HSV Maloo History
Catalog record
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History
Introduced in 1990 on the VG Commodore-based Holden Ute, the Maloo (named for an Aboriginal word meaning 'thunder' or 'storm') was HSV's performance take on Australia's iconic coupé utility body style — a two-seat, open-bed work vehicle with a V8 engine and full body kit.
The Maloo tracked every major Commodore platform change through the VN, VP, VR, VS, VU, VY, VZ, VE, and VF generations. A pivotal moment was the VU Series, which brought the LS1 engine and the Maloo R8 specification. In 2006, a VZ Maloo R8 driven by Mark Skaife set the Guinness World Record for the fastest production utility vehicle, reaching an average speed of 271.44 km/h at the Lon Pine test track.
The VF-based Maloo continued through 2017; the final build was a GTSR Maloo with the supercharged LSA at 435 kW, and just four GTSR W1 Maloo utes were produced — among the rarest HSVs ever made. With the end of Holden manufacturing, the Maloo nameplate retired after 27 years.
Generations
VG/VN/VP/VR/VS series · Holden V8 era
Original 5.0-litre Holden V8 utes; basic body kits and suspension upgrades over the standard Holden Ute.
VU/VY/VZ series · LS1/Maloo R8 era
VU brought the LS1 and the Maloo R8 name; 2006 VZ R8 set the Guinness production-ute speed record at 271.44 km/h.
2001 Photo: “File:2001 HSV Maloo (VU) HRT Edition utility, concept (2015-08-29).jpg” by OSX / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.
VE E-Series · Zeta-era Maloo
New Zeta platform; LS3 power; sportier styling and improved dynamics over previous generations.
VF Gen-F series · Final Maloo
Last Commodore-based utes; culminated in the GTSR Maloo (LSA, 435 kW) and 4 hand-built GTSR W1 Maloo utes.
Body styles
- Coupé utility (ute)
Notable special editions & performance variants
Maloo R8
Higher-output R8 specification introduced with the VU Series LS1; became the performance pinnacle of the Maloo line.
GTSR Maloo
Supercharged LSA V8 at 435 kW; limited farewell special above the standard Maloo R8.
GTSR W1 Maloo
Only 4 units built — supercharged LS9 V8 at 474 kW, mirroring the GTSR W1 sedan; the rarest production Maloo ever.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the HSV Maloo
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