Consider the red Bentley Flying Spur ‘Decadence’ pickup that lately graced the PH homepage? Arduous to shake the picture of a red Bentley with a teak-decked shipment mattress and caramel brown leather-based inner with a wooded area’s value of walnut panelling. Clearly, it wasn’t the paintings of the marque’s coachbuilding arm Mulliner (possibly it’ll function inspiration for the long run), however on the other hand, would you truly need the similar workforce at the back of the waftiest of Bantaygas sorting you out with a pickup conversion? Undoubtedly, if you need the task accomplished correctly, you name at the Aussies.

So, I provide to you this exceptionally colourful Holden HSV Maloo R8 as a bought-not-built choice to the ‘Decadence’. And at £46,995, it’s over £100,000 less expensive than the red Spur. True, the newness issue isn’t moderately as robust as seeing a luxo-barge that’s been tailored for prosperous tradespeople, however simply needless to say the Maloo is a humble Commodore at middle – and everyone knows there’s not anything more than shoving large engines into puts the place they don’t belong. The truth that you’ll bung slabs of picket within the again with out decreasing the seats or mucking up the carpets is the icing at the cake.

Sadly, the times of the V8 ute glance over as call for has waned towards the emerging approval for extra typical pickups. However the ute’s reputation within the 2000s and early 2010s used to be so nice that native producers (Ford Australia integrated) had been churning them out for tradespeople having a look to boost trips between jobs. And in the event you took place to pop into your native Holden broker with cash to your pocket and a hankering for a V8-powered workhorse, the salesman would have pointed you in opposition to this HSV Maloon R8 – no longer that you’d have ignored it.

What your AU$61,550 (or £31,200!) would have were given you is a two-door truck powered by means of the similar 6.2-litre, naturally aspirated LS3 V8 that is also discovered at the facelifted Chevrolet Corvette C6, amongst many different GM powerhouses. The advert claims an influence determine of 455hp, regardless that legit numbers (and the plaque of the dyno readout on most sensible of the engine) places the determine at 431hp. Nonetheless, sufficient to get you and a few two-by-four from 0-62mph in lower than 5 seconds earlier than hitting a most sensible velocity of 168mph. To get that form of efficiency from a van, you’d wish to ask Ford for any other electrical Supervan.

Maximum trucks received’t assist you to do energy slides, both. I don’t doubt the Australian reviewers who say the Maloo may also be quite tail-happy, regardless that the traction keep watch over gadget it sounds as if lets in for a good quantity of slip earlier than stepping in. And whilst some would possibly say the internal seems to be just a little reasonable and plasticky (it’s a 15-year-old GM product, finally), in the event you’re severely occupied with the use of this as a piece automobile – and I truly hope you might be – then without a doubt you’ll need one thing that’s bland sufficient for the occasional scuff and tear not to subject.

But even so, the outlandish inexperienced paint makes up for the naff cabin, as will the sound of an American V8 on a cold morning. Trucks and pickups are more effective, admittedly, whilst this Vauxhall VXR8 of identical antique gives identical energy with house for 3 occupants within the rear. None will likely be as arresting as this, thoughts, nor will any of them have you ever waking up early to get a snappy blast in earlier than hitting your first task.

Engine: 6,162cc V8
Transmission: six-speed handbook, rear-wheel pressure
Energy (hp): 431@6,000rpm
Torque (lb feet): 406@4,600rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Yr registered: 2008
Recorded mileage: 41,831
Value new: AU$61,550 (Australia)
Yours for: £46,995