Out of all the places you’d expect to see our beloved lion on sale, Asia wouldn’t top the list, would it? This is the story of the forgotten Holden dealership in Japan.
Holden had a few attempts to launch the brand internationally, including the Mazda Roadpacer (a rotary-powered Kingswood), the Pontiac GTO, the Chevrolet SS, and numerous ute and sedan options in South Africa.
RELATED: The missing Brock VK Holden Commodore last seen in Japan
Selling outside of Australia was never a resounding success for the Australian brand. In fact, Holden was often swallowed alive by local brands in other markets.
One market you probably would never expect to see a V8-stonking ute is in Japan, the country known for its resounding popularity of city cars (kei cars) and its legendary four-cylinder engines.
However, in the early 2000s, one company was brave enough not only to introduce these V8 cars to the island country, but also import some of the fastest utes in the world and sell them as part of its dealership.
After conducting extensive research on Japanese blog sites and auction houses, and making approximately a thousand trips to Google Translate, we have determined that a company called Auto Prestige in Nissin, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, began importing Holdens.
Auto Prestige began as a domestic car showroom and repair workshop in 1987, continuing to expand until the business sought a way to differentiate itself from the competition.
What better way to do this than with cars that the majority of Japanese car fans would have no clue about? So, in 2003, the business began importing the Aussie legends into Japan.
It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill V6 Commodores either. It seems that most of its stock was made up of R8 Maloo and SS Utes.
During our search for more information, we discovered a website from 2004 to 2006 that featured the Holden brand prominently, accompanied by Japanese kanji and photos of demonstrations conducted by the company. It’s quite a spectacular sight. The website itself is still active, although some sections are broken. However, a number of photos of the VZ Commodore, including the R8 Maloo, remain active on the site.
We managed to get in contact with Maruo Michio, the president of Auto Prestige Aichi, who stated that it originated from an acquaintance who lived in Australia.
“Back in 2000, we had an acquaintance who lived in Australia and introduced Holden to; we visited to research the brand,” said Michio.
“We then gathered interest in the Holden VY Ute V8, especially HSV VY Maloo, and investigated if there had been any records of importing them to Japan in the past, but there were no imports for commercial purposes. So, we thought we would definitely sell it in Japan and let many Japanese people know about this interesting and powerful vehicle.”
“However, we had struggled to pass the emission inspection. Eventually, it took about two years, and we finally began to import in 2003.”
“There were no truck-based cars in Japan or the US (though there was the Chevrolet El Camino). Therefore, a ute with an LS1 V8 that is the same as a Chevrolet Corvette, and especially Maloo, got a high reputation by not only our customers but also Japanese people as we had hoped.”
“We received the Australia Import Award 2005 from the Australian Consulate. Later, through the cooperation of the Australian Consulate, several Holden sedan vehicles were delivered to embassies, consulates, and also Japan’s Toyota, Aisin, and KYB.”
“We exhibited at auto accessory shops and motor shows all over Japan, introducing not only the ute and Maloo, but also the V8 [Supercar] racing in Australia.”
Auto Prestige sold around 50 Commodores, starting from the VY model all the way up to the final VF model, when it stopped importing. The company remained a used car dealership for Holden until 2019.
Pricing for the utes was still relatively competitive. For a VY SS Ute, you could pick one up for around ￥3,990,000 (approximately $AUD53,200 at the time), and a HSV Maloo R8 for ￥6,037,500 (approximately $AUD80,500 at the time).
Even when you take a look at the Google Street View images, you can see a few odd choices for import. Backdating to July 2015 reveals a Crewman SS Ute at the front and a HSV Avalanche at the back.
April 2024 Google Street View photos show a VY SS Ute and a VY Maloo R8 sitting amongst Kei cars, Aston Martins, and even a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. The latest images show off a smashed VY that can be spotted in the car park.
Maruo Michio stated that it became difficult to sell the car in Japan due to the rising exchange rate and overall car costs.
“As it approached the final model, new car prices became more expensive, and with the loss of the original Holden model, it became very difficult to sell in Japan due to its premium price in Australia and the depreciation of the Japanese Yen,” said Michio.
“After the end of Holden production in 2017, we imported and sold small quantities to customer orders. In 2021, new import regulations in Japan made it virtually impossible to register new vehicles without the cooperation of the manufacturer, so we stopped importing.”
Even though just 50 cars were imported in 18 years, Michio says that they left a lasting impact on Japanese buyers, with some still requesting the import of our uniquely Australian rides.
Now, Auto Prestige focuses on high-end European brands, including Lotus, Caterham, Morgan, and Mini, as well as historic motorcycle brands such as Norton.
However, it actually remains one of the few places in Japan where you can have your Commodore worked on, hence why, occasionally, an older model will appear on Street View.
But who would have thought that a country that prides itself on city streets, 660cc engines, and micro cars would want a stonking giant V8 ute?
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