The Camira was the most vilifued but under-rated Holden. I had four of them. One of each model. Wagon and sedan, manual and auto.
For their day they were roomy and comfortable. Extremely economical and handled well.
They were ruined by being thrown together by an uncaring workforce and being initially fitted with an engine that was too small.
Gotta say I agree. Compared to it's peers - Mazda 323, Ford Laser and the like they drove exceptionally well. Unfortunately the early motors had soft rings and literally pumped smoke out before they were rebuilt. Rust was also terrible in the early JB's as well. By the time the JE's were released most of the problems were well and truly sorted however the stigma of the early models pretty much sealed their fate.
There are a few little known features about JB Camiras however:
1. They skim like stones over water if you go fast enough
2. The sign in the Jameson state forest that says 4WD only should read 4WD+Camiras
3. Broken engine mounts could be rectified by small branches and other wildlife