The Ford Coupe Utility was the original “ute,” a car-based coupe with a truck bed that kicked off an automotive niche. While true utes are rare these days, the Coupe Utility’s legacy lives on in modern descendants like the Ford Maverick.
The Ford Coupe Utility has a fascinating origin story. It was the work of a young designer at The Blue Oval named Lewis Brandt, who received the assignment to build the half-car, half-pickup vehicle based on a letter written to Ford Australia by the wife of a local farmer, begging the automaker to release a vehicle that bridged the gap between passenger car comfort and the handiness of a pickup. Bandt got to work, drafting up the first Ford Coupe Utility in 1935.
“Dad created a brilliant stylish workhorse, which is the legacy he has left to all farmers and owners who enjoy and depend on their utes worldwide,” said Dr. Ros Brandt, daughter of Lewis Brandt. “In his words, he wanted the farmer’s wife and the pigs to have a glorious ride.”
The Coupe Utility was an instant hit. Decades later, it gave way to the Ford Falcon ute. The Falcon XK ute launched in 1961, selling 455,000 units before it was discontinued and production was stopped in 2016 and becoming an icon of Australian car culture. V8-powered muscle trucks proved popular for daily driving, providing a compromise between muscular performance and the utility of a pickup.
While the Falcon ute is no longer in production, The Blue Oval does offer the Ford Maverick for buyers in the market for a useful truck without going full Ford F-150. Sure, the compact pickup is larger than the Ford Coupe Utility and its direct descendant, but it carries the spirit of its predecessor. One could argue that the new Maverick Lobo is the modern ute – designed to deliver the ultimate street performance without sacrificing its handiness.
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