Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie Utes
Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of Ford and GM Holden Utes.
At the Brisbane Motor Show, which started on Friday, Ford and GM Holden, plus their tuning groups Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), had plenty of top Aussie utes on display, ranging from the workman Ford Falcon XR6 Cab Chassis, through the higher performance Ford Falcon XR8 and Holden SS Crewman and up into the fully-blown FPV Super Pursuit Ute and the HSV Thunder.
As a ute driver myself, it was great to see the totally Oz vehicles proudly flying the flag as fast, fun, rear-wheel drive sports cars with big boots.
On the side: our friends over at the Jalop uncovered a story in CarPoint that reports that the launch date for the new Holden Commodore Ute has been bumped forward and that a left-hand drive version is in the cards. Could this mean that GM is considering a El Camino comeback? An even better question is: would you buy one? - Ed.
Related:
- Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie muscle
- Holden shows off Commodore SS "Morpheous" at Brisbane show
- Brisbane Auto Show images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
hrsemanmike 3:35PM (2/06/2007)
Why can Ford build great stuff for the rest of the world, and we get the junk they build here?
Reply
Todd 4:47PM (2/06/2007)
I like utes. I hate how our "small" pickups like the Tacoma are so huge now days. I say bring them on. My favorite Ute of all time though is the Subaru Brat. I wish they would make a new one with only two doors and the STi's engine/awd.
Reply
JC Whitless 3:58PM (2/06/2007)
Yes, I'll take two please
Reply
Tim UF 3:37PM (2/06/2007)
If the ford falcon utes were available here in the states i would've looked at one, especially one of the turbo 6's... (Instead I'm driving a 2007 WRX TR, nice car)
Reply
dis_guy 3:42PM (2/06/2007)
I'm reallly liking the looks of the black Falcon.
Reply
Bob R. 3:53PM (2/06/2007)
I like the Ford Utes, althought the Holden Utes aren't that bad looking. In the 4th picture of the orange bed and tonneau cover of the Holden there is a red car in the background. Does anyone know what it is, cause it looks pretty good.
Reply
Seabass 6:38PM (2/06/2007)
How long did you spend creating the POV blur in the last orange photo? Hopefully not too long... I use GIMP for things like that and I hope you do too.
Anywho, I visited Sydney and Canberra three years ago (clemaest cities on the planet BTW) and to me it looked like there was a healthy ratio of 2 cars for every Ute. Is ther a tax benefit down there that I am not aware of, or are Utes just that badass? I wouldn't mine seeing a resurrected Camino here in the states.
Reply
Daniel Dacey 4:39PM (2/06/2007)
The car to the right of the Orange Commodore Ute is a Commodore Crewman SS. It's basically a stretched ute with another row of (very tight) seats.
You can find out more about it here: http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/vehicleentry?vehicleid=23
Reply
Supercujo 4:39PM (2/06/2007)
#4: That red ute in the background is called a Crewman. Basically a dual cab Commodore ute. Very long and hence difficult to park anywhere normal.
Check out the Holden website for info: www.holden.com.au
Reply
Mike 5:09PM (2/06/2007)
I just have to laugh when I see these cars, those crazy Aussies! Don't get me wrong I think they're kinda cool but nobody's gonna buy those things in the US. We love our Camry's, Accords, and other blandmobiles too much get all crazy and buy some super-charged Ranchero!
Reply
BOB 7:21PM (2/06/2007)
Nice vehicles, B L A N D styling, don't look like what they cost to American eyes.
Needs these to sell in the US market
-- same idea, but taller for more room, younger styling, cheap price. With and without back seat for families of young working guys.
PERFECT vehicles for China India, or Brazil to build, if they can start at $11,000. Waste of time at higher quality, higher price.
Reply
TheSwener 6:03PM (2/06/2007)
In California, TONS of people would buy a new El Camino.
Dodge could easily produce something like this based on the Magnum, which would look fantastic.
Reply
Anton Lang 7:13PM (2/06/2007)
#4 Bob R.
I'm not sure just which red vehicle you might be referring to. The other responses have indicated that the one in the near background is indeed the 'stretch' Ute, the Crewman, but I think the red vehicle you might be referring to in the left rear background, is the Holden Commodore SS, the hotly discussed vehicle being released in the US as the Pontiac G8.
Reply
Marty Vance 8:00PM (2/06/2007)
I'd certainly buy a Ute, especially if it was an extended cab variety, and they don't skip the performance models.
In fact, with the shift in market trend from SUV to CUV, GM could make a killing bringing back the El Camino.
Quick, somebody Photoshop the new Malibu's front fascia onto the Crewman.
Reply
NoNameDenton 8:26PM (2/06/2007)
Ford should definitely bring the Falcon utes here, and GM should bring the Holden utes here, all the Aussie vehicles are wonderfully poerful and yet great milage, and yet Ford keeps shafting us with bad bland products, but GM is starting to bring those platforms here
Reply
BigA 9:08PM (2/06/2007)
I don't think these weapons of mass sideways action would be allowed in USA, I'm sure that the Ministries of Fun Control at GM & Ford would be worried about law suits.
I mean come on 300kW RWD, No traction control and minimal rear weight distribution.
EG:
http://www.capadrift.com.au/downloads_june05_mallala.htm
Reply
Slim 9:11PM (2/06/2007)
I'd buy a Ute if they brought it here!
http://www.forsalebyslim.com
Reply
Craig 10:45PM (2/06/2007)
I think that building these things is a mistake. The legal minimum wage in Australia is about thirty times the going labor rate in China. This means that the only way to keep building cars there is to head upmarket. This is what has been happening in recent years. For example, Holdens used to be a knockoff of slightly obsolete Chevrolet designs, whereas now they are a knockoff of slightly obsolete BMW designs. The Ford story in Australia is pretty similar, starting out with McNamara's basic Falcon of 1960 and finishing with DOHC engines, turbos, double wishbone front ends, multi link rears and stiff German-style body structures. This is a good direction to go, but pickups don't do any favors for the strategy. Can anyone imagine BMW or MB building a pickup with the front end of a 5 Series or an E Class grafted on? No, I thought not. Cars are cars, trucks are trucks. The Australians have reasonable prospects if they stick to good sedans and make their cars like their wine; inexpensive, good quality, with Big Mac consistency and value for money. If they can survive for long enough, they could even give the Europeans a fright in some markets. But pickups, or "utes" won't help. If they want to keep building them, they should use different brands and different sheetmetal.
Reply
chris 12:40AM (2/07/2007)
craig i dont think u understand holden to australia is what chevy is to u, people over here just seem to have higher expectations of what a decent car is unlike u obviously.
Reply
Phil 1:54AM (2/07/2007)
Congratulations Craig, on the most misinformed post so far this year. Today's Falcons and Commodores have about as much in common with their '60s forebears as your post had with the truth, ie. none. The base model utes are sold here starting from about $20000 US. The reason utes are so popular is because they present a good mix of utility and sportiness - the same reason people buy hotted up Rams, except utes actually handle.
I guess you're right though, cars are cars, trucks are trucks, and premarital sex is for devil worshippers.
Reply