HOLDEN SANDMAN RETURNS – WELL SORT OF…

2015 Holden Sandman is offered as a ute or station wagon – sadly there’s no panel van.

A blast from the past is about to return to Australian roads and beaches. The Holden Sandman is back – well sort of.

The Holden Sandman was a panel van that became a legend in its own lifetime. Panel vans were all the rage in the 1960s and ‘70s. Like today’s dual-cab sports utes, panel vans began life as mundane working vehicles, then became ever more dressed until they became lifestyle machines – with plenty of room in the back for you know what.

Initially the dressing up was done by the aftermarket guys and gals, but soon the manufactures cottoned onto the idea and came up with factory produced vehicles.

When launched in HQ format in 1974 the Holden Sandman immediately became King of the van hill; Ford and Chrysler came up with their own vans, but none reached the status of the Holden. Sandman was also sold as a utility, but the van was the big winner.

So popular were panel vans back then that a magazine featuring nothing but vans was introduced, Van Wheels. There was even a legendary edition of the mag that featured Prince Charles on the front cover – holding a surfboard, would you believe?

Buckingham Palace was sent a copy of the magazine, but denounced the photo as a fake produced by a manual forerunner of what is now Photoshop.

Van Wheels was too specific in its content, so its name was changed and a wider range of custom cars, street machines, T-buckets, hotrods and similar modified machines was included. The new name – Street Machine.

Sandman continued thorough the facelifted versions of the HQ into the HJ, HX and HZ Holden ranges till 1977.

Enough of the history, and onto modern times. In its dying years as an Australian manufacturer, Holden has revived the Sandman name for special editions of standard Commodores.

Sadly the 2015 Holden Sandman is now offered only as a dressed up Commodore ute or station wagon. The company would have dearly loved to build a Sandman panel van but sedan based vans have gone the way of crank handles, carburettors and cross-ply tyres.

The new Holden Sandman launched in an appropriate place and time – Torquay, Victoria at the Bells Beach Ripcurl Pro surf competition.

The original 1974 HQ Holden Sandman panel van.

The 2015 Sandman Special Edition offered in VF Commodore SV6 and the SS-V format and revives the instantly recognisable surf livery. Orange shag pile floor rug is an accessory – love it.

Holden’s executive director of sales, Peter Keley, said, “The Holden Sandman has been synonymous with the great Australian surf safari for decades and perfectly reflects our country’s laid back, yet adventurous attitude to life … most importantly, it’s about having fun.”

Popular with surfers, lovers and bohemians alike, Sandman stays true to its roots with its first public display taking place on the sands of Torquay, giving beach goers and car lovers the chance to get up close and reminisce about days gone by … and days to come.

The 2015 Holden Sandman Special Edition, is sold at a $2,950 premium on SSV and SV6 models and has 20-inch gloss black wheels; also in trendy black are the fender vents, grille and roof racks.

There are Sandman decals; dashboard stitching; sunshades and floor mats.

All are highlighted by a unique Sandman build plate

Holden Sandman Special Edition will be offered in Heron White, Nitrate Silver and Phantom Black.

Options are the aforementioned orange rear shag pile and cargo rug (in the Sportwagon) and orange sheep skin seat inserts.

The Sandman doesn’t go on sale until June this year but it might be smart to get onto your local dealer as soon as possible because there may well be a long waiting list if you don’t do so.