Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 This morning I posted in the 'On this day in history' thread that on October 16, 1958, Chevrolet begins to sell a car-truck hybrid that it calls the El Camino. When I was researching the article I found this car, the first Car/Truck hybrid. 2014 marked the 80th anniversary of the Australian Ford 'Ute', the coupe-based utility vehicle, first produced in 1934, that spawned the Holden Maloo 'Ute', and American-market Ford Ranchero. The Chevrolet El Camino was first produced in 1958. The Australian 'Ute's story began when a farmer's wife in Gippsland, Victoria sent a letter to Hubert French, managing director of Ford Motor Company of Australia, in 1933: "My husband and I can't afford a car and a truck but we need a car to go to church on Sunday and a truck to take the pigs to market on Monday. Can you help?" French charged Ford Australia's only designer, 23-year-old Lewis "Lew" Bandt with designing a car that could fulfill the farmer and his wife's needs. With its steel-paneled bed integrated behind a coupe body, the 'Ute differed from the conventional pickups of the time, because they usually had wooden or metal beds mounted to a car chassis. By October 1933, Bandt had built two prototypes, and production began in early 1934. Bandt called the new design a coupe utility, which was quickly shortened to "'Ute" by Australians. Originally based on a Ford Model 40 five-window coupe the coupe utility featured steel outer panels welded to the body for a smooth-sided look, with a wooden-framed bed. The original full size blueprint drawings are archived in Australia, while the restored coupe utility resides in a museum in the rural town of Chewton, Victoria. Approximately 22,000 coupe utilities were sold from 1940 to 1954, and more than 455,000 Falcon 'Utes have been sold in Australia. This 1934 Ford / Bandt Ute was restored and is currently housed in a museum in Chewton, Victoria, Australia 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1946 Chevy Fleetline 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1924 Fiat Mephistopheles 22 Liter 6 Cylinder 320 HP 146MPH 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1965 Mercer Cobra Roadster. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 12 minutes ago, pipedreams said: I would drive the heck out of that after I found the shocks and springs and put them back in, lol. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 I'm trying to understand why they couldn't just drive to church in the truck. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1 hour ago, gwalchmai said: I'm trying to understand why they couldn't just drive to church in the truck. You're actually trying to understand the reasoning of the female species ...? Good luck with that. The good thing about it is, we ended up with the Chevrolet El Camino after a few years, lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfox762 Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1971 Plymouth Barracuda 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 Off Road Willys Custom 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampfox762 Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 2 hours ago, Schmidt Meister said: 1971 Plymouth Barracuda And if the real thing don't do the trick You better make up something quick You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAKA Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 8 hours ago, pipedreams said: 1946 Chevy Fleetline Where are the CURB FEELERS ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAKA Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 2 hours ago, Swampfox762 said: Blower Bentley? (later model than Steed had) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1957 Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 392 Hemi 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1959 Chevy Apache 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1964 Willys Jeep FC - M677 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmidt Meister Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1960 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab - Pearl Gray 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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