Rare Holden Monaro sold for ‘a bargain’ in the UK

A rare Holden Monaro – badged as a Vauxhall, a limited number of which were sold in the UK – once driven by former Top Gear host Richard Hammond, has sold for a relative bargain overnight.

The silver 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500 was a media evaluation vehicle and showed just 8533 miles (13,732km) on the odometer.

After General Motors sold the Vauxhall brand to French giant Peugeot-Citroen, the vehicle was kept by the firm’s historical division.

It has only ever been owned by Vauxhall until it came up for sale this month.

Bidding started at £25,250 ($46,500 in Australian currency) on the online auction site collectingcars.com, and stopped when the hammer fell at £37,250 ($68,700).

A similar car in Australia is estimated by experts to be worth in excess of $100,000, making it a relative bargain.

Industry insiders say it would cost about $12,000 to $15,000 to ship the car from the UK to Australia and have it complied for local regulations.

Drive understands this is the third Vauxhall Monaro that has sold at auction in the UK in as many months, as buyers priced out of the Australian market search overseas.

According to the listing on collectingcars.com, the 2005 Holden/Vauxhall Monaro had been owned by Vauxhall Motors since new and more recently kept by the company's heritage collection.

“Service and maintenance was carried out by the full-time in-house technicians to keep the car in very good order for its press car duties, but there is no documented history available, the listing says.

“While the car has some marks and grazes from its working life as a hugely entertaining press car, it has been mechanically well maintained in-house at Vauxhall Motors, and is now ready to delight a new owner with its thrilling analogue performance.

"Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre supercharged LS2 V8 producing 500PS (493bhp) and 500lb-ft of torque (368kW/678Nm), driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

“Built in October 2005, this is a 2006 model-year car, which was shipped to the UK and upgraded to VXR500 specification, before being first registered in January 2007 to Vauxhall Motors.”

The listing says this Monaro was initially registered as VX56PBZ before being changed to V55VXL in 2011.

“It has appeared in a multitude of publications, including being driven by Richard Hammond as part of his ‘Icons’ series in the December 2013 issue of Top Gear magazine.

“Developed as the final farewell to the Monaro, just 18 examples of the VXR500 were built by Greens of Rainham in the UK, in collaboration with tuning specialist Wortec and fully sanctioned by Vauxhall Motors,” the listing says.

“The centrepiece of the upgrade was a Harrop supercharger, upping output to a reliable 500PS.” The car was also fitted with an optional AP Racing brake upgrade.

“It sold with the original set of handbooks, space-saver spare wheel and tyre, jack, and basic tools, and the fire extinguisher in its original wrapping,” says the listing.

“It also comes with a genuine Holden Special Vehicles touch-up paint pot in Quicksilver.”

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