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, the majority of which were unique to the Australian market.
The VE Commodore was one such vehicle, available as a saloon, station wagon or a two-door sports Utility, or ‘Ute’ – essentially a pick-up, in this particular case with a General Motors LS3 small block V8 under its nose.
This example was supplied new in Burwood, Victoria, in 2009 but later moved north to Australia’s Gold Coast, where it was owned by the vendor, a British National, who brought it back to the UK with him when he returned five years ago. Tuned to develop 437bhp, the Ute was his daily transport in Australia, but since his return it has been in dry storage and was only recently registered in the UK, in 2023.
With rear-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual transmission, it’s a proper performance machine and something completely different to your average sports car (unless you’re an Aussie, of course, in which case it’s a thing of legend).
20-inch ‘Simmons’ alloy wheels in good order with very minor kerb marks
Full body-coloured load bay tilt
Front splitter, bumpers and side skirts
Holden dealer accessory headlight protectors
Wind deflectors
Black leather sports seats
Alcantara headlining
Red “SS-V’ dials
Vast load bay
All switchgear and controls in good working order
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 Asteroid Silver paint is generally very good all over, while the 20-inch Simmons alloys are in smart condition with only a couple of very minor kerb marks. There are no marks or damage of any note – a few very tiny stone chips, but no dents or ripples and the underside appears to be in sound condition.
Inside, the Ute comes with black leather sports seats, showing minor signs of wear, and sporty red ‘SS’ dials. It retains its original factory stereo and climate controls and is presented in good order, with factory Holden floormats and smart charcoal-coloured Alcantara headlining.
Performance induction kit, power upgrade, uprated brakes, Pedders suspension and exhaust system
Six-speed manual transmission
Incredible performance and soundtrack
Engine fully rebuilt by specialist and freshly serviced
Performance camshaft upgrade
Develops 437bhp
In standard from, a 602-litre V8 Commodore is a fruity machine, but with the addition of some tuning parts and an upgraded cam, this one develops 437bhp– it’s an absolute beast.
It sounds amazing and is devilishly fast, with a sporty six-speed manual gearshift and great low-speed tractability from the torquey V8.
It’s an easy vehicle 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. Not that it’ll need anything. This one has had a complete engine rebuild in Autumn 2023 and is sold with no known issues.BiI1DNjOznPYXAfZ5YhB97xuv4sT1DIyqwu3IYI2.jpg848.49 KB
BEFORE YOU BUY
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✓ If the seller is registered as a private seller, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. Car & Classic’s return policy applies.
✓ A non-refundable deposit will be payable if you are the winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for details.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is, Where Is’ basis and without warranty. A full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase and bidding is highly recommended. Photos and descriptions are for guidance purposes only.
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