1985 to 1990 - the lost years

[hx-sandman]

Just a few points, there would have been no WH, WK or WL utes. VH, VK and VL were all V sized vehicles. The W sized vehicles (HJ-WB) would have continued into whatever came after WB whether that be WC, WD etc. If the W shape had still been around in 1988 it would most likely have got an injected 5.0L like the V sized Commodore/Calais. 6cyl version of WB successor would have been the hardest option for GMH to build as the 3.0L Nissan and the old Jatco auto would have been of no use in a commercial vehicle (ever driven a 3.0L GQ patrol?). This may well have been why the W series ended in early 1985, as they knew the Nissan engine was coming, and at that stage the Holden V8 was to be dead at the end of VK (remember Street machine's "Save the V8" campaign) and the "big" engine was to be the turbo Nissan engine. The V6 Buick engine came after the Yen went ballistic and made the Nissan engine too expensive.

I wonder whether the styling cues would have come from the appropriate model commodore with no W series sedans, or would it have become an orphan for design and evolution. It's hard to imagine a WD ute that shared the looks of a VH/K commodore. Even harder to imagine it looking good.

The dimensional differences were probably significant enough to prevent sharing a front end - WB width 1877mm/Front Track 1520mm vs VB Commodore width 1722mm/Front Track 1451mm.

[HK1837]

I wonder whether the styling cues would have come from the appropriate model commodore with no W series sedans, or would it have become an orphan for design and evolution. It's hard to imagine a WD ute that shared the looks of a VH/K commodore. Even harder to imagine it looking good.

The dimensional differences were probably significant enough to prevent sharing a front end - WB width 1877mm/Front Track 1520mm vs VB Commodore width 1722mm/Front Track 1451mm.

You are forgetting WA and WB already had Commodore style front. Just look at the U, V and W sized cars in 1980: UC, VC and WB. There is no nosecone as such (although WA/WB has the little apron to match to the existing bonnet). The grille and headlights form the front, there is an apron down below. Headlights and blinkers wrap around.

--- Updated ---

They became irrelevant. There was no sedan version being built. The commodore became the main car, and I imagine the platform was too small and weak for a commercial version.
Holden had started selling the Isuzu commercials and what bean counter would ever agree to having a Commodore competing against a Kingswood, and a Isuzu competing against a home grown commercial vehicle.
The other main problem was tradies were becoming more aware that utes and vans were actually useless compared to a one tonner or a bongo van.

I'd agree with the lack of sales killing it. Remember also the body was 13+ years old at the start of 1985. The van turret had been around since HD.
I don't think they were that worried about competing imports with home grown. Isuzu and Chev utes (Luvs and C20/C30/K20) had been sold parallel with Holdens since the early 1970's. Bedfords were as well.