VF Sandman wagon and ute

[HK1837]

That is essentially true, but the optional items weren't already standard on the base vehicle (wheels, dash, buckets, 4spd). Stripes were only a mandatory part of Sandman for less than an approx. 12 month period (start of HX to whenever DL7 was added) . Whereas all this stuff is already on the SV6, SS and SS-V as compared to the base ute. The Sandman was a sports utility, which is what the SV6 and SS already are. So all the new Sandman really is, is a numbered plate and stripes added to an already "sports utility" plus a couple of other optional items to give it some uniqueness. I'm not criticising the car, as it is the sensible way for Holden to do it - it would be essentially silly to add all the good stuff to a base ute as it is already there on SV6 and SS-V. My only criticisms are the wagon (which is a joke to me) and the stripe treatment isn't appealing to me. So I don't see the value in a VF Sandman ute - you are paying $53k when you can buy a bog standard SS-V for $45-$46k that has everything on it that you'd want considering why you'd have bought a HQ Sandman ute in 1974.

So ignoring the fact that we see the new Sandman as a marketing exercise. To me it says Holden sees the original Sandman as bright and gaudy. But it never was - it was about creating a "GTS" commercial vehicle which they already make and have made since 1998.