While GM may be celebrating the 45^th anniversary of the Camaro with a special edition, there are other nameplates in the General Motors family that have been around even longer. The Suburban comes to mind here in the US, but Australian GM fanatics must certainly be thinking of the Holden Ute, which first came to market in 1951.

That means that 2011 is the 60^th anniversary of the original Australian sport truck, and to celebrate GM is bringing back the “Thunder” nameplate for the VE Series II Ute’s.

With a name like “Thunder,” you’d think some extra performance equipment would be among the options as well as a healthy horsepower boost. Alas, that is not the case, as the Thunder nameplate is all about looks and badges. 19-inch charcoal wheels, leather upholstered interior, satellite navigation, and some Thunder badges, then there are the bright color hues, like “Electric Sizzle” and “Voodoo Blue” and “Hazard.” Which is nice, but we were hoping something more… thunderous?

The Holden Ute will share powertrains with our American Camaro, which means the 3.6 liter V6 and 6.0 liter V8 engines will be available. With prices starting at about $36,000 U.S dollars for the V6 and $41,000 for the V8, it’s a bit more expensive than our Camaros. Then again, you can’t exactly make a trip to the local Home Depot in a Camaro if you need to pick up a sheet of plywood or a new refrigerator. GM has been talking about bringing back the El Camino anyway, and this special edition makes want one even more.