Holden TribUTE up for grabs

General Motors may have axed Holden but that won’t stop it marking the 70th anniversary of Holden utes Down Under with the TribUTE – a 390kW LS3 V8-powered VEII SS-V Redline Ute that will go to one lucky Aussie.

To be in with a chance of receiving the keys to the one-off Holden TribUTE from Supercars legend Craig Lowndes, all you have to do is have your Holden serviced at a Holden Certified Service Outlet or purchase ACDelco oil through the GM Trade Parts program.

GM Australia and New Zealand says the “reimagined” VE Ute aims to celebrate the contribution the Holden Ute has made to both Australia and New Zealand over seven decades, and to highlight the company’s ongoing commitment to the 1.6 million Holden utes still on the road today.

While the Holden TribUTE won’t be based on the final and finest VFII (MY17) SS-V Redline Ute, it will be powered by a Chevrolet Performance 6.2-litre LS3 V8 delivering 525hp (390kW), matched with a T56 Super Magnum heavy-duty six-speed manual transmission.

The TribUTE will also be fitted with “track capable” GM FE3 suspension, upgraded front and rear cross-drilled Brembo brakes and staggered 20-inch wheels.

Holden Genuine and ACDelco parts will be used by a Holden Certified Service Outlet and GM Certified Collision Repairer to produce the one-off ute.

“Almost 70 years ago, an Australian icon was born,” said GM Aust/NZ said in a press release announcing the promotion.

“Good looking, yet rugged, versatile and durable, a workhorse that evolved into a thoroughbred. A hard worker, with a laid-back attitude – a symbol of the Australian way of life: the Holden Ute.

“In 1951, the first ever Holden Ute rolled off the production line – giving birth to an icon that spans multiple generations and has engrained itself into our culture.

“From the much-loved FJ Holden Ute, to the final VFII, every model went on to make its own colourful and character-filled contribution to the legend that is the Holden Ute.

“After 70 years of evolution, the Holden Ute will forever remain linked to its heritage by the lion emblem it proudly displays.”