Explain to us how America, the country that invented the pickup truck, gave the world the El Camino, and sells more trucks than any other nation on the planet, does NOT have a performance sport truck on any dealership lot? It is rather mind boggling, especially given that General Motors makes just such a vehicle and sells it in both Australia AND Europe.

As though to rub salt in the wound, Autocar magazine reports that the Vauxhall Maloo, based on the Aussie-built Holden Commodore Ute, has set a new record for the world’s oldest hill climb events, the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – held on what is considered the oldest continuous use race track in the world.

As you might expect, this record comes with an asterisk, as the Vauxhall Maloo competed as a “commercial” vehicle. While we wouldn’t call a V8-powered, rear-wheel drive, bright yellow car-based truck a commercial vehicle, it apparently can be considered such in Europe. So it was that Autocar’s own Steve Cropley took this “commercial” sport truck to the Shelsley Walsh hill climb event.

With no other records for commercial vehicles, the Maloo could have been pushed up the hill and still set a record. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, Copeley used all 425 horsepower from the 6.2 liter V8 to rocket up the 1,000 meter hill climb. Eventually he was able to cover the 1,000 meters in about 38 seconds, just across the 40-second threshold of “respectability.”

Hill climbs may not be popular in America…but race cars and pickup trucks sure are. So when will we finally get a version of the Maloo here in America??