History of Ford in Australia

[mercman from oz]

Ford Motor Company of Australia produced many cars in the Early Ford V8 era that differed from the cars released in the USA. Of particular interest are the Utes, an abbreviation of Utility that were offered in both Open & Closed models.
For those of you who would like to read more on Ford Australia's History, the book "The History of Ford in Australia" was published in 1986 & is still available from the Publisher. This Book was produced by Eddie Ford, the Editor of Restored Cars Magazine in Australia in conjunction with noted Author Norm Darwin.
This Book has 224 Pages , 1,100 Photographs including 83 in Colour & measures 8 & 1/4" x 10 1/2" & covers the early history from 1904-1908 up to the then current Ford Falcon. It is available in both Soft or Hard Covers.
For further information, contact Publisher Eddie Ford by Fax on 613 5476 2592 or email him at [email protected]

[Tudortomnz]

That is a very informative older book, tons of era photos. But the section they discuss early Ford in New Zealand is not accurate or well researched.
For that you need to read Ford Ahead, Ford in NZ by R. Gardiner.

[koates]

Hi Tudortomnz, Maybe you could briefly describe which part of page 89 is not accurate or well researched. It is only one page which gives an overview of Ford in NZ. I have tried to get that book on Ford NZ but had no luck. I guess its out of print. Thanks. Regards, Kevin.

[66miles]

Sounds like both books would be a great read! I've read quite a few pictorial histories on Ford in the US including a great one on the Rouge Plant but it is much harder to find mention of Fords little cousins in this part of the world. My '47 Merc was assembled at the Ford plant in Porirua NZ. Sad to say Ford ended assembly in NZ years ago. Also just as sad to say Ford will end Aussie production in a couple of years. Some great cars have come out of plants on both side of the pond!

[Tudortomnz]

Hi Kevin, yes it is just one page. I do not know why it was put in as the Ford story in NZ had little relation to Ford Australia in the pre War era, until Falcons, Fairlanes etc [ & some Mainline Utes in the '50's] were sold in NZ.
The piece says Standard Motor Bodies, Wellington, built car bodies as per all the body builders in Australia that supplied Ford there until 1926. That is not so, as most Fords [ T, A early V8] had Canadian sourced bodies as is evident by the photos shown. In fact all Model A's & pre 1936 V8's in NZ had bodies built in the Ontario Plant & have Ontario stamped numbers. There was no duty tax put on imported built up cars like in Australia until the mid Thirties when all the assembly plants started up in NZ. Standard Motor Bodies only made some cabs & bodywork for commercial chassis which was common practise in nearly every market in that era.
A lot of the confusion about Ford in NZ stems from the Model T era, where the local Agent & distributor, Colonial Motor Co, fully assembled T's after 1921. This was not complicated , as Canada supplied CKD kits, but their facilities could not fully assemble Model A's/early V8's [ no electric welding for body building & different plant layout required] & the cars came in as semi built up units from Ontario until the Ford Plant opened in late 1936.

I was lucky to buy my copy of History of Ford in Australia at Ford Discovery in Geelong before it closed. Still can not forget the 1934 Coupe Ute there built by Lew Bandt.
Cheers.
.

[mercman from oz]

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TUDORTOMNZ made mention of the 1934 Ford Coupe Ute that he saw in the Ford Discovery Centre, in Victoria. (since closed up) This Ute was/is an absolute disaster, as it was made as a retirement present for the designer of the original Ute. This Ute started out as an Australian Sedan & they cut & shut until they came up with a car that they could call a Ute. Unfortunately, not much thought went into this project, as nothing on this created Ute matches the original.
For starters, as Ford Australia used a modified 32 Ford Sedan body as the basis for the 33/34 Ford Sedans, the doors continued on with the wide full length molding as per 1932. On the true 33/34 Fords, this molding was much narrower.
As some body panels were imported from the USA, like Roadster rear quarter panels, which had the narrow moldings, Ford Australia had to use a front door that was different from the one that they used on the Sedans. Therefore, the Doors from the Sedans are completely different to the doors that were used on the Coupes & Coupe Utes. Furthermore, the small side windows & back window on the genuine 34 Ute are the same as the local Coupes. The recreated Ute uses the complete back section from the Sedan, as well as the sedan doors, & from there, the design just gets worse. Check out the photos of the Lew Bandt 6 wheel equipped 34 Ute (cream colour) with the photos of the genuine 1934 Coupe Ute (green), & you will see how wrong this car really is. Unfortunately, the staff at the Discovery Centre promoted this recreated Ute as an Original, & many people have accepted this fact as Gospel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, Lew Bandt was killed in this Ute & his widow asked Ford Motor Company to restore it in honor of Lew Bandt. It was very badly smashed up. at this time, Ford Motor Company should have looked for an original to spend their money on. A restored original 1934 Ford Coupe Ute would have been a much better way to remember this great designer.
Check out the photos & decide for yourselves.

[mercman from oz]

Just for the record, the recreated 34 Ute was made up as a Straight Side Ute, while the proper restored 34 Ute is a Wellside variety.
Buyers of 1934 Ford Utes had the choice of a Straight Side or Wellside in either Coupe Utes or Roadster Utes.

[mercman from oz]

Classic Carlectables, a Model Car Manufacturer in South Australia wanted to create a model of the unique Australian designed 1934 Ford V8 Coupe Utility, so they contacted Ford Australia who directed them to the Discovery Centre in Victoria where the recreated Lew Bandt 1934 coupe Ute was on display.
They came & took Photographs & Measurements for their upcoming 1934 Ford Coupe Ute in 1/43rd Scale. Some months later, their product was available for sale in Model Shops. While Classic Carlectables have done fine job on the model, including such details as 6 wheel equipment & opening Tail Gate, it is portrayed as an Original 1934 Ford Coupe Utility, something which it is definitely not. Refer to story in this same Thread above.
No Ford Ute had the Tail Lights mounted on long stalks like the Sedans & other Passenger Cars, but they are on this made up 34 Ford Ute.
The personel at Classic were simply mislead by the staff at the Discovery Centre, which is a great shame, as this model could have had great potential if they had of had the genuine 34 Ford Ute to copy in the first place.

[DavidG]

I seriously doubt if any of the body panels or any other part of these unique vehicles came from the U.S. Throughout the early V-8 era Ford Australia (like Ford New Zealand and all other Ford operations in Commonwealth countries except the United Kingdom) was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford of Canada and therefore the supplier of whatever components were imported by Ford Australia (with the exception of four-cylinder engines which were imported from Ford of Britain).

[koates]

Hi Tudortomnz, Thanks for your reply on the history of ford in NZ. Interesting to note that the ford "made up" coupe ute you observed at the now closed Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong, Victoria was owned and built by Lou Bandt in the late 1970s and was built from a 1933 ford V8 sedan. Lou retired from Ford Australia in Geelong in 1975 after 48 years with the company. He longed to own and drive his original design coupe utility again but could not find one to restore so decided to build his own. The old 1933 sedan he found provided the raw materials for his new retirement project. Lou worked for approx. four years on this project and when finished and painted light blue and white with painted murals on each side of a kookaburra (Australian bird) framed in the southern cross stars over the map of Australia it was quite a sight. But it was a bit removed from the original ute design as in the shape of the rear of the cabin roof which was the back section of that 33 sedan. The ute tray was also slightly shorter than the original ute. Sadly Lou was killed in his beloved utility on March 18th 1987 after a collision with a sand truck near Geelong. He was 77 years of age and on that day was returning home from filming a documentary on the "Ute Story". The ute was very badly damaged (some said beyond repair) and later with the blessing of Lous widow and family the Ford Motor Co and members of the Early Ford V8 Cub Of Victoria commenced a total rebuild of Lous utility. It was rebuilt as a 1934 model which was the same year the first production models were produced. And as stated above by mercman of oz the decision was taken to restore lous ute just as he had built it in the 1970s and not exactly the same as an original 1933 or 34 model .Several coupe utility prototypes were built in 1933 and were 1933 models. Some argument exists as to how many prototypes were built but it was at least two and could have been as many as five. One very rare 1933 prototype 4 cylinder coupe utility still exists today in as found condition and funny thing about it the rear of the cabin roof is different to all the production models and lous own rebuilt ute as well. Its serial number suggests it could be the first prototype. Best regards, Kevin.

[mercman from oz]

Here is a picture of Lew with his Ford Ute.

[mercman from oz]

This is a copy of the original Blue Print for the 1934 Ford Coupe Utility. This is what the production 34 Utes looked like.

[52merc]

66miles your car was built at the seaveiw plant petone not porirua

[66miles]

Thanks 52merc! I guess you can tell an Aucklander who cant tell his Porirua's from his Petone's. Point noted. Thanks again.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Another book is "A history of the Ford Motor company in Australia and New Zealand. written by Geoff Easdown. Golden Press 1987

GB

[Tudortomnz]

Great comments on Ford Australia Utilities.
I realise the one I saw at Ford discovery, made up by Lew Bandt & Ford apprentices, was a recreation of the first prototype done by Lew in I think 1933. That first proto was itself done from a Sedan just as last one which Lew was killed in returning from an event in Victoria. It is interesting to hear that this first proto may still exist. The production models had a different roofline & quarter window, like the Aussie Coupe top. After the Utility was restored following the crash, it certainly looked superior to the pictures of it done by Lew & the apprentices.
Whether Ford Australia imported any panels for the '33 '34 models is up for debate as they were all set up to produce just about anything they required ; that was the whole point of having the Geelong Plant & the reason the govt. allocated land there & use of the port. But I have read in the excellent Restored Cars magazine in an interview with Lew Bandt that they did sometimes import doors [ '37 Cabriolet] in the late '30's & modify them for their production models. He used to go to Detroit during at least the 1930's, especially after Henry Ford saw what Geelong could do with the unique Utility models.

[trevo]

Very interesting downunder stuff good on you guys!

[mercman from oz]

As I don't live in Victoria, where these old Fords were manufactured, I have to rely on what I read. Before the actual design for the 1934 Ford Coupe Ute was established, I guess that it is reasonable to suspect that some Prototypes still exist? While the Coupe Ute was not officially available in 1933, Ford were manufacturing the Roadster Utes, which were continued up to & including the 1938 model. The first production 1933 Ford Roadster Ute would have had the Body Number 40LD1. (Model 40 is what the 33 & 34 Fords were know as, plus LD for Light Delivery)). Similarly, the first 33 Sedan would have had the Body Number 40S1. (S for Sedan). As regards the Prefix LD of the Body Number, both the Open & Closed Utes started off with 40LD, followed by the production number of each utility.
All told, there were 1387 of the Model 40 (33/34 Models) Utes in Open & Closed models made.
Now, as has been established, the Production 1934 Coupe Utes were based on the Australian Coupe. Now, when the 1933 Coupe was first released in Australia, they were actually Sports Coupes & are unique to Australia.
Some months after the Sports Coupe were released, Ford started production of the Coupe, which had Five Windows, but differs in all areas from the American model. The Sports Coupe was then discontinued.
Now, it is believed that the first Coupe Ute was based on the 1933 Ford Sports Coupe, & there are pictures on pages 18 & 19 of this Prototype in Larry O'Toole's excellent book, "The Good Old Aussie Ute" which is still available from Graffiti Publishing in Victoria. Ford Utes from other years are included in this 260 page book, as are Utes from the other manufacturers. It is a great book.
This Prototype bares the Body Number 40LD161 & there are no small side windows behind the Doors & the Roof Line is very Boxy.
That is because the Sports Coupe from which it was derived didn't have side windows behind the doors, so they just made a roof to suit the body.
You may wonder why a Prototype would have such a high Body Number as 161? Well, this would have been the 161st Ute made, presumably, all lower numbers would have been the open or Roadster Ute.
This Prototype 40LD161 has Coupe Doors, which is consistent with the production 1934 Ford Coupe Utes. To sum up, to surmise that the original Prototypes were made from Sedans does not seem to hold water.
Any further information about these fascinating Utes would be appreciated.

[turnpikecrusier]

Great reading guys! I'm ordering books today!

[HamerAuto]

A very good book. Long live the ute.