A staggering $1.2 million has changed hands for one of just four HSV GTSR W1 Maloos, and the only one which was painted in the iconic XU3 Yellah hue.
Lloyd’s Auctions is celebrating the figure as a record for Holden road cars at auction, after the Holden Special Vehicles ute was initially passed up on December 20, only to be sold in a private deal to an unknown buyer.
Just 298 examples of the HSV GTSR W1 sedan were made to send off the Holden Commodore by Walkinshaw, with the four Maloos secretly built later for high-end executives.
Only one Maloo – build #001, the example which went to auction this week – was put in contact with HSV’s paint supplier and finished in XU3 Yellah, the paint colour which was exclusive to the VS GTS-R, and only ever applied to one other car, a matching GTSR W1 sedan.
All three XU3 Yellah cars were auctioned and sold as a package for a combined total of $2.9 million plus buyer’s premium in August 2021, though the Maloo later ended up on Carsales in 2022 for $1.5 million. It’s understood to have sold for less than this.
By fetching $1.2 million, the XU3 Yella GTSR W1 Maloo beats out one of its siblings (finished in Light My Fire) and a Holden VK Commodore SS Group A (previously owned by Peter Brock) as the most expensive Holden ever auction, after both of the aforementioned cars sold for $1.05 million.
Like all examples of the GTSR W1, the XU3 Yella Maloo is powered by the supercharged 6.2-litre ‘LS9’ V8 engine, which was hand-built by Walkinshaw to produce 474kW and 815Nm, making it the most powerful production vehicle ever built in Australia.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed Tremec manual transmission, with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, SupaShock dampers and AP Racing brakes helping to keep it under control. That is if it ever leaves the confines of a garage again, having so far recorded just 26km on its odometer.
It came close to breaking the all-time auction record for an Australian-built car, set by a 1971 Ford Falcon XY Phase III GTHO in Yellow Glo which sold for $1.3 million plus buyer’s premium.
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