This is one of just 30 examples of the 463 bhp Holden VF SSV Ute that were built to mark the 30th anniversary of the “Blue Meanie,” one of Australia’s most famous performance V8 sedans.
This ute has been fitted with the HDT Group A engine package which upgraded the 6.0 liter LS V8 with a high-performance cam, an HDT/Harrop OTR intake kit, an ECU recalibration, dual valve springs, a single row timing chain kit, LS7 lifters, a 3-inch exhaust system with high-flow catalytic converters, and an HDT suspension upgrade with SSL springs fitted for good measure.
Fast Facts – The Holden VF SSV Ute “Blue Meanie”
- This Holden VF SSV “Blue Meanie” Ute is one of 30 vehicles built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the iconic SS VK Group A “Blue Meanie,” an Australian performance sedan renowned for its racing pedigree in the 1980s. This model pays tribute to its legacy with HDT upgrades throughout, and its unique styling.
- This Ute is equipped with a 6.0 liter LS V8 featuring HDT’s Group A performance upgrades, including a high-performance cam, recalibrated ECU, dual valve springs, and a 3-inch exhaust system. It also features an HDT suspension upgrade, making it a high-performance utility vehicle – though few (if any) will use it for much in the way of utility.
- Styled in the signature “Perfect Blue” shade, the Ute includes the HDT Group A bodykit, featuring a letterbox grille, bonnet scoop, and gloss-white 19-inch HDT Aero alloy wheels. Inside, it has a slew of modern conveniences including dual-zone climate control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and lane-keep assist.
- Currently located in Sydney, Australia, this vehicle has 120,934 kilometers (~75,000 miles) on the odometer and remains a highly desirable collector’s item. Its significance is bolstered by the fact that Holden ceased manufacturing in 2017 – cementing this Ute’s place as a piece of Australian automotive history.
The Original “Blue Meanie”
The SS VK Group A “Blue Meanie” was originally meant to be on track racing in Australia in 1985, however there had been a hold up on a number of imported parts that were needed for building the 500 homologated cars that were required.
This is an original SS VK Group A “Blue Meanie,” a model now considered among the most collectible of Australian-built cars from the era.
The deadline was missed and as a result the cars wouldn’t be allowed to race until 1986. This left the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) with no option but to run their older, slower cars. At the 1985 James Hardie 1000 the Holden racing driver John Harvey noted that his own personal road-going SS VK Group A was faster than the race car he was trying to compete with.
The SS VK Group A was designed using the years of racing experience of the HDT and of Peter Brock, Australia’s best-known racing driver. They developed a car with a simple but almost bulletproof drivetrain, then incorporated a series of suspension, brake, and aero upgrades.
Overall it was a simple package, but it proved highly effective.
Once it finally could take to the track in 1986 the “Blue Meanie” started winning. The car took 1st and 2nd with Brock and new co-driver Allan Moffat at the wheel in the Nissan Mobil 500 at the Wellington Street Circuit in New Zealand.
Other drivers would win the Pukekohe 500 in the second race of the New Zealand series a week later.
HDT took two cars to Europe to contest the 1986 FIA Touring Car Championship where the cars regularly led races, though wins proved elusive.
Perhaps the one major standout from the time in Europe was when driver Allan Grice drove his SS VK Group A to a new touring car lap record at Hockenheim, a record that remained unbroken until 2000.
Utes were originally developed in Australia to provide farmers with a utility vehicle they could also use for personal transport. By the early 21st century they had morphed into a category of high-performance V8 sports car like the one you see pictured here.
The road-going homologation cars were fitted with the Holden A9L V8 engine, it had been de-stroked from 5044cc to 4987cc to ensure it fit into the sub-5.0 liter Group A class. This engine produced 263 bhp, a heady figure for the time, power was sent back through a heavy-duty 4-speed M21 manual transmission to a limited-slip differential.
All 500 road-going homologation examples of the Holden Commodore SS VK Group A were painted in the same shade of Formula Blue, they were given the same bodykits, and the same alloy wheels.
They also received the same Group 3 suspension kit, Group A decals, a Peter Brock signature decal on each front wing, an SS decal at the front end, and a celebratory Bathhurst sticker on each rear corner.
The individually numbered cars are now highly collectible in Australia but largely unknown overseas.
The Holden VF SSV “Blue Meanie” Ute Shown Here
The vehicle you see in this article is a Holden VF SSV Ute that’s been given a Holden Dealer Team (HDT) upgrade to “Blue Meanie” specification, and it’s one of just 30 made. In its native Australia, this is widely considered to be one of the most desirable of the late-model Holden Utes, and it’s unlikely to ever lose that appeal as Holden stopped manufacturing new cars in 2017.
This series of HDT upgrades applied to this car includes the HDT Group A bodykit, consisting of the letterbox grille, the HDT bonnet scoop, and the chrome trim painted black. The car is finished in the correct Blue Meanie shade of “Perfect Blue,” and it’s fitted with 19 inch HDT Aero alloy wheels finished in gloss-white, fitted with Kumho Ecsta tires.
In the engine bay you’ll find a 6.0 liter LS V8 that’s been fitted with an uprated high-performance cam, an HDT/Harrop OTR intake kit, an ECU recalibration, dual valve springs, 7.450 inch pushrods, a single row timing chain kit, ARP cam and balancer bolts, a lifter kit with head bolts, head gaskets and LS7 lifters, and a L98 valley gaskets and O-rings
It also has a 3-inch exhaust system with high-flow catalytic converters, 1 ⅞-inch headers and carbon-fibre exhaust tips, as well as the HDT suspension upgrade with SSL springs.
This car is well-equipped and comes with front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, lane keep assist, a central infotainment system with satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.
Additional equipment includes front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, lane keep assist, a central infotainment system with satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.
The car now has 120,934 kms showing on the odometer, or approximately 75,000 miles, and it’s being offered for sale out of Sydney, Australia. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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