History has been made in Australian motoring, with a once-in-a-generation Holden smashing price records and cementing its place as the most expensive Holden ever sold.
An ultra-rare Yellah HSV GTSR W1 Maloo has sold for an extraordinary $1.2 million through Lloyds Auctions, eclipsing all previous Holden sale records and underscoring the enduring global appetite for Australia’s most iconic performance vehicles.
The record-breaking sale took place as part of Lloyds’ December 2025 classic car auction event and was finalised through private negotiations just two days after the main auction closed. While early speculation suggested the vehicle might struggle to find a buyer, intense international interest quickly proved otherwise, with collectors from around the world bidding online and via phone before the historic deal was secured.
The vehicle in question is no ordinary Holden. The Yellah HSV GTSR W1 Maloo is build number 001 of just four examples ever produced, with the existence of the model long considered something of a myth among collectors. Even more remarkably, this is the only W1 ute ever finished in the iconic XU3 Yellah paintwork, making it entirely unique in the HSV catalogue.
Presented in delivery condition, the Maloo has travelled just 26 kilometres, has never been registered, and remains as close to factory-fresh as a modern Australian muscle car can possibly be. Under the bonnet sits Australia’s most powerful production engine, a 474kW supercharged LS9 V8, elevating the vehicle from rarity to outright legend status.
“Whispers of doubt turned into roaring reality,” said Lee Hames, Chief Operating Officer at Lloyds Auctions. “This $1.2 million result not only obliterates expectations but proves Lloyds’ unrivalled expertise in delivering record-breaking sales for Australia’s rarest automotive treasures.”
The sale comfortably surpassed the million-dollar milestone, drawing sustained attention from elite collectors and further reinforcing the international demand for high-end HSV performance vehicles. Long regarded as the pinnacle of Australian engineering, the W1 platform has continued to climb in value since local manufacturing ceased, with this result setting a new benchmark for the market.
Beyond the individual car, the result marks another defining moment for Lloyds Auctions, whose classic and collectable vehicle sales have consistently delivered headline-making outcomes in recent years. The $1.2 million Yellah W1 Maloo now stands not only as a triumph of Australian design and engineering, but as a symbol of how deeply Holden’s legacy continues to resonate with collectors worldwide.
With this landmark sale, 2025 will be remembered as a historic year in Australian motoring, one where a bright yellow ute rewrote the record books and reaffirmed the global prestige of Australia’s most celebrated performance cars.
