Maloo, Pursuit, SS, Redline, Â XR8, XR6 turbo.
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These are words with an expiration date. Nameplates of a vehicle style that is quintessentially Australian, the sports ute, as distinct from the pick-up, will surely soon be collectors items.
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Anathema to conservative vehicle dynamics, jamming the biggest, nastiest V8 or turbocharged six into a car with no weight in the rear is the equivalent of a person in a singlet on the edge of a damp intersection yelling 'send it, Ricky!'
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These hot rods of yore have been extinguished by a storm of market forces. Also, you kept buying Mazda 3s and VWs. Â
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Thus, we enter a phase of history where the sports ute becomes a piece of kitschy nostalgia. With Holden winding up local production and the Ford utes now more than 12 months dead, the hot ute will soon be no more, and we are worse for its loss.
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Will the average VU S Pack Ute on Super Super Lows be worth a quid? Will your mate's XR6 Turbo and its toothy intercooler grin be on the block at Sotheby's? Nope.
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But the thoroughbred pick of the breeds, the Maloos and the Pursuits and their festooned tailgates will endure, as examples of a time before we as a culture acquiesced to the SUV and fetishised the dual cab.
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A time capsule for when 300kW+ directly to the rear rubber of a machine built to make you giggle was reasonable and encouraged.
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An enduring symbol of the uniqueness and cultural expression in Australian automotive manufacturing.
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So go forth, and put yourself behind the wheel of the last hot rods, before they are criminalised and become icons of a lost age. 'Only milk and juice comes in two litres' decals just aren't going to cut it on your autonomous Tesla.
Check out examples of the HSV Maloo for sale here.
Plus you’ll find V8 Holden utes here.
And if you bleed blue, check out examples of  FPV utes for sale here.
But if the FPVs are a bit much, how about an XR8 or XR6 Turbo?
What hot ute would you park in your dream garage? Tell us in the comments.
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