The Chevy El Camino, and its corporate cousin the GMC Caballero, was last produced for the 1987 model year. The half car, half truck combo had been in production since 1959, with a hiatus for the 1961, 1962, and 1963 model years. Initially based on the originally based on the Chevy Biscayne, then the A-body Chevelle, and the G-body platform from 1978 to its final year in 1987, the El Camino long outlasted its primary competition, the Ford Ranchero. However, the Australian-built Holden Maloo lasted far longer, with its final year of production coming in 2017.
The Holden Maloo was based on the Holden Utility, a coupe based utility vehicle first produced in 1951, with production continuing in various guises until Holden’s shuttering in 2017. The Holden Maloo (maloo means thunder in an Aboriginal language) was built by Holden’s performance division, Holden Special Vehicles, or HSV. The final generation of the Maloo, based on the Holden Commodore, was built from 2007 to 2017.
The 2016 Holden Maloo R8 LSA came with a healthy list of standard equipment. AP ventilated disc brakes with forged four-piston calipers, 20-inch by 8.5-inch front and 20-inch by 9.5 inch rear alloy wheels, projector headlamps, HSV quad exhaust outlets, HSV Performance body kit, HSV remote locking hard tonneau, and the 6.2-liter LSA V8 making 550 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque were all standard issue. Inside the Maloo, the interior had HSV Performance four-way power seats trimmed in Onyx leather, a leather-wrapped, multi-function tilt-telescopic steering wheel, leather-wrapped gear shift, and dual-zone climate control.
Our feature 2016 Holden Maloo R8 LSA is finished in ceramic coated Sting Red over a Red Hot and Black leather interior. It has been treated to a full left-hand drive conversion for ease of use in the US. The Maloo has been upgraded by Holden Specialty Vehicles, with a modified 6.2 liter supercharged LSA V8 rated at 625 horsepower. Among the modifications are a cold air intake, headers, oversized supercharger pulley, and dyno tuning. The LSA is backed by an automatic transmission. The Maloo is equipped with power windows, power locks, power mirrors, navigation, and dual mode dual exhaust.
This 2016 Holden Maloo R8 LSA will cross the Mecum Auctions block at their Chattanooga, Tennessee event taking place October 13th and 14th.
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Comments
What a beautiful car, I want one
Wasn’t the GMC called the Spint? Always wanted an El Camino but didn’t fit into family dynamic till kids grew up. Just when they stopped production. Oh well.
It was the Sprint, then Caballero from ’77,’78, somewhere in there. Too lazy to look it up. My Mom had a ’84 Caballero with a pitiful V6 in it, but she loved that vehicle, she could tote all her fertilizer and gardening goodies in the back and not stink up the interior (her words).
Both Sprint and Caballero which Joel S. got correct.
Sprint from 1971-1977, then to the Caballero nameplate from 1978-1987. Sprint nameplate were all A body based, Caballero was A body based from 1978-1981 then went to G body 1982-1987.
Australian cars are right hand drive. I wonder what LHD market this one was built to be sold in.
Article states that this Maloo was converted to left-hand drive.
Who changed it from RH drive to LH drive?
I’m in love with this except for the automatic. Should be a six speed. What a perfect vehicle. Would look great parked next to my two El Caminos.
For the right price, I’d still take it and throw that auto in the trash for a TR6060 swap as soon as it gets home.
I’m betting it was converted by LEFTHANDUTES out of Colorado,what a cool truck
You’re probably correct. I’ve seen an article on them and they use GTOs as a parts source for the LHD components.
Not possible, The GTO used a different body structure and dash panel. The LHD components more likely came from a late model Chevy SS which was built in Australia
Or a Pontiac G8.
Or check “lefthandutes” on google
No, it was not the G8 Pontiac. The G8 Pontiac used a different dash panel.
This Holden / Chevrolet Maloo Ute has more in common with the LHD 2015 to 2017 Chevrolet SS or the long wheel base LHD 2015 to 2017 Chevrolet Caprice Patrol car.
I could write lots about the LHD Chevrolets built in Australia for the United States market, but many more qualified than me have already done this. However, in the end the concept of a passenger car ute (truck) started in Australia back in the early 1930s.
Sedan car based trucks (utes) were very much unique to Australia and were introduced decades before there brief appearance in the USA.
Unlike heavy pick up trucks and SUVs that are common today, these sedan based utes provided levels of ride comfort, handling, style and safety no SUV or heavy pick up truck can never offer.
Depends on the age. The newest are the same as the SS.
Just one comment/correction, General Motors Holden (GMH) in Australia effectively built the Chevrolet El Camino ten years before General Motor (GM) in the USA did. Starting in 1949, GMH offered a sedan based Chevrolet ‘ute’ as Australians call it.
This Chevrolet ute was half passenger car (front) with a stylised pick up rear section and was offered in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952. Many examples have been shipped to the USA. So it was not GMs Holden that introduced the half car / half truck concept, but Chevrolet in Australia.
Certainly the Australians invented the passenger car ute which later became the El Camino. It was a case of Americans copying Australian ideas.
I’ve been to Left Hand Utes and saw a very similar Ute there ready for conversion to LH drive. It had an LT4 from the factory and the shop owner told me it would sell for 115K after conversion.