As much as many of you begged GM, the Holden Commodore-based Ute never came to North America. Nevertheless, there’s one being offered for sale on Cars&Bids that comes complete with a 355-horsepower (261 kW) 6.0-liter V8, a six-speed manual transmission. That’s a potent package no matter where you might be on Earth but in the USA it’s special. No, not because of the power but because it’s got a bed out back.
Like we said, here in America we never received such a package but that doesn’t stop enthusiasts from wanting it. Some have wanted it so badly that they’ve broken rules to get them here early. Others have gone to the trouble of remaking them with legal parts. Which of the two this car on Cars & Bids falls into we’re not totally sure.
Related: Two-Faced Holden Ute Might Be The Best Running Classic Car Restoration Ad Ever
That’s because the pickup, which is listed as a right-hand drive ‘2015 Chevrolet Caprice Ute Conversion’, has the enthusiast community up in arms about whether or not it’s actually legal. From what the seller says it’s a reconstructed Caprice, but listen to how he describes that ‘reconstruction process’.
“This is a right-hand-drive, Australian-spec Holden Ute that’s registered in Tennessee as a 2015 Chevrolet Caprice with a Specially Constructed title,” reads the description. The seller states that “this pickup was built using a bare Ute shell and parts from a Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) and a Chevrolet SS. The list of Caprice PPV-sourced parts includes the 6.0-liter V8 engine, the catalytic converters, the seatbelts, and the airbags. Parts sourced from an SS include the 6-speed manual transmission, the limited-slip differential, the hubs, the front clip, and the doors.”
A 2015 Chevrolet Caprice Special Construction Or A Holden Ute With Chevy Parts And VIN?
In other words, the vehicle you see isn’t technically a Caprice or a Chevy SS, it IS a Holden Ute. It simply had Caprice and SS parts grafted into it to make it run and drive properly. Plus, the VIN corresponds to a Chevy Caprice PPV. For those unaware, that’s a very murky grey area with regard to legality here in the States. The owner argues that it’s legal because unlike vehicles like the R34 GT-R or TVRs, most of the parts on a Holden Ute are available here in the USA.
Still, the purported owner of the conversion company Left Hand Utes has spoken out in the comments to say, “As the owner of Left Hand Utes, we convert to LHD, do to D.O.T. laws because RHD Holdens are not crash tested certified to USA rules to 25 year importation. As I see it this Ute is circumventing import laws by changing VINs with a USA Holden vehicle. Buyer’s beware!!!”
Read: Florida Revokes Titles Of Nearly 400 Illegally Imported Cars
What’s not up for debate is how cool this thing is on its own merits. Sure, you’ll get a lot more power out of most 6.0-liter engines these days but we can assure you that this Ute will lay down a pair of tire marks as well as just about anything else. It’s obvious from the photos that the bed isn’t just there for looks either so it’s not just a pretty face with no real utility.
The real question is whether or not the government will show up one day to take away your sports truck. Right now the bidding is up to $22,000 and while this is a cool car that feels like a lot of money to spend on a potential ticking time bomb.
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