It was a big day yesterday for the fallen lion, as two of the most significant Holdens of recent history crossed the auction floor at Lloyd’s Auctions. Each was been covered by NZ Autocar earlier this week — one being the skunkworks project HSV Maloo W1 (powered by GM’s LS9 monster), and the other being the last Australian-made Holden ever produced, a VF SS-V Redline.
By about 6.00pm last night, bidding had finished up on the two models. The Maloo W1 ended with no further bids, its AU$1,050,000 ($1.1million) final price making it officially the most expensive Australian car to be sold at auction in history.
The SS Redline featured far more bidding in its closing moments. Having started the day at an already record-breaking AU$250,000 (the most a non-HSV F-gen Holden Commodore had achieved at auction to that point), bidding surged late — first to eclipse the half-million mark, before settling at a dizzying AU$750,000. Neither auction price includes fees.
To put a finer point on the Redline’s tail, while the owner claims that it’s the last Holden to have ever been produced in Australia, as indicated by its 333644, it isn’t the last car to roll off Holden’s production line (as depicted in a series of photos and video from the factory’s final day).
The last car was an identical red SS-V Redline, but its VIN is 333542. General Motors has clarified that the two cars are not one in the same. Their ‘final’ Commodore now resides at the National Motor Museum. It is “the last car that ran down the General Assembly line and is not for sale.”
According to CarAdvice, Holden had built a selection of red SS-V Redlines for that final day, but instead of simply using the car with the last VIN for its celebratory send-off, it chose the car from the line-up that had the best fit and finish — 333542.
On the other side of the hall the winners of the Maloo W1 auction have confirmed that the car will become a prize in an upcoming raffle competition. Earlier in the week LMCT+, a company that runs luxury and performance car raffles for charity, broke the news that they led the auction and planned to give the coveted ute away.
One now wonders where the ute’s resting place will be; if it’s raffle-winning owners end up keeping it garaged, sell it to a museum or collector, or just use it as the V8 Gods intended.
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