HSV GTS-R W1 Maloo sells for $1.05 million at auction

A new Australian record for a vehicle auction has been claimed over the weekend after an HSV GTS-R W1 Maloo sold for $1.05 million.

The one-of-four factory-built HSV GTS-R W1 Maloo is now the most expensive Australian-made road car, narrowing beating-out the previous record-holder, a Ford Falcon GT-HO, by $20,000.

However, in a twist of fate, the most expensive road-registerable car may eventually end up being given away for a pittance.

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The purchaser of the W1 Maloo runs a raffle company that’s well-known for giving away unique cars in exchange for $30 raffle tickets, and the company has suggested on social media that this car will feature in an upcoming raffle.

Raffle company LMCT+ posted a photo of the Light My Fire W1 Maloo on social media with caption; “Introducing officially the $1.1 million giveaway. Coming soon.”

Interest in the auction itself grew exponentially in the weeks leading up to the auction date, where the W1 Maloo’s auction price ballooned to $1.035 million before settling down.

Just $15,000 was added to the final auction price at the auction on Saturday.

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“There were three bidders that bid over $1,000,000 on the Maloo Ute with 2 of them being Holden enthusiasts," said Lee Hames, CEO Lloyds Auctions.

"However, the winning bidder is a group specialising in raffling off unique cars, so I don’t think it will be the last time we see this car.”

Previously, the most valuable Aussie road car was a 1971 Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase III once owned by legendary Aussie cricketer Jeff Thomson which went for $1.03m in 2018.

This W1 Maloo is not the most expensive Australian car sold at auction outright, though. That title is still held by the ex-Peter Brock two-time Bathurst-winning HDT VH Commodore which fetched $2.1 million at a Lloyds auction in 2018.

The Maloo W1 auction attracted widespread interest for being an ultra-limited special edition derived from a GTSR W1 sedan, HSV’s LS9-powered swansong released in 2017 and priced at $169,000 before on roads.

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Just four utes were secretly built for select HSV employees and long-time customers – the car was never offered, let alone displayed, to the public.

The W1 Maloo features many of the same modifications as the W1 sedan, including a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1-derived supercharged V8, Pirelli P Zero semi-slick tyres, and W1-spec trim including quilted seats and badging.