Motshabi over the head, upper body, neck and shoulders after he crashed into him with his vehicle. The official medical report only cites a single hit to the head.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche was released on 11 June 2004. The AWB website continued to claim that these accusations, along with other scandals involving him, were fabricated by the "Black Government and the left wing media". Terre'Blanche subsequently stated that a policeman had identified the real attackers of Motshabi. The names were supposedly contained in a sealed envelope and kept in safekeeping with instructions given that this information would be released in case something "unnatural" should happen to him. These names have not yet been released, despite the murder of Terre'Blanche.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Prior to the 1994 multi-racial elections, Terre'Blanche's Afrikaans-language works were on the state syllabus of Natal schools. Upon his release from jail, he quoted Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud". He had previously released a CD of his poetry collection and most recently a DVD. The DVD was named "Inktrane", which is directly translated to English as "ink tears". This DVD was released through 11.3% Motion Pictures (Pty) Ltd.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche, who had lived in relative obscurity since the decline of his organisation, was murdered on his farm "Villana", just outside Ventersdorp, on 3 April 2010. He was beaten and hacked to death with pipes and "panga" machetes whilst napping. His body was found on his bed with severe facial and head injuries. His murder has been categorised as a typical and notable case of South African farm attacks.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: South African President Jacob Zuma, who followed up an overnight statement with a televised address called for calm and for "responsible leadership" following the murder, describing it as a "terrible deed;" and described the murderer as "cowardly." Zuma's words were echoed by the AWB and organisations including AfriForum and Solidarity. Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa, Commissioner of police Bheki Cele and other high ranking police officials and politicians visited Terre'Blanche's family in Ventersdorp the morning after the murder to express sympathy with the family.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Two males, Chris Mahlangu, aged 28, and Patrick Ndlovu, aged 15, were arrested. Both were employees at Terre'Blanche's farm. They were both charged with murder, and one was released on bail. Terre'Blanche's daughter Bea told the media that the two workers had not been paid for March because her father could not get his banking in order before the Easter weekend, and that an arrangement had been made to pay them after the weekend. She stated that he had enjoyed a good relationship with his employees, which had been strengthened by their work with animals on the farm.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Chris Mahlangu's announcement to other farm workers that he was "now their boss" fuelled suspicions that the murder was politically motivated. The murder took place amid a racial controversy in South Africa involving the singing of a song by African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema, which includes the lyrics "Shoot the Boer" (""Dubul' ibhunu""). The ANC, which had previously defended its right to sing the song, announced that it would consider a moratorium on the singing of the song, following the murder, in the interests of national cohesion. Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said that the murder would "inflame tensions" in South Africa. Malema denied the song had anything to do with the murder, and defended his singing of it, saying he was "ready to die", and that he was not scared of Boers, in reference to threats, later retracted, that Terre'Blanche would be avenged. ANC leaders later announced a temporary ban on the singing of the song.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Thousands attended Terre'Blanche's funeral, held at noon on 9 April 2010 at Ventersdorp's Protestant Church. Later the same day, he was buried on his farm.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: The two suspects appeared in court in Ventersdorp on 6 April 2010 amid racially charged scenes, and were charged with murder, robbery and "crimen injuria", for injuring the dignity of Terre'Blanche by leaving his trousers pulled down after killing him. The AWB retracted earlier calls to avenge the murder as Zuma appealed for peace. Nevertheless, members of the ANC supported the accused by turning up at the court in huge numbers, and singing revolutionary songs. Terre'Blanche's supporters also turned up at the court, singing the former South African national anthem, "Die Stem van Suid Afrika".


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: On 22 May 2012, 29-year-old Chris Mahlangu was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. 18-year-old Patrick Ndlovu, the other man accused in the case, was acquitted of murder due to a lack of forensic evidence, though he was found guilty of breaking-in. They had both pleaded not guilty, and declined to testify. Protesters from both sides were gathered outside the court when the verdict was read. Judge John Horn ruled that there was no evidence that Mahlangu had been acting in self-defence, and that the murder had been committed for financial reasons. Although Mahlangu claimed that he had been raped, Horn declared that if that was the case he should have raised it immediately, which he never did. He also claimed that he had been acting in retaliation because he had been living in an "appalling condition... not fit for human habitation," as well as having experienced child exploitation on the farm.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: In Harry Turtledove's 1992 science fiction novel "The Guns of the South", Eugene Terre'Blanche is fictionalised as the minor character Eugen Blankaard, whose name is a literal Afrikaans translation. This character, a historian of AWB, does not appear directly, but his writings are read by other characters. A poster of Terre'Blanche appears in the 1992 Australian drama "Romper Stomper", about a neo-Nazi group in suburban Melbourne.


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Terre'Blanche is the subject of two Nick Broomfield documentaries: "The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife" and "His Big White Self".


title: Eugène Terre'Blanche

text: Louis Theroux interviewed Terre'Blanche in 2000 as part of his "Weird Weekends" documentary on the Boer.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Kushi ( Happiness) is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by S. J. Suryah


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: The film is released on 27 April 2001. It was a major commercial success, earning 27 crore at the box office.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: The film opens when Madhu and Siddhu are born. Madhu's family is based in Kaikaluru of Andhra Pradesh and Siddhu's family is from Kolkata. As babies, Madhu and Siddhu meet in a shopping complex.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Madhu and her father love each other dearly. Madhu's father wants her daughter to get married and wanted to keep his son-in-law with them and so that his daughter will not leave him. However, her groom elopes with his girlfriend, apologizing to Madhu that he did not want to ruin another girl's life.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Siddhu receives a visa for higher studies in Canada, his car met with an accident on his way to airport, which results him hospitalized for a period. Coincidentally, he receives Madhu's blood. Madhu's convinces her father to go for higher studies and not be bothered with marriage. Sidhu cannot make it to Canada and joins the same college as Madhu. Incidentally, they meet in a temple. They become good friends, while also helping Madhu's friend, Shanti, and Siddu's friend, Babu, who are in love. Shanti's father is a big goon, and Madhu and Siddhu ensure that Shanti and Babu do not reveal their love to Shanti's father and get into any trouble. One day while Madhu is studying for exams, Siddhu happens to come. Madhu's sari moves in the breeze, revealing her navel. Siddhu ogles it. Madhu accuses Siddhu of ogling, and Siddhu denies it. An argument breaks out leading to them accusing each other of hiding their feelings for the other. They end their friendship.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: After the summer holidays, Shanti's dad finds out about Babu. Madhu and Siddhu meet again for the sake of their friend's love. In the course of getting Babu and Shanti together, they realize they love each other.They try to confess each other but they miss still they manage to give their co-passengers the letter they read each other letters


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Later it showed After 10 years Madhu and Siddu got married and has 17 kids including one triplets and others twins also Madhu being pregnant The movie ends with their whole family being interviewed for their Guinness Record of having 17 kids in 10 years


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: S. J. Suryah first narrated the script to Pawan Kalyan when they considered Jyothika and Ameesha Patel for the Tamil version. While Jyothika committed more Tamil films, Kalyan and Patel were shooting for "Badri" (2000) during that time. Kalyan who immediately accepted the film postponed his other commitments and gave preference to "Kushi"."


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: As Kalyan insisted on additional fight sequences in the film, Suryah asked Kalyan to direct them as he did not feel them necessary to the story. Kalyan also went on to direct three songs, namely, "Ye Mera Jahan," "Premante Suluvu Kaaduraa" and "Aaduvari Matalaku." The introduction song of the actress in the Tamil version was also replaced to accommodate the protagonist's introduction.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Years later, Suryah narrated the sequel's storyline to Kalyan but the plans were dropped as Kalyan became busy in politics.


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: Mani Sharma composed the soundtrack of the film. The audio was released in CDs for the time in Telugu along with cassettes by Aditya Music. A classic song called "Aaduvari Maatalaku", written by Pingali from the film "Missamma", was remixed by Mani Sharma with vocals by Murali. Other lyricists are A.M. Ratnam, Abbas Tyrewala, Chandra Bose, Pingali and Suddala Ashok Teja. The songs "Ammaye Sannaga" and "Ye Mera Jaha" were reused as "Achchacho Punnagai" and "Kadhal Oru" in the Tamil movie Shahjahan (2001) while "Cheliya Cheliya" was reused as "Sagiyea Sagiyea" in the Tamil movie Youth (2002).


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: "Idlebrain.com" rated the film 4.5/5 and called it a "One man show" of Pawan Kalyan. The reviewer also appreciated the screenplay by SJ Suryah. "Sify" rated the film 3/5 and also called it "an out and out Pavan Kalyan film, which totally depends on his larger than life image".


title: Kushi (2001 film)

text: "Kushi" was successful at the box office. The film had a 50-day theatrical run in 101 centres and a 100-day run in 79 centres. The film grossed 27 crore at the box office by the end of its theatrical run.


title: Theonomy

text: Theonomy, from "theos" (God) and "nomos" (law), is a hypothetical Christian form of government in which society is ruled by divine law. Theonomists hold that divine law, particularly the judicial laws of the Old Testament, should be observed by modern societies.


title: Theonomy

text: The precise definition of theonomy is the presumption that the Old Covenant judicial laws given to Israel have not been abrogated, and therefore all civil governments are morally obligated to enforce them (including the specific penalties). Theonomy holds that all civil governments must refrain from coercion in areas where Scripture has not prescribed their intervention (the "regulative principle of the state").


title: Theonomy

text: Thomas Aquinas held that "if a sovereign were to order these judicial precepts to be observed in his kingdom, he would not sin." Some have mistakenly referred to this as "General Equity Theonomy" but it is in fact distinct from theonomy insofar as Aquinas believed the specifics of the Old Testament judicial laws were no longer binding. He instead taught that the judicial precepts contained varying degrees of universal principles of justice that reflected natural law.


title: Theonomy

text: In Christian reconstructionism, theonomy is the idea that God provides the basis of both personal and social ethics in the Bible. Theonomic ethics asserts that the Bible has been given as the abiding standard for all human government – individual, family, church, and civil – and that biblical Law must be incorporated into a Christian theory of biblical ethics.


title: Theonomy

text: Some critics see theonomy as a significant form of dominion theology, which they define as a type of theocracy. Theonomy posits that the biblical law is applicable to civil law, and theonomists propose biblical law as the standard by which the laws of nations may be measured, and to which they ought to be conformed.


title: Theonomy

text: Various theonomic authors have stated such goals as "the universal development of Biblical theocratic republics," exclusion of non-Christians from voting and citizenship, and the application of Biblical law by the state. Under such a system of biblical law, homosexual acts, adultery, witchcraft, and blasphemy would be punishable by death. Propagation of idolatry or "false religions" would be illegal and could also be punished by the death penalty.


title: Theonomy

text: More recent theonomic writers such as Joel McDurmon, President of American Vision, have moved away from this position, stating that these death penalties are no longer binding in the new covenant. Polemicist and theonomy critic, JD Hall, who debated McDurmon in 2015, has argued that abandoning Mosaic penologies such as the death penalty means that McDurmon and others who hold similar positions cannot be said to hold to theonomy in any meaningful way.


title: Theonomy

text: According to theonomist Greg Bahnsen, the laws of God are the standard which Christian voters and officials ought to pursue. Civil officials are also not constrained to literally enforce every biblical law, such as one-time localized imperatives, certain administrative details, typological foreshadows, or those against envy and unbelief. "Rulers should enforce only those laws for which God revealed social sanctions to be imposed."


title: Theonomy

text: Some in the modern Reformed churches are critical of any relationship between the historical Reformed faith and theonomy, while other Calvinists affirm that theonomy is consistent with historic Reformed confessions.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The Holden Commodore (VE) is an executive car that was produced by Holden from 2006 to 2013. It was the first iteration of the fourth generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VE) and Holden Calais (VE); utility models were included as the Holden Ute (VE).


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: As opposed to the VZ and all models previous which used Opel-sourced platforms adapted both mechanically and in size for the local market, the whole-new VE programme is the first Commodore to be developed exclusively by Holden in Australia. Despite its status as an all-new model, engines—comprising the 3.6-litre V6 and more powerful 6.0-litre V8—have been largely carried over from the VZ series. Clever features to help minimise export redevelopment costs, such as a symmetrical centre console housing a flush-fitting hand brake lever, facilitated the conversion to left-hand drive. Internationally, the VE was badge engineered as the Chevrolet Lumina, Chevrolet Omega and Pontiac G8.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Holden implemented a staged roll-out of the VE variants, releasing the sedan first in July 2006. Prior to this, Holden stated they would manufacture two parallel generations of Commodores until the new station wagon and utility body styles were launched. Variants by Holden's performance vehicle partner, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), were released soon after the sedan's debut alongside the long-wheelbase WM Statesman/Caprice models. The VE Ute did not enter production until 2007 when it was accompanied by the previewing of a Sportwagon concept. The Sportwagon itself was subsequently introduced in July 2008 with the standard Commodore wheelbase instead of the extended wheelbase of previous Commodore wagons.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Updates to the VE have come in the form of model year (MY) changes from early 2007 onwards. Typically subtle in nature, these recurring changes have involved alterations to colours and trim, increased standard equipment, and a reduction in fuel consumption. More noteworthy adjustments have come in the form of a smaller 3.0-litre V6 engine for entry-level versions and "Series II" styling revisions in late 2010.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Official manufacture of the sedan began at Holden's Elizabeth, South Australia production facility on 13 July 2006. Three days later, Holden publicly revealed the car at the Melbourne Convention Centre, broadcast simultaneously via the Internet. The launch occurred alongside that of the flagship WM Statesman/Caprice. Previous to this, Holden announced that VE station wagon and utility variants would be postponed and the VZ equivalents would remain in production. Sales of the VE Ute commenced on 22 August 2007. This was shortly followed by the unveiling of a Sportwagon concept, the production version of which was released in July 2008.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Holden's designers and engineers began laying down the basics of a clean-sheet Commodore sedan in 1999. In the seven years of development, the car came to be Holden's largest and most expensive project, representing an expenditure exceeding A$1 billion and 3.4 million kilometres (2.1 million miles) of testing.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In 1999 Peter Hughes, Holden's manager of exterior design, produced a two-dimensional image of a sketch drawn earlier by Michael Simcoe, Holden's design director at the time. Known in house as the "Bill of Design", the sketch formed the design basis for the production-ready car. Various elements of the sketch were changed, including the rear tail lamps, the low-profile side window cluster and the drawn out wheelbase, but the aggressive stance remained.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In 2004, just two years before the release of the VE Commodore, Holden unveiled the Torana TT36 concept car at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The TT36 served as a preview of the VE and allowed Holden to gauge public reaction to its styling. Much of the Torana's styling drew on the essence of the VE's design. Some production-ready components even carried over from the TT36 including the steering wheel, the window and rear-view mirror switch cluster and the handbrake lever.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Shortly after stylists penned the first design sketches, Holden engineers began work on developing the chassis. Opel, which had provided the basis for all previous Commodore generations, ceased production of their rear-wheel drive Omega in 2003. This meant that Holden had two options: to use another GM platform, or to develop an all-new vehicle. GM's new premium rear-wheel drive Sigma platform was to see production in the 2002 Cadillac CTS. Holden's engineers were offered this platform, but decided it was not appropriate. The Sigma platform's double A-arm front suspension and extensive use of aluminium were too costly for the VE's market segment. The luggage compartment was deemed too small and the Sigma interior package could not be stretched sufficiently to become a family-sized car. In particular, the rear-seat shoulder width was too tight. These major drawbacks made Holden decide to develop an all-new platform, known as the GM Zeta platform, on which a number of forthcoming GM vehicles would also be based. The Zeta suspension system comprises new double-pivot MacPherson strut for the front and a four-link independent rear setup. These replace the previous simple MacPherson strut design front and much criticised semi-trailing arm rear suspension, for improved ride and handling.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Denny Mooney was appointed chairman of Holden on 1 January 2004, by which time development of the VE Commodore was well underway. Key design and engineering work was being finalised, and investment was already being made in making the tooling with which to manufacture the car. One of Mooney's priorities was to improve the perceived quality issues that surrounded the previous generations of Commodores. The interior quality benefited dramatically from this additional emphasis; Mooney pushed for panel gaps to be reduced by a further over previous targets. Smaller panel gaps are just one of the ways that Holden have developed the VE to pitch it against the European competitors. Through the use of advanced steels and intensive design, the body structure is 50 percent stiffer than the outgoing model, benefiting from noise and vibration reductions, handling and crash safety. However the new body has resulted in substantially increased weight over the outgoing model.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The development of the new car led Holden to redesign the Elizabeth plant in South Australia so that entire sections of the car can be assembled off the foremost production line. This new production method allows for complete sub-sections like the engine and transmissions to be constructed seamlessly together on rigs that simplify production. This process is applied to the front-end module of the VE Commodore, consisting of the headlights, bumpers, airbag sensors and other accessory components. It can be easily removed as one-piece leading to lower repair costs and easier access to the engine bay. This design represents the first time such a method has been used within GM, and garnered the SAE Australasia's 2006 "Automotive Engineering Excellence Award". A modular design structure known within Holden as "Flex Vision" has been applied to the interior where fundamentally different components such as audio units and instrument clusters can be swapped out for the different Commodore variants, creating radically varied interior look and feel without much higher costs. The upshot of this is much greater differentiation between the variants than the outgoing model creating three distinct interior looks, dubbed: "Functional", "Performance" and "Luxury". The closely related long-wheelbase WM Statesman/Caprice derivatives feature a fourth interior type referred to as "Prestige".


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Additional detail touches were added to the VE, such as a new four-strut hinge system for the boot to replace space intrusive, much maligned "gooseneck" hinges as used on previous Commodores. High-specification variants see expandable door pockets and a Saab-like "blackout" feature which illuminates only the speedometer at night to enhance driver focus on the road. An innovative flush-fitting handbrake set into a symmetrical centre console means the lever can be easily reversed to sit on the opposite side of console for left-hand drive export markets, minimising redesign costs.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Introduced in July 2008, the A$110 million VE Sportwagon programme represented a departure from previous Commodore station wagons. Holden was concerned that the traditional wagon market was being severely eroded by growing sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales and over-reliance on fleet purchasing. Up to 90 percent of VZ wagons were bought by fleet companies and Holden sought to attract more retail customers. The decision was made to develop a sportier, more stylish wagon as an alternative to SUVs. The Sportwagon, unlike the previous VZ wagon, which shared its long-wheelbase with the Statesman/Caprice is built on the same short-wheelbase platform as the sedan. This shift in thinking means cargo capacity is reduced from VZ's but the sedan's near 50:50 weight distribution is retained. The Sportwagon is styled with an aggressively sloping rear profile. To ensure the cargo opening is sufficiently large with such a profile, the tailgate hinges part way up the roof line. The design of the tailgate is compact enough to open in just of space, a publicised feature in Sportwagon television commercials.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Revisions were made to the suspension over the sedan's setup. These included stiffer springs, anti-roll bar changes and an additional ball-joint in the rear suspension to handle the extra load. Weight increases by over the sedan. Aggressive pricing means Sportwagon variants of each specification level receive a A$1,000 premium over the sedan and are cheaper than the outgoing VZ wagons.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: 2007 saw the launch of the VE Ute, a coupe utility based on the VE Commodore. It was unveiled to the media in August, with showroom sales began later in the month. This generation of the Holden Ute is aimed as a "lifestyle vehicle", a shift from the traditional "workhorse" market. The VE series Ute was marketed as the "Holden Ute" rather than as the "Holden Commodore Ute".


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Engine packaging became a contentious issue during development. Holden's designers wanted the engine positioned well behind the front axle to allow short overhangs and an overall sportier appearance, whereas the crash engineers were concerned that this would reduce the body's impact absorption in an accident. Negotiation between designers and crash engineers resulted in moving some of the engine components, including relocating the battery to the boot, freeing up valuable front-end space. By having the engine moved back and further down, the VE Commodore also benefits from near perfect 50:50 weight distribution across all variants, leading to superior handling. Crash engineers introduced several other safety initiatives, including relocating the fuel tank in front of the rear-axle line, instead of behind. A more crash-resistant rear-end was also seen as necessary. The design though had to incorporate a spacious boot and a spare-wheel bay that could house the largest-sized wheel to be fitted to the car. Crash test results from Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rate the VE lower in the offset frontal impact test than the previous generation Commodore. The overall crash score was marginally higher than the outgoing VZ, due to improvements in side impact protection giving a score of 27.45 out of 37 or a four star rating out of a possible five.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Holden's standardisation of six airbags in March 2008 for MY09 made the VE eligible for the ANCAP side pole test, yielding additional scoring points. The second stage of the VE's safety rollout in October 2008 for MY09.5 included the addition of an energy absorbing steering column shroud and redesigned rear door latches across the VE range. The inclusion of a seat belt reminder on the Omega sedan yielded another point, thus allowing the Omega sedan to score five-stars, or a score of 33.45 when tested the following December. The Omega Sportwagon was the next model to be awarded the full five stars the following February, following the addition of a seat belt reminder in Sportwagon production. The remaining VE models, including the Ute and WM Statesman/Caprice, which had already received most of the safety upgrades, received the seat belt reminder as standard fitment as of MY10 production from August 2009. As a result, all VE sedan and Sportwagon variants along with the extended length WM models received the five-star rating. The VE Ute officially received the rating on 19 October 2009, making the entire line-up of Australian-made Holdens five-star ANCAP rated.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Holden, concerned about the risks of introducing a new platform and drivetrain at the same time, introduced the Australian-built "Alloytec" V6 engine in the proven VZ model. This allowed time to address any issues or faults before fitting it to the VE. The original base V6 benefited from power increases over the VZ, with engine noise reduced by using new timing chains among other modifications. An updated version of the long-serving four-speed "GM 4L60-E" automatic transmission remained for this engine. Manual transmission options are the Aisin "AY6" and Tremec TR6060 six-speeder. Two automatics featuring "Active Select"; the five-speed "GM 5L40-E" and six-speed "GM 6L80-E" were also offered. The latter was reserved exclusively for a modified "L76" V8 engine, giving an extra of power compared to the VZ. This new engine designated "L98" does not readily support fuel-saving Active Fuel Management technology, unlike the "L76".


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In October 2006, Holden introduced a bi-fuel version of the "Alloytec" V6, available to the Omega and Berlina. Able to run on both petrol and LPG, it features an advanced sequential vapour gas injection (SVGI) system and hardened valve seats to cope. The bi-fuel V6 produces and less than the conventional V6 when run on LPG, for a total of . Although LPG prices are lower, the engine uses a large cylindrical gas tank which causes decreased boot space and slightly increased fuel consumption. Holden was able to take advantage of a loophole in government legislation, allowing an A$2,000 rebate on LPG installation because the unit is fitted post-production by Holden's customisation arm "HSVi". Normally, people would only be entitled to a A$1,000 rebate for new cars pre-installed with LPG. Due to the possibility that these bi-fuel Commodores may have been fitted with undersized O-rings in the service valve hand tap, Holden issued a recall affecting the first 981 of these models on 10 April 2007. There were also two VE recalls previous to this. The initial 16 October 2006 recall affecting 1,521 V8 Commodore and WM Statesman/Caprice models involved a faulty fuel hose, causing a fuel smell to enter the cabin. A second 10 November 2006 recall affecting 12,830 Commodores and WM models built prior to 11 September 2006 resulted from defective rear seat belt anchors. On 7 December 2007, another recall was issued for over 86,000 VE and WM V6 models. This was due to the possibility that one of the fuel lines in the engine compartment may have a rub condition with a fuel vapour hose clip, possibly causing a fuel smell to become evident.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: For the 2008 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Holden announced the MY09.5 upgrade involving the standardisation of the "premium" "Alloytec" V6 across the Commodore range from 1 November 2008, whereas previously it had been reserved for the SV6 and Calais. Omega and Berlina variants acquired variable valve timing, like the "High Output" engine, but not the "premium" dual exhaust system and the five-speed automatic transmission. These changes result in the base petrol V6 producing less power and less torque than the engine it replaces. However, Omega and Berlina sedans benefit from a two percent fuel efficiency improvement, or four percent for wagons. Additionally, emissions have also been reduced allowing petrol-powered variants to achieve Euro VI certification, a pending emission standard for European introduction in 2014. These changes extend further than the petrol engine as bi-fuel LPG variants benefit from an eight percent improvement in fuel economy when run on LPG. This reduced fuel consumption does however, come at a cost—LPG-equipped models are rated at , less than before.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Also announced at the 2008 motor show was a version of the 6.0-litre V8 engine fitted with Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology, known as the "L76". Originally omitted from the "L98" V8, AFM aids fuel consumption under light engine loads, although it is available only when paired with the automatic transmission and power output is reduced by . The announcement of AFM coincided with the announcement of "EcoLine", a badge highlighting Holden vehicles employing fuel saving technologies or those powered by fuels other than petrol. For the VE Commodore, both AFM and LPG-powered versions fall under the "EcoLine" umbrella. On 7 April 2009, Holden announced that dealerships were receiving their first deliveries of "EcoLine"-branded models, including the new "L76" V8s.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: On 4 August 2009, Holden announced the MY10 revisions to the VE and WM range to be released in September. For the VE Omega and Berlina, the 3.6-litre "Alloytec" V6 has been downsized to 3.0-litres, the lowest engine displacement of a Commodore since the straight-six engine fitted to the 1986 VL series. This smaller capacity engine features Spark Ignition Direct Injection (SIDI) technology, and is officially claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 12 percent depending on the variant. Power increases to , although torque is reduced to . Along with the 3.0-litre engine, a 3.6-litre version of the same, producing and , was also unveiled. Other than the manual transmission version of the SV6, all SIDI V6 models are coupled to GM's "6L50" automatic and fall under Holden's "EcoLine" banner. Benefits to fuel economy for the 3.6-litre "SIDI" can also be attributed to an improved "deceleration fuel cut" system, which terminates the fuel supply during engine coasting; a higher efficiency alternator and voltage regulator; a 50 rpm lower idle speed (to 550 rpm); and a new "turbine damper" for the automatic transmission that works to suppress vibrations at low rpms, thus enabling earlier upshifts. Omega versions of the Ute and all bi-fuel versions retain the existing 3.6-litre and four-speed automatic combination, although the LPG engine has been tweaked for further efficiency gains.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Further powertrain improvement came in September 2010 with the MY11 upgrades. Omega versions of the Ute were upgraded to the 3.0-litre "SIDI" engine with six-speed automatic transmission as used in the sedan and wagons versions. Holden also modified both the 3.0-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 engines to accept E85 bio-ethanol in addition to petrol. Holden claims that running either engine on E85 provides a sizeable increase in performance and reduces emissions between 20 and 40 percent, depending on the distance the fuel is transported from the production site to the filling station. E85 compatibility extended to the 3.6-litre V6 as part of the MY12 update in September 2011.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Replacing both the outgoing Commodore Executive and Acclaim (nameplates introduced in 1983 and 1993, respectively), the Omega offers a halfway point in terms of equipment levels. The most significant gain over the Executive is the electronic stability control system (Bosch version 8.0) now standard across the range. Like all VE models, the Omega uses a "space saver" spare tyre, which has come under scrutiny. The tyre can be driven for at a maximum speed of . Concerns have been raised by the public over its usefulness in remote Australian outback areas, far from any tyre repair centres and asserts that it is a cost-cutting measure. Similar concerns have been raised in the media, although Holden maintains that this is a weight-saving feature and allows for full-size spare tyres to be purchased at an additional cost. Likewise, critics found the omission of standard air conditioning for the Omega model unforgivable, given both the overall hot Australian climate, and the cost of the car. This, however, was rectified in the MY09 upgrade of the Omega (see below).


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Building on the Omega, the SV6 is equipped with the more powerful "High Output" variant of the "Alloytec" V6 engine, coupled to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Air conditioning, a key feature missing on the launch Omega, came standard on the SV6. A body kit and sports suspension similar to the V8 Commodore SS/SS V variants is also fitted. The SV6 sports the "Performance" interior look, an accentuated matte black centre console and red lighting, as opposed to the silver "Functional"-style interior of the Omega.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Offering similar equipment levels to the SV6, the Commodore SS uses the 6.0-litre V8 engine and "T-56" six-speed manual transmission. The SS is recognisable from its quad exhaust outlets in place of the SV6 dual outlets. The resulting specification level is much higher than the outgoing minimalist SV8 and only missing a few cosmetic touches of the previous flagship Commodore SS. Since its release, the SS has won two consecutive (2006 and 2007) "Bang For Your Bucks" awards,\"Motor" magazine initiative. The judges gave preference to the SS the second-time-round because ."


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: A more upmarket SS, the SS V-Series represents the first time this type of naming has been applied to Holden products. The V-Series naming is reminiscent of the V-badging on selected Cadillac models, another member of the GM family. The badge design on the bootlid bears strong resemblance to the ones used by Cadillac. But whereas Cadillac uses it to signify high-performance versions of its products, Holden V-Series variants boast extra features. The V-Series variants were introduced, largely due to a fully optioned Commodore SS in the VZ range being rather successful. The SS V offers extra luxuries at a similar price point to the preceding SS. Inside, it is recognisable by the metallic look pedals and instruments matched with the exterior colour. Additionally, the entire dashboard can be optioned in a range of loud colours: bright red, orange or black. The SS V exterior is equally adventurous, exhibiting five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels and the option of larger 20-inch wheels: the largest wheels ever fitted to a Holden car.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Priced lower than the outgoing model, the second tier Berlina retains a similar amount of equipment. The exterior styling is similar to the Omega but gaining extra touches such as larger tail-lights, front fog lamps and seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. It features the "Luxury"-type interior with a large LCD centre display and is the only model in the VE range that features wood grain highlights. The VE series is the last one to feature this nameplate, first introduced in 1984 as a model variant and as a standalone nameplate in 1988 .


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Like the Berlina, the Calais retains the features of the outgoing model but at a lower price point. Offering a blend of luxury and sporting character, it pairs the "High Output Alloytec" V6 engine of the SV6 with the five-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the previous model Calais which featured a semi-sport suspension setup known as "FE1.5", the VE shares the Commodore SS/SS V stiff sports suspension. Like the SS, an upscale V-Series edition is available. Being the flagship of the Commodore range, it comes with everything the VE has to offer and serves as a stepping stone to the luxury long-wheelbase Statesman/Caprice range based on the VE. The Calais (as well as Berlina) are the only models in the range to feature larger tail-lights.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The enhanced performance VE range sold by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is marketed as the "E Series" and it comprised the variants listed below. For the first time, in order to more greatly differentiate its products from the mainstream donor cars, HSV invested in revised sheetmetal (chiefly, different front fender panels with dedicated air vent and different tail lights). E Series HSV vehicles have been the most successful and mass-produced vehicles in HSV's history.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The E Series Clubsport R8 takes its fundamental body structure from the mainstream VE Commodore. It is also the standard model in the HSV line-up. With the deletion of lower lines of V8 HSV models the Clubsport slipped down to the entry level HSV V8, on a par with the Manta of the VR-VS-VT series. As such the sales of E Series Clubsports has been over shadowed by the sales of the E Series GTS.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The Original E-Series Clubsport was released in September 2006. The Clubsport had LED taillights and vertical front fender grilles only found on HSV E-Series models. Cloth trim was standard on Clubsport models with leather being an option.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In September 2008, the Clubsport R8 Tourer was released. The Tourer is a wagon version of the R8, based on the Sportwagon. The two Clubsport models were powered by the LS2 6.0 L V8 and Tremec T56 six-speed manual gearbox, capable of doing in 5.8 seconds with the manual gearbox and 5.9 seconds when fitted with the auto transmission and having a top speed of . From April 2008, all HSV models use 6.2 L LS3 V8s, instead of the previous LS2. The LS3 powers the HSVs at and .


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The HSV E Series 2 range was released 2010 and was the most major update since the release of E Series HSVs. Prices on the E2 Clubsport models started at $65,990 for the Clubsport R8 and $66,990 for the Clubsport R8 Tourer. The range received many cosmetic changes with new front and rear bumpers, twin-nostriled bonnet (from the Pontiac G8) and a new range of wheel designs. The Series 2 has a very distinctive looking set of daytime running lights standard across the E2 range. The new engines is the range are the 6.2 L LS3 V8 used exclusively by the HSV GTS, with the rest of the E2 range being powered by an LS3 in trim. The new engines have also improved fuel economy by 4.2% on the LS3 V8. New is the intelligent launch controls, competition mode ESC and extended cruise control systems which are all standard for E2 models excluding intelligent launch control which is only available with a manual transmission.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: HSV E Series 3 or E3 commenced sales in 2011. Model changes for the E series 3 include an option for LPI system (for an extra $5990) allowing the vehicle to run on LPG and unleaded petrol; the LPI system is not available on the ClubSport R8 Tourer. Cosmetic changes include a new spoiler and revised exhaust tips. HSV E Series 3 models reach in 5.8 seconds. The HSV E Series 3 introduced the new HSV Enhanced Driver Interface; it has the same interface as the Holden IQ (found in VE Series II Commodores) but with added function. The system allows users to access the car's computer and monitor fuel consumption, stability, g-force and vehicle dynamics. Other functions include data logging options, digital gauge displays, stopwatch, driver and racing options, along with controls for the Grange's Bi-Modal exhaust and Side Blind-Zone Alert. The HSV Enhanced Driver Interface and satellite navigation is standard across the E series 3 range.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: 350 Vauxhall VXR8s per year were scheduled for official importation into the UK, at a price of £35,105. The LS3 V8 is particularly popular among tuners in the US, so performance parts are widely available. A supercharger kit was available, which increased the power output to . The supercharged Bathurst edition VXR8 was reviewed on "Top Gear", and its power-lap time was 1 min 26.3 seconds, a similar time to the old BMW M5 E60.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In July 2010, "Autocar" reported that, "VXR8 was quietly dropped from the price lists several months ago" after stocks ran out. However, a facelifted version based on the new HSV E3 GTS was released to the UK market in April 2011 at a price of around £49,500, almost £15,000 more than the previous VXR8, but significantly cheaper than most of its rivals, like the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5. Vauxhall has offered the 2011 Clubsport to UK customers as a special order model.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In 2007, the same model was exported to the Middle East badged as the CSV CR8, albeit in left hand drive. In this instance, CSV stands for "Chevrolet Special Vehicles", not to be confused with the unrelated, but also Holden Commodore-based Corsa Specialised Vehicles (CSV) cars.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The fundamental underpinnings are based on the mainstream VE Commodore models of the same years. The car is powered by GM's 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine, with a maximum power output of 442 PS (325 kW). Buyers have the option of a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic transmission; the manual is capable of reaching in 5.5 seconds and the automatic is capable of in 5.6 seconds.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The GTS has usually used a more powerful engine and robust drivetrain than other HSV models, however the E-Series 1 GTS shared the 6.0L LS2 V8 engine with of power and of torque, with the cheaper Clubsport and the luxury Senator. The major difference between the E-Series GTS and other HSV models in the range is the Magnetic Ride Control (MRC, or "MagneRide"). MRC utilises magnetorheological dampers to improve the car's handling and dynamics. In the GTS, the MRC can be switched between "Performance" and "Track" response modes at the touch of a button. MRC is not available on the Clubsport; it is standard equipment of the Senator, but switches between "Luxury" and "Performance", there is no "Track" mode like the GTS has.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: HSV claims the braking performance of the GTS is better than some of the world's leading sports cars, including the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS55 and Lamborghini Gallardo. The GTS can stop from in just 36 metres, only 30 centimeters shy of a Porsche 997.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Released in September 2009, the E Series 2 HSV GTS incorporated a more powerful motor and drivetrain than other HSV models. It retains the same GM LS3 6.2L V8 engine but while the rest of the HSV range still have 317 kW or 425 bhp, the GTS engine is rated at (325 kW). Twin bonnet scoops have returned to this model from the styling of the Pontiac G8. Other changes include the availability of launch control on manual versions, a recalibrated version of the magnetic ride control suspension with stiffer springs for the HSV GTS, wider wheels and a new high-flow dual-mode muffler system that produces a throatier roar under heavy acceleration. The E-Series 2 stability control system also has a "Competition" setting which allows for more wheel slip for special track or motorsport applications. The cruise control brakes the car when it is travelling downhill to ensure its speed stays within one per cent of the set speed. This model has daytime running lights.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The E Series 3 was announced in September 2010. It carried the same motor and drivetrain as before, and only minor changes to the exterior. In this series HSV focused on changes to the interior of the car as well as major upgrades to the computer systems and a new electronic interface called the HSV Enhanced Driver Interface. External changes included the "shock wave" exhaust tips and grilles and new HID Xenon adaptive projector headlamps. The control panel changes included a new 'Oracle Dash' with upgraded trip computer, tire pressure monitors and fuel statistics; the center console was reworked, introducing the Holden touchscreen IQ system and the HSV EDI performance data logging system (similar to the Nissan GT-R), which displays real-time information on engine speed, brakes, gear shifts, g-forces on the car, steering angle, fuel economy, stability control, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, car dynamics, Bi-Modal Exhaust, battery voltage, oil pressure, power, torque, elevation, exhaust pressure, intake manifold pressure and air intake temp. The system includes preloaded race track locations, stop watches and track maps, satellite navigation, digital radio, Bluetooth, optional DVD player and ability to download data onto a PC using the Motech i2 software. The E Series 3 introduced (SBZA) Side Blind Zone Alert which uses ultrasonic sensors to alert drivers of traffic obstructions in blind spots. Using the HSV EDI the driver can customize operation of the car by for example turning off stability control and controlling the Bi-Modal Exhaust. The E Series 3 offered the option of "HSV LPI" (Liquid Propane Injection), an LPG Autogas system which allows the use of liquid propane as an alternative fuel. The LPI is controlled by the car's ECU and seamlessly changes from petrol to LPG when the engine has reached optimum temperature (when maximum engine power is required, the system automatically switches back to petrol).


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The all-new E Series Maloo utility was a late arrival, released in October 2007, and only available as the Maloo R8. The Chevrolet Corvette-based 6-litre LS2 V8 was now tuned to deliver and . Later 2008 and onwards models saw the power output rise to with the adoption of a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine. Refinements on the E Series include Electronic Stability Control, five-star ANCAP rating, and linear control suspension.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In August 2009, the facelifted E Series 2 was released which uses the same drivetrain as the W427 with an upgraded dual plate clutch not found on previous models. Late in the model run, HSV released the limited edition GXP sedan and Maloo GXP ute, being amalgams of HSV and Pontiac G8/ST components.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: A mildly cosmetically altered E Series 3 was released in September 2010, and with it a special "20 years of Maloo" edition limited to just 100 examples, featuring unique exterior equipment, including matte black 'Vector E' vents on the front guards and bonnet, 20-inch GTS alloy wheels, bi-modal exhaust system, Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA), and new hero colours, including 'Hazard' yellow. The interior of the 20th anniversary Maloo features special leather upholstery, satellite navigation, Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI), and a specific rear window decal and numbered build plate.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The E Series Senator Signature is based on the VE Commodore and was released in August 2006 with of power. It is a four-door, 5 seat sedan, is rated to tow a maximum of and is fitted with automatic transmission and leather interior as standard. The development cost for the E Series Senator was more than the VT, VX, Y Series and the Z Series Senators combined. In general, the HSV Senator Signature is a significantly more upmarket form of the Holden Calais-V, with a matching pricetag.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The E Series Senator is long and wide, and the stopping distance from is about 36 metres. The Senator is equipped with 19-inch, 10-spoke chrome shadow alloy wheels. The cabin features carbon fibre and imitation metal highlights. For the first time there are no visible wood grain trims that have featured in previous models. The rear lights on the Senator are full LED and were repositioned, lowering them by to help differentiate the car from its Holden donor, creating sporting flair yet keeping the luxury image. The development cost to redesign the rear taillights cost HSV $3 million. The designers of the Senator have also attempted to add a more of a luxury feel to the car instead of favouring the aggressive side. The entry level price for the Senator Signature is $76,990, down $4,000 from the previous model.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Like the E-series HSV GTS, the suspension is fitted with switchable Magnetic Ride Control (MRC, or "MagneRide") offering Luxury or Performance modes. It does this by electrically adjusting the viscosity of the ferrofluid inside the shock absorbers, producing different damping levels. Magnetic Ride Control also enhances braking by preventing forward weight transfer when the car is under heavy braking. The MRC system development took three years and cost HSV more than $4.5 million.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Standard gear includes climate control, Blaupunkt sound, cruise control, full trip computer, rear park assist, traction control system, Electronic Stability Control, power mirrors and windows. The oil, voltage and temperature gauges are now digital. The interior offers a choice of light urban beige, white or black for the colours. The carpets remain dark as in the Holden Calais V-Series. The Senator Signature also offers a number of options such as a roof mounted DVD player, front park assist, rain sensing wipers and door entry lamps. Satellite navigation will become available as an option in the near future.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: From April 2008, the HSV Senator Signature was fitted with the 6.2-litre Generation 4 alloy LS3 V8 that delivered at 6000 rpm and at 4400 rpm. It can go from in around 5 seconds and has a limited top speed of . From this MY09 model onwards, the Senator Signature was available with an optional 6-speed manual transmission. In early 2009, HSV introduced a base model Senator at the Melbourne Motor Show. This special model was priced from $69,990 (RRP) with just 30 manual and 59 auto examples produced. While it retained the look of the Signature model, it was essentially a ClubSport with a Senator body kit and did without many of the luxury features mentioned above as well as the MRC suspension, GTS-style seating and shadow chrome finish on the wheels.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In October 2009, HSV released their E2 model upgrades which introduced the "Shockwave" theme to the exterior of the Senator Signature. It was applied in a more subtle way than seen on the ClubSport, GTS and Maloo models with the front end receiving a new grille and some LED daytime running lights while the rear was fitted with the same style of lower body kit as the other sedan models. As with other models in the E2 range, the Senator Signature was available with the "SV Enhanced Options" bi-modal exhaust system and the 20" Pentagon wheel in place of a re-designed 19" wheel. There were no interior styling updates for the E2 model.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: 2010 saw the arrival of the E3 HSV range which brought with it a raft of interior changes shared with the VE Series II upgrade of HSV's donor vehicle, the Holden Commodore, such as the new Holden iQ audio/infotainment system and safety features such as Side Blind zone alert. It also brought HSV's Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI) system to the Senator, a system that constantly streams real-time vehicle dynamics and performance information to the touch screen in the centre console. The exterior remained mostly unchanged from the E2 model apart from the move to a 20" forged alloy that was available in Dark Stainless or Gloss Black. The LS3 was upgraded to with the fitment of the E2 GTS' bi-modal exhaust system. The E3 was also available with the upgraded 6-piston brakes from the GTS and had the option of a modern LPG fuel system called LPI (Liquid Propane Injection) to help reduce the running costs.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: This was a limited edition of 50 vehicles released in late 2008 in the "MY09.5" model year. It was released alongside the limited edition 40 Years GTS. It was primarily to commemorate 20 years since the release of the SV88, one of the first vehicles released by the then new HSV outfit. There were 20 manuals (the first of the general run HSV E Series to use the TR6060 6 speed manual that had only been used in the W427 prior – straight from the current Corvette) and 30 autos. They were released in only 3 colours, Nitrate (silver) Sting (red) & Voodoo (blue). It was also the first VE model Senator to be officially released with a manual. Equipment levels & drivetrain were identical to the Senator Signature of the time. Unique features of the SV08 are: SV08 badging, 20" Pentagon wheels, lower body gloss black accenting (ran along the doors at the same level of the black accenting on the front & rear), chrome mirror head & door handle accents, SV08 sill plates & SV08 build plate.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The HSV W427 is the limited edition flagship of the initial E Series range by automobile manufacturer Holden Special Vehicles, released in celebration of the company's 20th anniversary in 2008, but produced until 2009.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The W427 is based on the Holden VE Commodore, but powered by the 7.0L LS7 V8. Power outputs are at 7000 rpm and at 5000 rpm,


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: It features recalibrated Magnetic Ride Control (MRC, or "MagneRide") and stiffer suspension settings than the HSV GTS, as well as a toughened 6-speed manual gearbox, a new exhaust system, larger 6-piston brakes, and strengthened limited-slip differential.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The W427's name is the result of a combination of factors. W is to honour the founder of HSV, Tom Walkinshaw. The 427 is simply the engine capacity in cubic inches, but it is also a nod to the HRT 427C, which won the 2002 and 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour motor races.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Consumer interest for production of the W427 actually began with the still-born HRT 427 Coupe of 2002, based on the Holden Monaro. The original W427 concept car was produced in the same body colour as the very first HSV model, the VL Commodore SS Group A SV.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The production version HSV W427 sedan was announced in August 2008 and retailed for A$155,500 (EUR€90920) without optional equipment. Additional cost options amounted to three items : Electric Glass Sunroof, Satellite Navigation, and Rear Passenger Overhead DVD Player. Production was originally intended as a limited run of 427 cars. However, only 137 cars were built (this number does not include the original concept car), sold only in Australia and New Zealand (only three cars were exported to NZ).


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Reportedly, Holden Special Vehicles offered the pre-order of build no. 427 (uniquely painted in ""Panorama"" silver) to a Cairns Monaro collector, who purchased the 2002 HRT 427 coupe for $920,000 in 2008. The last W427 to be built was made to order in July 2009, being build no. 137 in ""Heron"" white, sold by Shacks HSV in Fremantle, Western Australia, and personally signed by Tom Walkinshaw.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The HSV W427 will be noted in TWR / HSV history as the only car to which Tom Walkinshaw 'personally' attached his name. It was not the first Holden Commodore-based vehicle to be powered by a 7.0L LS7 V8 engine as that honour went to the more affordable Corsa Specialised Vehicles GTS.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: <nowiki>*</nowiki> includes 2 "Panorama" (silver metallic) and 1 "Lamborghini green" (metallic) units.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Like the VZ model before it, Holden with the VE have continued to moderate the long-standing tradition of implementing substantial updates marked by the frequent use of new model designations (such and VT, VX, and VY) successively interspersed with "Series II" and occasional "Series III" revisions. Holden have also implemented a series of running changes over VE's lifetime, signified by the model year (MY):


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: At the time of launch in Australia, Ford's BF Falcon directly competed with the VE Commodore. In November 2006 Toyota released their key Aurion model to the Australian market. The front-wheel drive Mitsubishi 380 also indirectly competed with the Holden Commodore, but was discontinued with the 2008 closure of the Mitsubishi Motors Australia plant in Tonsley Park, South Australia.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The VE Commodore was well received in the Australian market, where it had consistently outsold rivals in the large car segment. The VE's position as Australia's outright best selling car was challenged in 2007 and overtaken during some months in 2008 by the Toyota Corolla in the face of increasing petrol prices. However, the release of the Sportwagon in mid-2008 has helped to reestablish its number one sales position by accounting for more than 30 percent of total Commodore sales. In 2007 the VE Commodore became the fifth Commodore model to receive the "Wheels Car of the Year" award.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The last VE produced was a Commodore SS V automatic sedan, painted "Chlorophyll" green and destined for a Northern Territory dealer. Since July 2006, Holden produced more than 520,000 units of which 350,000 were sold in Australia.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: The full Holden VE range was exported and sold to New Zealand, whereas in the Middle East and South Africa it was re-branded as the Chevrolet Lumina. Sales of the Berlina began in 2007 for Brazilian market as the Chevrolet Omega. Pontiac in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand. Unlike the Chevrolet Lumina and Omega, the Pontiac G8 received several unique features including a revised "L76" engine with Active Fuel Management as opposed to the Commodore's "L98", and appearance changes.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: In 2009, the small-scale German manufacturer, Bitter, which specializes in rebodying existing vehicles, unveiled its "Vero Sport" at the Geneva Motor Show. It was based on the Commodore SS and its production ended in 2012.


title: Holden Commodore (VE)

text: Due to its larger dimensions than the previous VZ, the VE had to have major areas of the bodywork redesigned to fit the mandatory chassis size of V8 Supercars. The Holden Commodore VE made its official debut in the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 2007 with Garth Tander and the HSV Dealer Team winning the championship. It also won the 2011 and 2012 series with Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering. It won the Bathurst 1000 four times; 2009 and 2011 with the Holden Racing Team and 2010 and 2012 with Triple Eight Race Engineering. It won a total of 103 races.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The Green Berets is a 1968 American war film directed by John Wayne and Ray Kellogg and starring John Wayne, David Janssen and Jim Hutton, based on the 1965 novel by Robin Moore. Much of the film was shot in the summer of 1967. Parts of the screenplay bear little relation to the novel, although the portion in which a woman seduces a North Vietnamese communist general and sets him up to be kidnapped by Americans is from the book.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: "The Green Berets" is strongly anti-communist and pro-South Vietnam. It was released at the height of American involvement in the Vietnam War, the same year as the Tet Offensive against the largest cities in South Vietnam. John Wayne was so concerned by the anti-war sentiment in the United States, he wanted to make this film to present the pro-military position. He requested and obtained full military cooperation and materiel from 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson and the United States Department of Defense. John Wayne bought the film rights to Robin Moore's book for $35,000 and 5% of undefined profits of the film.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Reporter George Beckworth attends a Special Forces briefing about the reasons for American military involvement in the Vietnam War. When Beckworth doubts the value of U.S. intervention, Green Beret Colonel Mike Kirby asks him if he has ever been to Vietnam, which influences him to report on events there.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Meanwhile, Kirby is assigned to assist the South Vietnamese forces. As he prepares to depart, he catches Spc. Petersen appropriating supplies, but decides to utilise his skills on his team. Arriving in South Vietnam, they meet Beckworth, whom Kirby allows to accompany them to their camp. Despite signs of humanitarian work, he remains unconvinced of the need to be in Vietnam.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: At the camp, they meet a young war-orphan, Ham Chuck, who slaughters their whole family as well as giving the Vietcong vital information to win the war. Ham Chuck told Peterson to "join him or die"


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Following an enemy attack, Sergeant Muldoon notices a South Vietnamese soldier acting suspiciously and knocks him out, allowing Nghiem to interrogate him. After Beckworth sees Nghiem torture a confession from the soldier, he confronts Kirby, who justifies the act by telling Beckworth that their enemies are ruthless killers who deserve no legal protections of any sort in this new kind of war.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: A few days later, while accompanying Kirby and his team on a patrol in the nearby mountains, Beckworth finds that the family of a village chief he had befriended earlier have been tortured and executed by the Viet Cong for cooperating with the Americans.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The next night, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops launch a massive attack on the camp, and Beckworth is forced to fight alongside the Green Berets; he also helps move villagers into the camp to protect them from the crossfire.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Eventually, enemy sappers breach the perimeter by blowing openings in the barbed wire fences around the camp, and the Green Berets and South Vietnamese are forced to fall back to the inner perimeter. Nghiem sets off hidden explosives which kill the spies, but soon dies afterwards after being hit by a mortar.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Due to the intense attack, Kirby orders a retreat from the camp, and U.S. helicopters arrive to evacuate the refugees. Petersen puts Ham Chuck on one and promises to return for him in Da Nang. With the base in enemy hands, Kirby requests an airstrike by an AC-47 gunship, callsign Puff the Magic Dragon, which annihilates the Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army regulars, within Camp A-107. With the enemy having taken major casualties, Kirby and his team re-occupy the destroyed camp.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Beckworth tells Kirby he will file a story supporting U.S. involvement in the war and returns to Da Nang. Back at headquarters, Kirby meets with his superior, Colonel Morgan, and his South Vietnamese counterpart, Colonel Cai. They tell him about a top secret mission to capture North Vietnamese General Pha Son Ti, allowing them to end the war on South Vietnamese terms, as well as disrupting enemy leadership. Colonel Cai uses his sister-in-law Lin, a fashion model, as a honey trap to lure General Ti to a former French colonial mansion in a well-guarded valley in North Vietnam.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Among those Cai selects (and accompanies) are Kirby, Muldoon, and Peterson. Muldoon, Doc McGee, and two of Cai's men stay behind at a bridge over a river to set explosives to blow it up to stop pursuit by the enemy forces, while Kirby and the rest of the team head towards the plantation. After eliminating the plantation's guards, the group subdue Ti with Lin's help, and put him in the trunk of his car. Kirby, Cai, Petersen, Watson, and Lin drive away, but the rest of the team is killed by the guards while attempting to escape.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: At dawn, the survivors cross the bridge; it is destroyed, but McGee is seriously wounded as he and Muldoon escape, while the others airlift Ti out of the area by a Skyhook device. While Kirby and the team advance through the jungle to their extraction point, Petersen is killed by a booby-trap, and the others are forced to leave his body behind.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: At Da Nang, Beckworth watches as Ham Chuck runs from helicopter to helicopter, desperately searching for Petersen. Eventually, Kirby tells him of Peterson's death and comforts him, before the two walk along the beach into the sunset.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Columbia Pictures, having bought the book's pre-publication film rights, was not able to produce a script that the Army would approve, while producer David L. Wolper, who also tried to buy the same rights, could not obtain financing to make the movie. A screenplay was written by George Goodman who had served with the Special Forces in the 1950s as a military intelligence officer and had written a 1961 article about the Special Forces called "The Unconventional Warriors" in "Esquire" magazine. Columbia sent Goodman to South Vietnam for research. Robin Moore felt the Pentagon pressured Wolper into breaking an agreement with Moore. Wolper acquired the rights to film "The Devil's Brigade", an account of the World War II 1st Special Service Force, in 1965 and produced that film instead.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The final film's origins began in June 1966 with a trip by John Wayne to South Vietnam, and his subsequent decision to produce a film about the Army special forces deployed there as a tribute to them. Wayne was a steadfast supporter of American involvement in the war in Vietnam. He co-directed the film, and turned down the "Major Reisman" role in "The Dirty Dozen" to do so.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Although "The Green Berets" portrays the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army as sadistic tyrants, it also depicts them as a capable and highly motivated enemy. The film shows the war as one with no front lines, meaning that the enemy can show up and attack at almost any position, anywhere. It shows the sophisticated spy ring of the VC and NVA that provided information about their adversaries. Like "A Yank in Viet-Nam", it gave a positive view of South Vietnam and their anti-communist allies.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The US Army had objections to James Lee Barrett's initial script. The first was that the Army wanted to show that South Vietnamese soldiers were involved in defending the base camp. That was rectified. The Army also objected to the portrayal of the raid where they kidnap a NVA general because in the original script this involved crossing the border into North Vietnam. Robin Moore has stated that while all of the other stories in his book are roman à clefs of actual Special Forces missions and incidents, the mission to capture General Ti was completely fictitious.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Wayne wished the screenplay to have more development of the characters, but Warner Bros. made it clear they wanted more action and less talk, as "The Alamo" was heavily criticized for having too much dialogue. Scenes shot with Vera Miles as the wife of Wayne's character were jettisoned. (However, Miles was again cast as the Duke's wife in Wayne's next film "Hellfighters").


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Much of the film was shot in the summer of 1967 (before the Tet Offensive) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Department of Defense cooperation with the film was extensive, with the United States Army providing several UH-1 Huey attack helicopters and a C-7 Caribou light transport. The United States Air Force supplied two C-130 Hercules transports and two A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft as well as film footage of an AC-47 Puff the Magic Dragon gunship and an HC-130 Hercules employing the Skyhook Fulton recovery system for use in the film. The Army also provided authentic uniforms for use by the actors, including the OG-107 green and "Tiger Stripe" tropical combat uniform (jungle fatigues), with correct Vietnam War subdued insignia and name tapes.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: John F. Schultz played pivotal roles as an extra as a U.S. soldier and a North Vietnamese Regular. He said of John Wayne, "At lunch, the producers were going to feed us peons hamburgers and hotdogs while the main characters ate steak. John Wayne said '...we all get steak or nobody does.'


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Colonel Lamar Asbury "Bill" Welch, the actual commander of the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning in 1967, makes a brief cameo Skeet Shooting with John Wayne. Welch wears a 1960s US Army Fatigue Baseball Cap (common issue during the Vietnam War) in the scene while the actors wear green berets. Soldiers exercising on the drill field – that Wayne shouts to – were actual Army airborne recruits in training.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The film's large set-piece battle is loosely based on the Battle of Nam Dong on 5–6 July 1964 when two Viet Cong battalions and the PAVN attacked a CIDG camp at Nam Dong near the Laotian border in South Vietnam's Central Highlands. For five hours, a mixed force of Americans, Australians and South Vietnamese troops fought off a force three times its size. The movie camp set, which was constructed on an isolated hill within Fort Benning, had barbed wire trenches, punji sticks, sandbagged bunkers, mortar pits, towers, support buildings and hooches. Several tons of dynamite and black powder were then used to largely destroy the set during the filming of the battle sequence. Other realistic "Vietnamese village" sets were left intact after the shooting ended so they could be reused by the Army for training troops destined for South East Asia.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The original choice for scoring the film, Elmer Bernstein, a friend and frequent collaborator with John Wayne, turned the assignment down due to his political beliefs. As a second choice, the producers contacted Miklós Rózsa then in Rome. When asked to do "The Green Berets" for John Wayne, Rózsa replied: "I don't do Westerns". Rózsa was told "It's not a Western, it's an 'Eastern'". As a title song, the producers used a Ken Darby choral arrangement of Barry Sadler's 1966 hit song "Ballad of the Green Berets", which had been co-written by Robin Moore, author of the original "Green Berets" novel. Rózsa provided a strong and varied musical score including a night club vocal by a Vietnamese singer Bạch Yến; however, bits of "Onward Christian Soldiers" were deleted from the final film.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Upon its cinema release, movie critic Roger Ebert gave it zero stars and cited extensive use of cliches, depicting the war in terms of "cowboys and Indians", and being a "heavy-handed, remarkably old-fashioned film." It is on his "Most Hated" list. His then-rival at the "Chicago Tribune", Clifford Terry, described the film as "both predictable and tedious" and added that its "most fatal mistake" was "presenting the United States' most complex war in the simplest of terms."


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Reviewing for "The New York Times", Renata Adler wrote, ""The Green Berets" is a film so unspeakable, so stupid, so rotten and false in every detail that it passes through being fun, through being funny, through being camp, through everything and becomes an invitation to grieve, not for our soldiers or for Vietnam (the film could not be more false or do a greater disservice to either of them), but for what has happened to the fantasy-making apparatus in this country."


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The screenplay for Oliver Stone's anti-war film "Platoon" was written partially as a reaction to "The Green Berets". It is mocked in the Gustav Hasford novel "The Short-Timers" in a scene where Joker and Rafter Man find the Lusthog Squad watching it at a movie theater. "The audience of Marines roars with laughter. This is the funniest movie we have seen in a long time."


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: The journalist and left-wing activist John Pilger, a strong critic of American foreign policy, described his reaction to "The Green Berets" in a 2007 speech he gave criticising the media for its coverage of the Vietnam War. "I had just come back from Vietnam, and I couldn't believe how absurd this movie was. So I laughed out loud, and I laughed and laughed. And it wasn't long before the atmosphere around me grew very cold. My companion, who had been a Freedom Rider in the South, said, 'Let's get the hell out of here and run like hell.'"


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Film commentator Emanuel Levy noted in his review that Wayne was not attempting to promote the cause of the Vietnam War as much as he was trying to portray the Special Forces in their unique role in the military: "Wayne said his motive was to glorify American soldiers as the finest fighting men 'without going into why we are there, or if they should be there.' His 'compulsion' to do the movie was based on his pride of the Special Forces, determined to show 'what a magnificent job this still little-known branch of service is doing.' ... 'I wasn't trying to send a message out to anybody,' he reasoned, 'or debating whether it is right or wrong for the United States to be in this war.'"


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Levy also notes that Wayne acknowledged that war is generally not popular, but the soldiers who serve face the risks and dangers of combat nonetheless, and must be prepared to sacrifice themselves, regardless of their personal will or judgment. Levy quotes Wayne: "What war was ever popular for God's sake? Those men don't want to be in Vietnam any more than anyone else. Once you go over there, you won't be middle-of-the-road."


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: Despite the poor reviews, and despite being protested and picketed in the United States and abroad, it went on to be a commercial success, which Wayne attributed in part to the negative reviews from the press, which he saw as representing criticism of the war rather than the film.


title: The Green Berets (film)

text: "The critics overkilled me, the picture and the war", said Wayne. "As a result, so many people went to see it that I had a cheque from the distributors for $8 million within three months. That's the cost of the picture, so we moved into profit the next day." "The Green Berets" earned rentals of $8.7 million in North America during 1968.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (born 8 March 1957) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, and politician who is the 14th and current Vice President of Nigeria since 2015. A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he previously served as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and holds the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. In April 2022, he announced his intention to run for the APC nomination for President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election. He was third in the APC presidential primaries held in June 2022 with a total of 235 votes from the delegates.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Born in Lagos in 1957, Osinbajo is a graduate of the University of Lagos and London School of Economics. Shortly thereafter, he started teaching at University of Lagos while practicing law until 1999. That year, Osinbajo was appointed Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the cabinet of Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu. After serving during both of Tinubu's four-year terms, Osinbajo left government in 2007 and returned to law and lecturing along with preaching in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Prior to the 2015 presidential election, Osinbajo was chosen as the running mate to APC nominee Muhammadu Buhari. Their ticket went on to defeat the then-incumbent duo of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo. Four years later, the ticket was re-elected over the Peoples Democratic Party's Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Osinbajo's tenure has been marked by his rising profile, especially when he took power as Acting President while Buhari went abroad. Actions taken during his brief stints as the leader of the nation were decisive but contrasted with Buhari's style and were controversial among Buhari's inner circle.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Yemi Osinbajo was born into the family of Opeoluwa Osinbajo on 8 March 1957, Creek Hospital, Lagos. Osinbajo is married to Dolapo (née Soyode) Osinbajo, a granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo. They have three children: two daughters, Damilola and Kanyinsola, and a son, Fiyinfoluwa Osinbajo.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Osinbajo was educated at Corona primary School, in Lagos. He attended Igbobi College in Yaba, Lagos, from 1969 to 1975, where he won the following awards:


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Thereafter he studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos between 1975 and 1978, when he obtained a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) Degree in Law. Here, he also won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law. In 1979, he completed the mandatory one-year professional training at the Nigerian Law School whereon he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: From 1979 to 1980, Osinbajo served the compulsory one-year youth service as a legal officer with Bendel Development and Planning Authority (BDPA), Bendel State.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: In 1981, he was employed as a law lecturer at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. From 1983 to 1986, he was a Senior Lecturer of Law at the University of Lagos. From 1988 to 1992, he was an Adviser (legal advice and litigation) to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola. Osinbajo began lecturing at the age of 23.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: From 1997 to 1999 he was made professor of law and head of Department of Public Law, University of Lagos.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: From 1999 to 2007, Osinbajo was a Member of Cabinet, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, also Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: In 2007, Osinbajo was made Senior Partner at Simmons Cooper Partners (Barristers and Solicitors), Nigeria.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: From 2007 to 2013 Osinbajo was once again employed as a Professor of Law, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. He was also a Senior lecturer at Lagos State University.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Osinbajo is the pastor in charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarters) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: After the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, Yemi was tasked with other notable Nigerians to design and produce a manifesto for the new political party. This culminated in the presentation of the "Roadmap to a New Nigeria", a document published by APC as its manifesto if elected to power. The highlights of the Roadmap included a free schools meal plan, a conditional cash transfer to the 25 million poorest Nigerians if they enroll children in school and immunize them. There were also a number of programs designed to create economic opportunities for Nigeria's massive youth population.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: On 17 December 2014 the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, retired General Muhammadu Buhari, announced Osinbajo as his running mate and vice-presidential candidate for the 2015 general elections. During the 2014/2015 campaigns of the All progressives Congress, Yemi Osinbajo held numerous town hall meetings across the country as against the popular rallies that many Nigerians and their politicians were used to. One of his campaign promises, which he has recently reiterated, was the plan to feed a school child a meal per day. Beyond feeding the school children, he has recently emphasized that this plan will create jobs (another campaign promise) for those who will make it happen.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: On 31 March 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the presidential elections. Thus, Osinbajo became the Vice President-elect of Nigeria. They were both sworn in on 29 May 2015. On 17 August 2017 VP Yemi Osinbajo described hate speech as a species of terrorism.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: Yemi Osinbajo assumed office after taking the oath of office on 29 May 2015 at the Eagle Square, Abuja. As the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is expected to oversee the economic planning team and report as well as make recommendations to the president who takes the final decision. Because of his legal background and antecedents as a commissioner for justice in Lagos state for eight years, many expect that he will contribute a great deal to the much needed reform of the judicial system at the national level.


title: Yemi Osinbajo

text: President Muhammadu Buhari wrote a written declaration on 9 May 2017 to the president of the senate and house of representatives on his decision to embark on a medical trip; the letter was read that day at a plenary assembly of both the senate and the house of representatives. The acting presidency was conferred upon Vice president Osinbajo during President Buhari's medical leave.