Why Utes?

[Ab4875]

Turnpike cruiser, it looks like a great vehicle, can you give us some background?

[mercman from oz]

Love your 1936 Roadster Ute turnpikecruiser. There are probable more of these in the USA than there are in Australia. For example, this beauty that is similar to yours has just been sent over to the USA. We are fast running out of them.

[Fe26]

In regard to auto manufacturers leaving Australia, our government threw them to the wolves. In a rush to negotiate a Free Trade agreement with China the price was the last big manufacturing industry in Australia.

We can now look forward to Chinese imports like the 'Great Wall' brand, with an ANCAP rating of 2. What we'll save in manufacturing costs well spend on trauma injuries. But hey! That's the price of free trade, right?

[turnpikecrusier]

I don't have a lot of background on my UTE. I bought it from a friend several years ago.I have a receipt from a storage facility in New York in 1955. A man in Minnesota restored it.My friend told me that it was originally used for a parts truck for a Duesenburg dealer in Paris France. I haven't heard of one,but makes for a great story. As far as I can tell the engine and drivetrain are original. It runs really good, kinda odd driving on the right. It Even has the side curtains. I've taken it to a few shows and get lots of comments.

[mercman from oz]

Regarding Fe26 comments about possible cars that Australians will be driving like the Great Wall vehicles, I have a friend with a Panel Shop who refuges to work on these Chinese vehicles like the Great Wall. He told me that when he tries to straighten a panel, the metal cracks. Meanwhile, he will accept Falcons and Commodores everyday of the week, as their panels don't crack while trying to straighten them. we can thank a Mr Button for closing down our once thriving Car Manufacturing in Australia.

[mercman from oz]

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Graeme/NZ has mentioned that the Ford Ranger has outsold the Toyota Hilux in NZ. That is great news. It is a different story here, where for 2014, the Toyota Hilux came in 2nd, while the Ford Ranger came in 6th. The Holden Commodore came in 4th. In fact, the Ford Ranger is the only Ford product in the Top Ten in Sales in Australia. That is pathetic, & just shows how poorly Ford are travelling in Australia. Now, it is interesting to note that Ford USA have no intention of selling the Ford Ranger, as they say it would take sales away from the top selling Ford F150 range. Meanwhile, over at GM, they sell the Chevrolet Colorado, which is similar in all respects to the Ford Ranger, marketed in Australia as the Holden Colorado. In the USA, the Chevrolet Colorado has just won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. If GM can import the Colorado, why can't Ford import the Ranger? I just wonder where Ford are coming from sometimes. I am glad that at least we can look back at the Fords of old with pride. This was at a time when they produced cars that we wanted and still want. The attached pictures show the current Ford Ranger (red) and the new one that will be released this year (2015)

[RalphG]

Love the Utes, Wish they had offered them here in Canada. As usual, Saskatchewan farmers find a way to make what they need. Back in the sixties when farm pickup trucks could legally burn purple (tax free) gas it was not uncommon to see an old car with the back section of roof and trunk lid removed. A rudimentary panel of wood or metal installed behind the driver seat to close in the cab and "voila" a truck that could burn cheap gas and be licensed as a farm truck. I spotted this 56 Pontiac "Ute" at a farm auction last spring.

[cmbrucew]

RalphG

That 56 Pontiac truck may not be Canadian only.
I remember seeing them several times on old route 66 in Oklahoma, and Arkansas .
I thought some body shop was making el caminos from Pontiacs. Made a very nice looking ride.
Bruce

[mercman from oz]

Cheaper Registration has always been sort after, and as Ralph has suggested, many Sedans were made into Utes, thus obtaining cheaper registration, especially if it belonged to a farmer. Found this picture of a 1949 Ford "Ute" that someone in the USA turned into a Ute. They retained the same side sheet-metal as the Sedans. In Australia, that was not the case, as you can see from the pictures of the 1950 Ford Deluxe Coupe Utility. The reason fr the wider rear fenders is because Ford Australia used the heavier duty Mercury Differential in the Utes, thus, they had to come up with these bolt on rear fenders that are wider than the rest of the car. Compare these attached photos.

[RalphG]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

RalphG

That 56 Pontiac truck may not be Canadian only.
I remember seeing them several times on old route 66 in Oklahoma, and Arkansas .
I thought some body shop was making el caminos from Pontiacs. Made a very nice looking ride.
Bruce

I've seen some well finished car to truck conversions. A local guy did a nice job on an early sixties Dodge. The 56 Pontiac conversion I posted was definitely a "farm built" but better than some I have seen. Here is the front view. I could have likely got it cheap but figured after sitting on the ground for years the floor panels would be history.
Edit: the car appears to be a 1955 , not a 56.

[mercman from oz]

Here is an official write up on Ford Utes by the Ford Motor Company of Australia. There is some good information here, as well as some great pictures.
http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/ute.aspx
Meanwhile, the attached photo show how Ford is still exhibiting this recreated 34 Ford Ute against their new offerings.

[49r]

The 50's Mainline ute (only for the Aussie and Kiwi market?) is a great looker and pretty rare now here in NZ.

[RalphG]

Couple of ads for the 56 ute or "Coupe Utility".

[mercman from oz]

Hi Ralph, The Black & White Illustration is for a 1957 Ford Mainline Ute. If you want to check out what these Ford Brochures look like, go onto the Web at:-
http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/
They have the 56, 57 and 58 Mainline Ute up for everyone to look at, but still need one for the 55 Mainline Ute. Can anyone help out with this one?
Attached are the covers of the three that are currently listed.

[BLACKNRED]

This Chev was regarded as a Pick-up, as were many American based utility vehicles like this Hudson Utility Coupe.

I think the Ford Coupe Utility as a unit body was the marketing win, and thus the term Ute.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Good info here, is the Ute considered a car or truck?

very suprised as it wasn't offered in the US at the time when style and such was predominant.

Studebaker came out with the beautiful "Coupe Express" in 1937.

[colin1928]

I think some the points of Lew developing the coupe ute has been missed here
before the ute pickups of the day were pretty basic work vehicles
Lew,s idea was to put the better interior seats, floors coverings, leg room, ect from the more luxurious coupe into the ute and also add the deluxe features mouldings ect to dress up the exterior
to fit the better interior meant larger body the coupe roof ect and different rear panels
I was told this years back by a guy who work a Geelong with Lew

[RalphG]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

Hi Ralph, The Black & White Illustration is for a 1957 Ford Mainline Ute. .

I had noticed the ad labelled as 57 and assumed it was a mis-print. In North America that body style was 1956.
Its interesting that one company best known for their trucks, International Harvester, also had a Ute version. Here is a D series International Ute from the late 1930s. This would be a truck but with a unitized body to look more "car-like".

[Marvin/TN]

Ford did produce a full sized pick up here in the states, I think in the 60's, and the bed side panel was all one piece that stopped at the door jam and the bed front end panel was the back of the cab. Wasn't very sucessful, think the doors would pop open when operating over rough ground etc. Never heard it called a UTE though but sure looked like one. I haven't seen one in many years.

[RalphG]

Originally Posted by Marvin/TN

Ford did produce a full sized pick up here in the states, I think in the 60's, and the bed side panel was all one piece that stopped at the door jam and the bed front end panel was the back of the cab. Wasn't very sucessful, think the doors would pop open when operating over rough ground etc. Never heard it called a UTE though but sure looked like one. I haven't seen one in many years.

Yes, I recall the Ford (and Mercury) unibody pickups from the early sixties. Saw a few but they were never a big seller. Knowing from personal experience how farm pickups are at times overloaded, I can see body flex being a real problem on these. The odd one shows up on Kijiji for sale here. The term "Ute" was strictly Australian as far as I know.