'Rare' HSV VTII GTS-R sells in US auction for half its estimate

A 2000 HSV VTII GTS-R has crossed the auction block in Mecum’s Indy 2019 auction, fetching a much lower price than the auction house had apparently hoped for.

The car itself has an interesting story, but the fact that it sold below its estimate is just as interesting.

With an estimate set by Mecum of between USD$50,000 and $75,000, we’re sure the seller was disappointed to see it go for USD$28,600 (AUD$41,400 for us), thanks to its no-reserve sale.

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Believed to be the only car of its kind in the USA, it seems the rare muscle car collectors weren’t out in force that day.

For those confused as to what a VTII GTS-R is, HSV developed a small number of VTII GTSs for export (to the UK, primarily) and rebadged them with the extra ‘R’.

Some of those cars remain in Australia, with one example well known amongst HSV trainspotters, while the car just sold by Mecum was reportedly used by then-head of GM Bob Lutz for a cross-country trek in the States.

The Maltese GTS-R Maloo

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Afterwards, Mecum claims it was also used in the development of the 2004 Pontiac GTO. Evidently this car was given to media for testing at some point, as a comparison test with a BMW M5 by Car and Driver was published with this car.

In any case, evidence of more cars like it in the US is non-existent, consolidating the chances of Mecum being correct in its claim that this car is one-of-a-kind State-side.

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With a 300kW Callaway-tuned LS1 ‘C4B’, a manual shifter, and about 42,400km showing on the odometer, AUD$41k seems like a bit of a bargain to be the only person in the USA to own an already-rare car, especially given its AUD$70,900 lower-end estimate.