Brisk bidding for vintage 'muscle' cars shows rising appeal for Holdens

Online bidding for a 1988 Holden VL Walkinshaw SS Group A sedan with 1479 kilometres on the clock has already reached $220,000 with the Lloyds auction not due to finish until April 24.

Group A cars were high-powered limited edition models designed for racing.

The late British racing car driver and businessman Tom Walkinshaw established Holden Special Vehicles in 1988 after the iconic Australian car manufacturer fell out with the legendary local driver Peter Brock.

The panorama silver VL Walkinshaw has a five-litre V8 petrol engine.

Also attracting strong attention at the same auction is a 1990 Holden VN Commodore Group A SS sedan with bidding now at $185,000.

The burgundy-coloured five-litre V8 petrol sedan has done only 182km and was one of 302 built for racing.

Chief operations officer for Lloyds Auctions Lee Hames said the two classic race cars were both rare with low kilometres but prices for vintage Holdens were also being driven by the closure of the factory.

"When selecting cars for their potential to increase in value it is important to tick several boxes, namely rarity, heritage, and desirability. The VN Commodore SS Group A up for auction ticks all those boxes," Mr Hames said.

"The VL Walkinshaw is in complete original condition and is arguably the most collectable VL Walkinshaw in the country."

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Also in demand in the Lloyds auction are Holden Maloo utes.

Bidding for a 2014 sting red Maloo ute powered by a 6.2 litre V8 petrol engine and with 45,448km on the clock has reached $97,500.

And bidding for a 2015 Maloo HSV R8 white ute powered by a 6.2 litre V8 petrol engine is sitting at $77,000. The ute has clocked up 112,231km.

They are part of a catalogue of 120 American, European and Australian classic cars.

So if you have a vintage Holden sitting idle in the shed, it could be worth big bucks.