Skip to main content

2017 HSV GTSR MALOO W1 'XU3 YELLAH'

A 2017 Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) GTSR Maloo W1 ute, finished in a pale yellow shade, nicknamed XU3 Yellah, has sold at auction for $1.2 million AUD through Lloyds Auctions. 


The sale marks the highest price ever achieved at auction for a Holden production car and makes it the most expensive road-legal Holden ever sold. The previous record was held by a 1985 Holden Commodore VK SS Group A road car, driven daily by Peter Brock, which sold for $1.057 million at auction.

This particular HSV GTSR Maloow W1 ute is build number one of just four ever made. It has only 26 kilometres on the odometer and was never road registered. The buyer remains confidential.

Lloyds Auctions stated there was “fierce global bidding erupted online and via phone”, with the final sale price reached through “private negotiations two days post-auction”. The car was listed just before Christmas and was initially passed in when bidding peaked at $1.1 million.

Another HSV GTSR Maloo W1 ute in red also fetched high prices, selling at auction for $1.05 million.


‘Fab Four’

In 2017, four HSV GTSR Maloo W1 utes were built in secret by HSV engineers as test vehicles ahead of the public sale of the 300 unit HSV GTSR W1 sedan. Never intended for public sale, the four utes became known among Holden fanatics and collectors as the ‘Fab Four’.

Each was finished in a unique colourway, paying tribute to iconic Holden heritage shades: 

  • XU3 Yellah (yellow),
  • Light My Fire (orange),
  • Sting Red,Son of a Gun Grey.

That ultra-limited run alone makes the Maloo W1 extraordinary, but its significance runs deeper. These vehicles stand among the final Holdens ever assembled. Arriving as General Motors shut its Australian operations in the early 2020s.

The GTSR Maloo W1 symbolises the last breath of Australian-made V8 performance – built quietly, never advertised and widely believed to have been hand-allocated to collectors, VIPs and senior Holden figures. However, this has never been confirmed and all first owners have remained confidential.


Power, More Power

The GTSR W1 Maloo is powered by a 6.2 litre supercharged LS9 V8, paired with a six-speed Tremec manual transmission. The same engine famously used in the Corvette ZR1 – no, not that iconic Corvette but a McLaren looking one. It remains one of the most extreme power ever fitted to an Australian production vehicle.

Formed in 1987, HSV served as Holden’s official performance arm, carrying on the legacy of Holden Dealer Team Special Vehicles, which was originally run by Peter Brock.

The Maloo name itself dates back to 1990, first appearing as a limited-edition version of the VG Commodore utes, featuring a 180kW 5.0-litre V8, aggressive body kits and optional graphics. Honestly, it laid the foundation for what would become one of Australia’s most iconic performance sub-brands and the holy grail vehicle for most hoonies.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NIKE TNS INFLUENCE ON SYDNEY

There are a few fashion pieces that capture an entire scene and community holistically.  One of those just happens to be the Nike TN. That shoe alone is synonymous with Sydney street culture and eventually recognised as adlay fashion. TNs were very different to every other offering on the market back in the day. Loud in colour, heavy in contrast and just felt rebellious. From its release in 1998, it carried the highest price tag in Foot Locker stores, making it the most obvious target for searchers. And aside from being the most expensive shoe in the store, it just looked good. It was marketed as a running shoe too – now, we all know nobody's doing Usain numbers in TNs, but hey, it is what it is. But that price tag came with status. Random fact: TNs were the most racked shoes from Foot Locker Australia. There were really only a few reasons people were wearing TNs across Sydney: you were rich enough to afford a pair, ballsy enough to roll someone else's or rack them straight fro...
Post a Comment
Read more

INSPORT'S INFLUENCE ON WESTERN SYDNEY FASHION

INSPORT doesn’t get enough of the flowers it deserves. Between the early 2000s and the late 2010s, INSPORT practically dictated Western Sydney fashion. Brands like Henley, Canterbury, Lonsdale, Le Coq Sportif, Ellesse, Champion, Russell Athletic, Nike, Adidas and Puma, and then eventually FILA and Kappa. Logos on nearly every piece of clothing, all for a fairly affordable price. Growing up, if you were shopping for a backpack for back to school, there was only one place to go – INSPORT. They had a huge bag section and you’d always beeline for the Lonsdale bags, particularly the small one that could barely fit more than two books. Which, honestly, was a great excuse to not do anything in class, right? I remember Henley, Le Coq Sportif, Canterbury, Lonsdale, Puma and Adidas all being so common in the Western Sydney streetwear scene. Henley had that big fancy cursive logo across their shirts. Le Coq Sportif had the triangle with the rooster sitting on the chest. The exercise short-shorts ...
Post a Comment
Read more

CONVO WITH TYLER, PREVIOUSLY FROM SE7EN

CONVO WITH TYLER FROM SE7EN TOXIN - a brand to keep an eye on from Melbourne, Australia. “I started experimenting with my first-ever SE7EN designs when I was 15. The first official product launch happened when I was 17,” says Tyler. Is age and experience a valid excuse? Tyler’s been creating and designing since high school and was part of the reason for the existence of the Melbourne-based fashion brand, SE7EN. The new age of young entrepreneurs is driven by obsession - the obsession to not work for someone but to work for yourself. From my convo with Tyler, it felt like an early, almost restless need to translate personal taste into something tangible. "SE7EN's SE7EN’S first official product launch was just hand screen-printed tees I made in my shed. At this point, I was still figuring things out, mainly just making stuff I thought was cool for fun. By the time I was 20, we released our first-ever fully custom manufactured product. That was our first batch of caps.” This era...
Post a Comment
Read more