1935 Ford V8 Wellside Ute

[mercman from oz]

Here we have a nice example of an restored Australian 1935 Ford V8 Wellside Roadster Ute.
Just to complicate things, when you wanted to buy a new Ford Ute, you not only had the choice of a Coupe Ute or a Roadster Ute, but each of these two body styles were available as a Wellside Ute or a Straight Side Ute, making the total offering of 4 different Utes.
In a previous Feed, there are pictures of a 1936 Ford Straight Side Roadster Ute, as well as pictures of a Straight Side Coupe Ute.
This 1935 Ford Roadster Ute is the Wellside version. It was the more practical version, as it allowed builders to carry long lengths of timber, with the front supported on a special Bracket that was mounted to the front Bumper. It was not unusual to see these Utes with loads protruding out the front as well as out the back. (try that these days, & see how far you get before being pulled over) However, while this version is more practical, it does not look as "smooth" as the Straight Side Utes.
Unfortunately, there are not many Utes surviving in Australia.
Initially, they were overlooked here as collector cars, & were used as donor cars for some of the other body styles. Then, some enterprising people thought that they could make some money by sending them to the USA at a profit, where they have become very popular.
As a consequence of this, there are not many left here in Australia, which is a pity.