Rare HSV GTSR W1 Maloo sets Aussie car auction record

Only a small number of people knew this car even existed, but now that one is up for auction Aussies have pushed the price up dramatically.

There is a new king of Aussie cars.

A secret Aussie ute has just set a record for an Australian-built car at auction with a bid of $1.035m.

And it could go even higher as there are still 12 days left before the online auction closes.

The car in question is a HSV GTSR W1 Maloo with only 681km on the clock. It is an ultra rare Holden Special Vehicles ute.

Only four HSV Maloo GTSR W1s were built.

HSV only built four examples of the W1 Maloo and all were sold for an undisclosed sum to a handful of HSV insiders.

The Aussie outfit built 200 examples of the W1 sedan, which were available to the public and priced at $169,990 plus on-road costs.

The utes are the same spec as the W1 sedan, which was available to the public.

Some buyers tried to make a quick buck reselling the vehicles for nearly double the price immediately after taking possession back in 2017.

The ute’s six-figure price tag comes with some big performance. A giant 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine producing a whopping 474kW and 815Nm. HSV claimed the sedan was the fastest Australia car ever built.

The bidding as of Monday the 18th of January was at $1.035m.

The small run of W1 Maloo utes got the same engine, suspension, and Alcantara-lined cabin of the regular W1 sedan and are almost identical in specification except for a rear spoiler and side sills that don’t fit on the long-wheelbase ute.

The W1’s cabin was lined in luxurious Alcantara trim.

If the W1 Maloo sells for the current bid price at Lloyds Auctions it will eclipse the previous record price paid for an Australian built road car by several thousand.

That car was an original 1971 Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III once owned by Australian fast bowling legend Jeff Thomson.

The GTHO cost $5000 when it rolled off the production line in 1971 and was the world’s fastest four-door passenger car.

Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III

The W1 Maloo is now more expensive than high-priced supercars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren.

And it might not be the last example to head to auction, once current owners see the sky-high price Aussie muscle car fans are willing to pay for a rare slice of Holden’s history.

Originally published as Rare HSV GTSR W1 Maloo sets Aussie car auction record