Two iconic Holden Utes – the first model and the very latest – will be soul and stand mates at the Australian International Motor Show, which opens at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday (October 11).

The Spearmint Green ‘50-2106 Coupe Utility ‘ that is one of eight special vehicles on the Shannons Insurance stand in Hall 2, is a beautifully-restored example of Australia’s first Ute.

Only a few metres away on the Holden stand, enthusiasts will be swarming over the latest VE Ute range that is making its Motor Show debut at Darling Harbour.

Built in early 1953 –two years after the variant was added to the new ‘48-215’ (FX) model range – the Holden Coupe Utility was light, strong and surprisingly fast, thanks to its rugged 138-cid (2.3 litre) 'Stovebolt' six-cylinder OHV engine (later called the 'grey' motor) that produced 60 bhp (45kW) at 3800 rpm.

Cheaper than any of its rivals, it was the answer to a farmer's prayer. So many people lusted after it that the waiting list grew to 70,000 before the end of the first year. And although the FX Ute's strengthened load floor supported an official payload of 7cwt (355 kg), this limit was blithely exceeded by many owners.

Just like the 48-215 sedan, the new Holden Ute could cruise all day at 65mph (105 km/h), take steep hills in its stride and return remarkable overall fuel economy figures of 30 miles per gallon (9.4l/100km).

Enterprising owners also discovered you could use it to round up the sheep and when reverse-parked, it became a great double bed at the Drive-In movies!

The vehicle on the Shannons stand was sold new through Southern Motors in Dandenong, Victoria.

Being one of the last of the first series models, it was fitted with the telescopic front shock absorbers and wider rear springs introduced a few months later on the updated FJ Holdens in mid-1953.

The Ute remained in Victoria until 1998, spending some years in an early Holden collection and being restored in painstaking detail along the way. It then passed through the hands of owners in Queensland and most recently, New South Wales, when its odometer showed just 83,100 miles.

It will be searching for a new owner on Sunday October 21 when it goes under the hammer in the annual Sydney Motor Show Auction, with Shannons quoting a guiding price range of $17,000-$24,000 because of its originality and condition.

The Holden Utes spanning nearly 60 years of the model’s history, will allow Motor Show visitors to take a fascinating time walk.

The VE Ute is the first completely new Holden Ute design since the VU series in 2000. It is light-years ahead of its ancestor in terms of comfort, performance and payload, yet still retains its ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos.

The 270kW V8 engine in the range-topping SS model is six times more powerful at 270kW than the first Holden Ute’s modest six-cylinder engine, while even the locally built 3.6 litre V6 Alloytec engine of the base VE Ute model produces four times as much power at 180kW.

Meanwhile, features like 19-inch alloy wheels, dual zone electronic climate control, a six-stacker CD player, optional satellite navigation, Bluetooth phone connectivity and standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP) crash avoidance technology are beyond the wildest dreams of the original Holden Ute’s designers and purchasers.

The 1953 Holden Ute and a very early restored Holden 48-215 Holden sedan are amongst 32 vehicles and 57 special black and white early New South Wales number plates for cars and motorcycles in this year’s Shannons Motor Show Auction.

All auction lots will be on display throughout the Motor Show from October 11-21, with eight special vehicles including the Ute on the Shannons Insurance stand in Hall 2, while the remainder of the lots will be located in the newly-developed Palm Grove area, between the SCEC and the IMAX cinema.