Up until recently, Holden was Australia’s own car brand. An offshoot of GM, the brand had a 70-year history in which it produced some incredible vehicles, may unique to the Australia market.
The VE Commodore was one such vehicle, available as a saloon, station wagon or a two-door sports ute – essentially a pick-up, but in this particular case with a General Motors LS3 small block V8 under its nose.
But this one is even more than that. It’s a full-fat HSV R8 model, created in the small township of Lang Lang on the outskirts of Melbourne by HSV, or Holden Special Vehicles, with the assistance of Walkinshaw Racing.
HSV has been giving Holden’s Commodore models the tweaked big V8 treatment for decades, with each model carrying the Maloo name (meaning thunder in one of the many Aboriginal dialects) as a nod to the rumbling powerplant.
With 550bhp fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, this example also has some additional modifications courtesy of Walkinshaw Racing, famous for building the Australian V8 Supercar race cars, including a Walkinshaw Performance intake manifold, new headers and a sports exhaust system.
It’s a remarkable thing – a proper muscle truck, imported into the UK last year by an Australian enthusiast and offered for sale as an extremely rare and achingly cool performance vehicle. It’s not a vehicle you’ll stumble across every day, and it’s quite a special thing. front.jpg996.86 KB
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
UK V5C
MOT June 2024
Imported to the UK in 2022
All import duties and customs clearances completed – fully registered and road legal
Approximately 107k miles
Two sets of keys
Original owners’ manual
HSV build plaque and power read-out on engine cover
Inside, the Maloo comes with exclusive HSV trim, which in this case means part leather, part Alcantara sports seats with thick side bolsters and the HSV logo embroidered in both seats backs.
The truck retains its original factory Blaupunkt stereo and climate controls and is presented in very good order, with factory Holden floormats and smart charcoal-coloured Alcantara headlining. There’s a minimal amount of wear to the gear knob commensurate with the truck’s mileage.
The carpeted load bay is vast – perfect for two full-sized surfboards. int.jpg910.32 KB
THE EXTERIOR
Voodoo Blue Metallic
20-inch HSV alloys
Full body-coloured load bay tilt
HSV splitter, bumpers and side skirts
The well-balanced styling of the Ute is almost coupé-like thanks to the full length load bay cover, the proportions of the Holden doing a good job of disguising its vastness. It’s a huge vehicle by European standards, as long as a Jaguar XJ saloon, but it doesn’t look or feel as large close-up.
The paint – distinctive Voodoo Blue – is excellent all over, while bespoke HSV bits include the front and rear bumpers, side skirts and 20-inch alloys, which are in great overall order with high quality rubber.
There are no marks or damage of any note – a few very tiny stonechips, but no dents or ripples and the underside appears to be in sound order.back.jpg841.38 KB
THE MECHANICS
6.2-litre V8
Six-speed manual transmission
Incredible performance and soundtrack
Drives great
In standard from, a 6.2-litre V8 Commodore is a fruity machine, but with the addition of HSV’s input it becomes positively lairy, the engine tuned to develop 550bhp with prodigious levels of torque – 406 lb ft at peak delivery.
In addition, the R8 gets a Walkinshaw induction kit and performance exhaust, while the short-ratio gearbox means urgent performance if required – it sounds amazing and is devilishly fast when you need it to be. Yet the inherent tractability of the GM 6.2-litre V8 means it can be (and is) entirely docile at lower speeds making this a full-fat high-performance vehicle that you can still use happily every day.
It runs brilliantly, while the sports exhaust system sounds fantastic. It’s easy to maintain, too – while it may be a rare vehicle in the UK, the powertrain is all GM and common to a lot of the brand’s American cars, so parts are plentiful and inexpensive to procure. eng.jpg779.86 KB
SUMMARY
If you want a performance car that’s the real deal in terms of its power delivery and handling but is delightfully different, then you’ve just found it. A genuine Holden rather than the limited import Vauxhall Maloo, the car began life in New South Wales and has clearly been well looked after prior to arriving in the UK. It has since had a thorough going over courtesy of an Australian motor engineer based in Hertfordshire and is presented in fantastic overall condition – you’ll struggle to find another!
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
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