This $1.4-Million Ute Could Become Australia’s Most Expensive
You should’ve seen our face when we stumbled across this timeless beast online. Then you should’ve seen our face after we saw the $1.4-Million price. And THEN you should’ve seen our face when we realised this is the same ute causing an auction room ruckus at Lloyds only a couple of months ago. AND THEN you should’ve seen our face when we realised the seller turned down a $1.25-Million dollar offer on the car after it didn’t meet reserve! Introducing the HSV destined to become Australia’s most expensive ute, ever.
It was in February 2021 that we last saw a Holden Special Vehicles GTS R W1 ute go across the auctions at Lloyds. A significant occasion that saw an HSV GTS R W1 ute break the record and claimed the title of ‘Australia’s Most Expensive Ute’ when it rolled off the auction block for a staggering $1.05-Million, but those close to the auction knew this record wouldn’t stand for long with a lineup of Aussie icons set to hit the stands only a few months later.
Fast forward to August 2021 and a lineup of rare HSVs were all set ready to break auction records. One particular model stood out from the pack, a special ute with black wheels, a ‘Yellah’ paint scheme that harks back to the famous HSV’s of yesteryear, manual transmission, 474KW Supercharged LS9, and dealer delivery KM’s. This 2017 Holden Special Vehicles GTS R W1 in manual is as rare as they come, build #001 and the only W1 Maloo Ute to be painted in-house at HSV in the famous VS GTSR XU3 ‘Yellah’ before being released. Quite frankly, it doesn’t get more Aussie (or rarer) than this so we expected a big price tag and a new ‘Most Expensive Ute’ king. And we got it.
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Reaching a hammer price on the day of $1,250,000 AUD, surprisingly, it never met the reserve. According to Lloyds, negotiations continued over the following days, but a price was clearly never agreed upon. Begging the question, if you got offered $1,250,000 AUD for your 2017 HSV GTS R W1 would you take it? Our answer would be a resounding yes, but owner and seller of this very same ute doesn’t think so, posting the car up for sale privately with the current carsales.com.au ad reading;
“THIS CAR NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION…..!!
The worlds rarest HSV.
This was published that it sold, but the ute never met my reserve at Auction. I declined to sell after the auction due to a private bidding war post-auction which was too much muck around.
This car deserves more respect than that so I said not for sale anymore…!!!”
Those interested in the special vehicle will be glad to know that the ute remains in “concourse” condition and has been kept in a climate-controlled showroom with UV protection. There might be some wiggle room in price too, it’s already received a $100,000 discount from the original list price of $1.5-Million in January. Want to own Australia’s most expensive ute? Check out the link below to make an offer, just make sure it’s well over $1.25-Million.
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