2005 Vauxhall MONARO VXR

Built on the 16th March 2005 and showing just 25,000 miles from new, this stunning six-litre Vauxhall Monaro VXR has not only been very well maintained and benefits from some carefully considered modifications.

These changes include AP performance brakes, something that’s a ‘must have’ modification according to the owner, a man who makes his living selling high-performance classic motorbikes and who owned a stock version when he lived in Australia.

It also features Pedder’s Sports suspension, a stainless-steel performance cat-back exhaust, and a Ripshift short-shift gear mechanism.

There is full paint protection film to the bonnet, bumper, headlamps, door mirrors, and sills, too – and the previous owner even spent £1,000 buying the correct Holden HSV GTO Coupe badges to replace the Vauxhall items on the bodywork, door sills, centre caps on the wheels, and the steering wheel airbag.

Part of a private collection of classic cars, it was driven to us by the vendor, a man who understand the need to drive a car regularly in order to prevent them deteriorating.

Only being reluctantly offered for sale as he can’t stand the thought of its condition waning through lack of use, it needs nothing other than an appreciative owner.

Black is an unforgiving colour and yet the finish on this Phantom Black example is beyond reproach. Glossy and understated, the deep shine serves to highlight just how straight it all is.

The tight, even shutlines speak of a life gently led, as does the panel and trim alignment. The badges, glazing and light lenses, including the cute little rear foglight, are all as good as everything else.

The 19-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels are in an almost unblemished condition, with only very light marks to the nearside front. Open in design, they also allow passers-by to appreciate those gorgeous AP performance brake calipers. They’re shod with recent Michelin Pilot Sport tyres on the rear axle and older Kumho tyres on the front. All four are in great shape and still have good tread.

Problems? Well, aside from the inevitable stonechips and minor marks that any car will collect over the years - even one as pampered as this - there’s simply nothing to do other than, perhaps, get the nearside front wheel refurbished.

The vendor tells us that the ‘297’ badges refer to KW rather than BHP by the way.

The leather used for the deeply bolstered front and rear seats might not be the greatest quality but by heck! it wears well. Embossed with the VXR logo, they’re almost completely free of creases and as firm and supportive as Dear Dierdre with a whip in her hand.

The carpets, door cards, and headlining are just as impressive. The major items – seats, gear-lever and handbrake gaiters, door cards, and the leather-rimmed steering wheel – are all stitched with a contrasting white thread, which livens up the otherwise sombre cabin.

Further Easter eggs come by way of the high-grip alloy pedals and footrest, silver trim, and the Holden badge in the middle of the steering wheel.

The boot is very clean and well presented. Home to the toolkit and a bright yellow space-saver spare wheel, the floor is solid but does show some surface rust in a few of isolated spots. Catching this would be straightforward and a job well worth doing.

The stamps in the service history booklet and miscellaneous invoices tell the same story as the rest of the car:

• 21.08.2005 – pre-delivery inspection by James Haugh of Dumfries

• 01.03.2007 and 6,081 miles – service by Pentagon Vauxhall

• 10.04.2008 and 9,246 miles – additional oil change

• 01.10.2009 and 10,790 miles – additional oil change

• 05.05.2011 and 10,847 miles – service by JW Motor Repairs

• 10.06.2013 and 10,901 miles – additional oil change

• 10.12.2015 and 10,946 miles – service by JW Motor Repairs

• 04.08.2016 and 14,907 miles – service by Handley and Son Ltd

• 11.05.2017 and 19,602 miles – service including fresh brake and clutch fluid by Monkfish Performance

• 03.05.2018 and 23,238 miles – service plus brake fettling and rear subframe bushes by Topcats Racing

• 23.07.2020 and 24,896 miles – service by Dorset Sports Cars

It drives exactly as you would imagine, which is to say it is outlandishly fast and as tight as a drum. As you can see from the video, it starts perfectly, ticks over evenly, and revs like a demon.

The engine is ridiculously clean, and could be used as a platter to serve the shrimps you just cooked on the barbie!

The underside is straight and solid but could do with the underseal touching up here and there.

The Monaro’s MOT certificate is valid until July 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a wad of old invoices to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years plus the service history booklet, the owner’s manual, two keys, and the original double-din Blaupunkt stereo.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Those of us who missed being able to buy a Lotus Carlton for sensible money have spent the past decade bemoaning our lack of foresight. If you are one of that number, then this is the car for you.

Even faster and more capable than its spiritual father, the Monaro VXR is the sort of car we are all going to miss in future decades: Loud, fast, and brutal, there are few more anti-social ways to shift four people around sideways.

And yet, like the Lotus Carlton, buying the wrong car exposes you to a whole world of hurt, which is why you need to tread carefully. What you really need is an enthusiast-owned car that has benefitted from the sort of choice upgrades you see here, modifications that maximise your fun and minimise your chances of entering a hedge backwards.

This one has a verifiable low mileage too, as well as an excellent service and maintenance record. Free of rust and dents alike, it is the sort of car that will always be popular when the time comes to let it go.

Despite all this, we have estimated it to fetch somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000, which is peanuts for the performance and fun that unlocks – and the sort of figure the Lotus Carlton was fetching a decade ago...

So, why not try and get ahead of the modern classic appreciation curve by popping in a cheeky bid? After all, when the world goes to rat shit next year, few cars will take to Mad Max-style modifications as well as this Australian lunatic.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.