2008 Holden Commodore VE SS-V V8 Ute

Highlights

• Full LS2 engine build - 420bhp

• Range-topping SSV specification with Red Line interior

• Excellent history

• Considerately upgraded for performance and reliability

• Professionally undersealed

Overview

Here in the UK, we have pickups, but they’re of the boring tradie-daily-driver garden variety, and that doesn’t really do anything for us here at Pistonheads.

Yes, you may be shouting, we had the Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo for a brief spell, but those sold in such tiny numbers it’s a wonder they were ever sold at all. This lack of performance commercial vehicles is somewhat of an oversight by PH’ers across the land in our view; who wouldn’t want a practical pickup with a 580kg load capacity, that also boasts over 300bhp from the factory with a thumping great LS V8? That sounds like our idea of the perfect practical car, to be honest.

Thankfully, our seller is here to satiate your desire for a tyre-smoking hooligan wagon that you could still drive to work everyday. Enter the Holden Commodore VE SS-V V8 Ute. 

There’s probably a reason they’re so popular down under; driving more like a car than a commercial vehicle but with the power to surprise the likes of BMW’s M3 or Audi’s range of RS wagons, the Commodore Ute had been around for more than a few years by the time the VE-era model came out, meaning it sports all sort of modern creature comforts, which were further enhanced in the SS-V model.

The range-topping SS-V specification features the desirable 6.0-litre GM LS2 engine, as well as upgraded suspension, limited-slip differential, bluetooth head unit, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and projector headlights. 

Having been used and enjoyed by the seller during his time in Australia - during which it also received a full engine rebuild, bumping power to a documented 420+bhp - he loved the car so much that it came to the UK with him. Now that’s dedication.

Yes, it’s a little on the high-side mileage wise, and it won’t win you and concours trophies, but this is an honest, well-kept and certainly much-loved example of the rare (and no longer in production) Holden Ute that will earn you more than a few stares here in the UK.

The ultimate pub top trumps car? We think so…

History and documentation

• Registered in the UK Aug 1st 2020

• Stamped service book with services as follows: May 2008 @ 2,984 miles, Nov 2008 @ 15,322 miles, May 2009 @ 30,191 miles, Jun 2010 @ 45,913 miles, Sep 2011 @ 51,331 miles, Sep 2012 @ 59,726 miles, [no date] @ 76,525 by Rockingham Holden, Jul 2015 @ 90,602, Dec 2015 @ 99,112 miles, Apr 2017 @ 132,531 miles, 

• Full document pack

• Collection of invoices and old MOT certificates

• Professionally undersealed two years ago, with an invoice in the folder for £272.00

• 4x new tyres fitted in July 2024

• Dyno print out confirming 420.1bhp at the wheels

• Miscellaneous paperwork from Australia

• One key

• Current MOT expires 08 Jan 2026 with an advisory for a chipped windscreen

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear with a marker for import 

• The private plate ‘A11 UTE’ is included in the sale of the vehicle 

• London ULEZ compliant!

Interior

• Red/Black leather interior in good order throughout

• We note some light scratches to the door aperture paintwork

• The bolster on the outside of the driver’s seat it typically worn, and the seats themselves display an expected level of patination

• Whilst the high-traffic areas such as the shifter, steering wheel and switchgear are lightly worn, they appear to have held up well and still present in good condition

• Looking closely, there are some superficial marks and imperfections on the centre console, dashboard and door card plastics

• Up above, the headliner is beginning to sag and come away from the backing board, most noticeably above the driver’s head

• No reported faults from the seller, who also notes that the air-conditioning blows ‘ice cold’

• Overall, a well-kept cabin that benefits from a strong factory specification, displaying a commensurate level of wear

Exterior

• The intimidating lines of this SS-V Ute are shown off well, finished in Metallic Black paintwork

• Generally speaking, this Holden appears to be in very good condition, wearing what would be considered typical ‘signs of life’ such as light stone chips and minor imperfections, as expected from a car that has covered over 200,000kms

• Looking closely, there is a larger scuff on the nearside of the bumper, another on the nearside rear bumper corner, a few more noticeable chips on the edges of the doors/door apertures, and some larger stone chips on the front end and wheel arch areas

• The driver’s door exhibits a larger dent approximately ½ way down the panel

• In the sunlight, the paintwork exhibits some ‘swirl marks’ when viewed from the right angle, but a professional detailer / paint correction would be able to remedy this issue with ease

• Detachable tow bar included

• Scratch on the rear bumper lower section, to the offside of the towbar mounting point

• All four wheels are in very good condition, with no obvious signs of kerb rash or damage

• Overall, a smart example of the archetypal Australian performance Ute that will attract plenty of attention wherever it goes

Mechanical

• 6.0-litre GM LS2 engine, which we’re told is producing approximately 500bhp at the crank, translating to 420bhp at the rear wheels as shown in the dynamometer printout

• The engine has been extensively upgraded for both performance and longevity, with the works carried out by Aaron Tuana in Australia, who was the mechanic that built the cars for Mad Max: Fury Road

• Works to the engine included fitment of a high-profile cam, ARP head studs, upgraded valve springs and lifters, performance gaskets and an uprated oil pump

• Rear-wheel drive

• Six-speed manual transmission with limited-slip differential

• Uprated clutch

• Upgraded exhaust manifolds, 100-cel catalytic converters and and 4” exhausts

• The upgraded high-profile camshaft gives this ute a characteristic ‘lumpy’ idle which is so beloved of V8 enthusiasts, as well as increasing performance

• Reported to be in excellent mechanical health, having been freshly serviced, with the seller stating that this is a true ‘drive anywhere’ vehicle without concern

Summary

Our seller clearly loves this Ute, so much so that he exported it from Australia and registered it here when he moved over; petrol prices be damned.

We love everything about Holden’s line of Utes; big naturally aspirated V8s, a genuinely practical load bed with over 500kg of capacity, and the ability to light up the rear tyres with the prod of your big toe. Yes, it may seem wholly out of place with our small lanes and typically reserved manner of being, but who ever had fun by conforming to society’s norms?

Benefitting from a range-topping specification, increased power output and plenty of considered upgrades, this 2008 Holden Commodore VE SS-V Ute (that’s a mouthful!) is ready to be put to work as the next owner sees fit, whether that’s as a performance load hauler and daily driver, or a toy to destroy rubber at the weekends. Either way, whatever you do with this Ute, we’re sure you’ll have a grin on your face in the process. 

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Ellesmere, Shropshire.