A coupé utility is a vehicle with a passenger compartment at the front and an integrated cargo tray at the rear, with the front of the cargo bed doubling as the rear of the passenger compartment. The term originated in the 1930s, where it was used to distinguish passenger-car-based two-door vehicles with an integrated cargo tray from traditional

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

s that have a cargo bed separate from the passenger compartment. Since the 2000s, this type of vehicle has also been referred to as a "pick-up", "car-based pick-up" or "car-based truck". In Australia, where the traditional style of coupé utility remained popular until it ceased production in 2017, it is commonly called a "

ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute people, a Native American people of the Great Basin * Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah * Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah * Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern ...

History

The body style originated in Australia. It was the result of a 1932 letter from the wife of a farmer in Victoria, Australia, to

Ford Australia Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of Automotive industry in the United States, United States–based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in 1925 as an Austral ...

asking for "a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays". In response, Ford designer Lew Bandt developed a vehicle to meet the client's request. Commencing in October 1933, with assistance from draftsman A. Scott, Bandt used the passenger compartment and roof from the Ford V8 five-window coupe and extended the rear section using a single fixed side panel on each side, with a hinged tailgate at the rear to create the load carrying compartment. The model was released in July 1934 as the coupe utility. In his book ''Early Australian Automotive Design: The First Fifty Years'', Australian motoring historian Norm Darwin suggests the idea was not a big leap in design from existing roadster utility models produced by various manufacturers as early as 1924. Darwin also suggests that the idea was being developed by other manufacturers simultaneously, because General Motors-Holden released Bedford and Chevrolet coupe utilities in September 1934, only two months after Ford, with the main difference being the use of the three-window coupe roof on the GM-H products. Other manufacturers were quick to follow, with coupe utilities based on various passenger and light truck chassis. In North America, the idea was also trialed by some manufacturers. Studebaker created the Studebaker Coupe Express and sold it between 1937 and 1939. In 1951, Holden released a model based on its 48-215 sedan, reinforcing the Australian tradition of home-grown two-door passenger-car sedan chassis-based "utility" vehicles with a tray at the back, known colloquially as a "ute", although the term was also applied to larger vehicles such as pickup trucks. America followed suit with the release of the Ford Ranchero in 1957 and Chevrolet El Camino in 1959.

North American models

Ford Ranchero 1958 frontleft 2006-04-08 U

Ford Ranchero The first modern American coupe utility was the Ford Ranchero, marketed by Ford from the 1957–1979 model years. In contrast to its F-Series pickup trucks (which used a dedicated truck body and chassis), the Ranchero was adapted from a Ford two-door station wagon, integrating the cargo bed with the two-door body. Originally derived from the full-size 1957 Ford chassis, the Ranchero would also be designed from the compact

Ford Falcon The Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate by Ford Motor Company, Ford that applied to several vehicles worldwide. * Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970. * Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford ...

and intermediate

Ford Torino The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company, Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the mid-size car, intermediate market segment and essentially a twin to the Mercury Monte ...

and Ford LTD II. In total, 508,355 Rancheros were sold during its production run. The market success of the first generation led General Motors to develop its own design for 1959, the Chevrolet El Camino. Chevrolet El Camino The Chevrolet El Camino is a coupé utility/pickup produced by

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

. Following the success of the Ford Ranchero, the El Camino was introduced for 1959, deriving its body from the two-door Brookwood station wagon (though fitted with Bel Air trim); after 1960, the model line was withdrawn in favor of the van-based Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier pickup. For 1964, Chevrolet reintroduced the El Camino, with the line adopting its design from the intermediate two-door

Chevrolet Chevelle The Chevrolet Chevelle is a Mid-size car, mid-sized automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) in three generations for the 1964 to 1977 model years. Part of the GM GM A platform, A-body platform, the Chevelle ...

station wagon (moving to the A-body platform). After GM ended production of two-door Chevelle wagons, the El Camino retained commonality with four-door wagons (for rear bodywork), but adopted its own roofline. For the 1971 model year, GMC began to market the El Camino as the GMC Sprint. As the A-body Chevrolet was downsized and renamed the Chevrolet Malibu for 1978, the El Camino was also downsized (becoming a long-wheelbase variant of the A-body chassis, renamed the G-body for 1982); the GMC Sprint was renamed the GMC Caballero. Though sharing its bodywork and chassis underpinnings with Chevrolet car lines, the El Camino was classified and titled in North America as a light truck. Dodge Rampage The Dodge Rampage is a coupé utility/pickup that was marketed by Dodge from the 1982–1984 model years. Following the introduction of the Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup and the Subaru BRAT, the Rampage was developed from the Dodge Omni 024

hatchback A hatchback is a car body style, car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row sea ...

(later the

Dodge Charger The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over eight generations since 1966. The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version. In the United Sta ...

). The first compact pickup truck designed by Chrysler Corporation, the Rampage was the first American-brand pickup truck with front-wheel drive (though featuring a payload capacity rivaling the larger El Camino). The model line was marketed by Plymouth as the Plymouth Scamp for 1983 only, becoming the final light truck sold by the brand. Other North American coupé utilities * 1936–1942 Chevrolet Coupe Delivery * 1937–1942 Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe * 1937–1939 Studebaker Coupe Express * 1981–1982 Ford Durango * 2015–present Ram 700 (Mexico-exclusive rebadged version of the Fiat Strada)

South American models

Since the 1970s, utes have been built in Brazil under European car-maker badges, usually based on hatchbacks. For example, the

Ford Courier Ford Courier is a model nameplate used by Ford Motor Company, Ford since the early 1950s. The Courier moniker has been used on a variety of vehicles all around the world since it was first used in North America for a Panel van#North America, se ...

was based on the

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car that was marketed by Ford from 1976 to 2023 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and had been positioned below the ...

MkIV. Current examples include the Chevrolet Montana, based on the

Opel Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car manufactured and marketed by Opel since 1982 — as well as other brands, namely Vauxhall Motors, Vauxhall, Chevrolet, and Holden. At its height of popularity, the Corsa became the best-selling car in the ...

and later on the Chevrolet Agile, the Peugeot Hoggar, based on the South American Peugeot 207, the Volkswagen Saveiro, based on the Volkswagen Gol, and the Fiat Strada, based on the Fiat Palio. Other South American coupé utility models: Fiat Fiorino pick-up

* 1983–1994 Chevrolet Chevy 500 (Brazil) * 2003–2021 Chevrolet Montana * 1994–2004 Chevrolet Corsa Pick Up (Argentina and Brazil) * 1953–1979 Citroën 2CV "Citroneta" (South America only) * 1976-1987 Fiat 147 City (Brazil) * 1977–2013 Fiat Fiorino * 1971–1990 Dodge 1500 (Uruguay) * 1996–present Fiat Strada * 1998–2013

(Brazil) * 1973–1991 Ford Falcon Ranchero (Argentina) * 1982–1997 Ford Pampa (Brazil) * 2010–2014 Peugeot Hoggar * 1982–present Volkswagen Saveiro/Pointer coupé utility

Asian models

* 1991–1995 Daihatsu Mira P1/Miracab * 2004–2007 Geely Rural Nanny * 1975–1990

Hyundai Pony The Hyundai Pony (Hangul: 현대 포니), is a small automobile produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai from 1975 until 1990. The Pony was South Korea's first mass-produced and exported car. It has a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive lay ...

* 1974-1981 Kia Brisa pickup (rebadged second generation Mazda Familia pickup) * 1964-1991 Mazda Familia pickup * 1978-1980, 1990-1997 Mazda Familia pickup (Indonesian version, based on fourth generation Familia) * 1965–1971

Mitsubishi Colt 800 The Mitsubishi Colt 800 is the first of a series of passenger cars with a fastback/hatchback design produced by Mitsubishi Motors from November 1965. It was introduced as a two-door fastback sedan, the first such design in the Japanese market. The ...

* 1971–2007

Nissan Sunny The is an automobile built by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1966 till 2004. In the early 1980s, the brand changed from Datsun to Nissan in line with other models by the company. Although production of the Sunny in Japan ended in 2004, the ...

* 1990–1998 Nissan NV (Thailand domestic models built under license) * 1955–1957 Prince Commercial Pickup AIPC-1/AIPC-2 * 1957–1967 Prince Skyway pickup * 2002–2010 Proton Arena/Jumbuck * 2002–2006 Subaru Baja (sold in the US, Canada and Chile) * 1978–1993 Subaru BRAT/Brumby/Shifter/MV/Targa * 1983–1988 Suzuki Mighty Boy * 2000–2001 Toyota bB Open Deck * 1960–1969 Toyota Corona coupé utility * 1959–1971 Toyopet/Toyota Crown Masterline coupé utility * 1955–1959

Toyopet Master The Toyopet Master, introduced in January 1955, is a passenger car that was an evolution of the earlier Toyota SA#SF, Toyota SF/RH sedan (also known as the Super) with a modernized body. As with its predecessor, the Master has a ladder frame truck ...

line * 1968–1974 Toyota Mark II coupé utility * 1964–1988 Toyota Publica coupé utility/Toyota coupé utility

Iranian models

* 1969–2015 Paykan "Vanet"/IKCO Bardo (based on Paykan) * 2014–present SAIPA 151 (based on First-generation Ford Festiva) * 2015–present IKCO Arisun (based on

Peugeot 405 The Peugeot 405 is a large family car manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot from 1987 to 1997. Its production continued under license from outside Europe in Iran by Iran Khodro Company until 2020. It was voted European Car of the Year for 1 ...

/ Peugeot ROA)

South African models

Australian Holden Kingswood,

and Chrysler Valiant utes were sold in South Africa as the Chevrolet El Camino, Ford Ranchero, and Valiant Rustler respectively. Some re-badged versions of South American utes are sold in South Africa (where the term "''bakkie''" instead of "ute" is popular) under different names, such as the Chevrolet Montana and the

, sold there as Opel Corsa Utility (later as Chevrolet Utility) and Ford Bantam respectively. Other South African coupé utility models: * 1975–1979 Dodge Husky (South Africa) * 1989–2002 Mazda Rustler (rebadged 2nd generation Ford Bantam) * 2008–present Nissan NP200 (rebadged Dacia Logan Pick-Up, built and sold in South Africa) File:2011 montana 1.8 sport.jpg, 2011–2017 Chevrolet Montana File:Nissan 1400 B140 Bakkie.jpg, Nissan 1400 Bakkie, South Africa File:Nissan NP200 (cropped).jpg, 2008-2023 Nissan NP200 with a rear canopy, South Africa

European models

Austin Marina Truck 1275cc Reg March 1975

Austin Marina A coupé utility, based on the 1971–1980

Morris Marina The Morris Marina is a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive C-segment, small family car that was manufactured by the Morris Motors, Austin-Morris division of British Leyland from 1971 until 1980. It served to replace the Morris Minor in the Mo ...

, with a 1275 cc engine, was badged as an Austin. Not many of them were sold. Mini Variously badged pick-up variants were built on the chassis of the

Mini The Mini is a very small two-door, four-seat car, produced for four decades over a single generation, with many names and variants, by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors British Leyland and the Rover Group, and finally ...

estate/wagon. Other European coupé utilities * 1949–1952 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18 Utility Coupé * 1949–1952 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18 Station Coupé (extended cab with a rear seat) * 1956 Austin A35 * 1957–1973 Austin A55 Cambridge * 1950–1954 Austin A70 Hereford * Commer Light Pick-up (commercial variant of the

Hillman Minx The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge engineered variants sold by Humber, Singer, and Sunbeam. From the ...

) * 2007–2012 Dacia Logan Pick-Up * 1975–2012 Dacia Logan/Logan II * 1972–1982 Emelba 127 Poker * 1977–2013 Fiat Fiorino * 1953-1973

Morris Minor The Morris Minor is an economy car produced by British marque Morris Motors between 1948 and 1971. It made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, in October 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 ...

* 1974–2001 Moskvitch/IZh 27151 * 1955–1966 Peugeot 403 * 1979–1996

Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a mid-size, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive automobile manufactured and marketed by Peugeot from 1968 to 1983 over a single generation, primarily in four-door Sedan (automobile), sedan and station wagon, wagon configurations – ...

* 1975–1985

Simca 1100 The Simca 1100 is a series of France, French compact family cars – mainly C-segment hatchbacks, but also a Compact car, compact wagon and popular delivery vans – built for over 15 years by France, French car-maker Simca, from 1967 through ...

* 1991–1995 Škoda Pick-up * 1994–2001 Škoda Felicia Pickup/Fun * 1954–1960 Standard 6 cwt utility (commercial variant of the Standard Ten) * 1950–1964

Standard Vanguard The Standard Vanguard is a car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England, from 1947 until 1963. The car, announced in July 1947, was completely new, with no resemblance to previous models. Designed in 1945, it was ...

utility (also sold as "Standard Pick-up Truck") * 1979–2007 Volkswagen Caddy Typ 14/Rabbit coupé utility * 1996–2001 Volkswagen Caddy ''Typ'' 9U (rebadged Škoda Felicia coupé utility) * Singer SM1500 * 1966–1991 Wartburg 353 "Trans" * 1971-1993 Ford P100

Australian models

Coupe utilities have been produced in Australia since the 1930s. The three major Australian manufacturers (GM-Holden, Ford and Chrysler) offered coupe utility versions of their most popular models, and many of the smaller manufacturers also offered coupe utilities in their range. In many cases, if a coupe utility was not available as part of the regular model range an aftermarket coachbuilder would build one to customer order. Coupe utilities were also offered by various manufacturers on light truck style chassis, alongside their regular style pickup and cab-chassis offerings. Examples include: Ford * 1934–1940 Ford coupe utility * 1941–1948 Ford * 1949–1951 Ford * 1946–1953 Ford Anglia A54A (1946–48) and Anglia A494A (1949–53) * 1956–1962 Ford Consul Mark II and Ford Zephyr Mark II * 1960–1999

(from 1999 to 2016 the Falcon utility had a separate pick up bed and was therefore no longer strictly a coupe utility) * 1952–1959 Ford Mainline * 1949–1951 Ford Pilot * 1953–1955 Ford Popular 103E * 1939–1953 Ford Prefect E93A/E03A (1939–45), Ford Prefect A53A (1946–48) and Prefect A493A (1948–53) * 1937–1938 Ford Ten 6 cwt coupe utility * 1946–1958 Mercury Club Coupe Utility * 1989–1991 Nissan Ute (badge engineered version of the Ford Falcon (XF) utility) General Motors-Holden * From 1934 various GM chassis were available fitted with coupe utility bodywork * Bedford HC 6 cwt Carryall (commercial variant of the Vauxhall 10-4) * 1946–1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster * 1949–1952 Chevrolet Styleline * 1951–1968

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

* 1990–2017 Holden Commodore/Holden Ute (models from 2000 to 2017 were marketed as Holden Utes not Commodores) * 1968–1984 Belmont/Kingswood * 1952–1954 Vauxhall Wyvern E series and 1952–1957 Velox E Series Chrysler * From 1935, various Dodge, Plymouth and Fargo chassis were available fitted with coupe utility bodywork * 1958–1961 Chrysler Wayfarer * 1965–1971 Chrysler Valiant/Valiant Wayfarer * 1971–1978 Chrysler Valiant * 1956–1957 DeSoto Diplomat * 1966–1976 Dodge (lower spec version of the Valiant/Wayfarer utility) * 1956–1957 Dodge Kingsway * 1956–1957 Plymouth Cranbrook/

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

/ Belvedere BMC * Austin A40 Devon (Several unique variants were offered on the Australian market, including the Austin A40 Panelside and the A40 Hi-Lite) * 1956 Austin A50 * Austin A55 Cambridge * 1968–1971 Austin 1800 Standard * Morris Eight Series II, Series E and Series Z *

* Triumph Mayflower Rootes Group * 1939 Hillman Fourteen * 1956 Hillman deluxe utility based on Mark VIII Hillman Minx Lightburn *

Zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; , , classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived from the Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician letter zay ...

utility File:1935 Ford Model 48 Coupe Utility.jpg, 1935 Ford Model 48 coupe utility File:1946 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe Utility (19889923340).jpg, 1946 Ford Super Deluxe utility File:1950 Ford Prefect A493A Pickup.jpg, 1950 Ford Prefect utility File:1947 Ford Anglia A54A Coupe Utility (20158172082).jpg, 1947 Ford Anglia utility File:Ford V8 Pilot Coupe Utility.jpg, Ford Pilot utility File:Ford Popular Ute (15286502042).jpg, Ford Popular utility File:1951 Ford utility

.JPG, 1951 Ford utility File:Ford Mainline Ute (15830915651).jpg, 1957 Ford Mainline utility File:1960 Ford Zephyr Mk II coupe utility (6106383556).jpg, 1960 Ford Zephyr Mk II utility File:1962 Ford XL Falcon Deluxe utility (23948158290).jpg, 1962 Ford XL Falcon Deluxe utility File:Ford Falcon 500 GS 351 Ute (XB Series) (16624211696).jpg, Ford XB Falcon utility File:1999 Ford Falcon (XH II) XR6 utility (23394790683).jpg, 1999 Ford XH II Falcon utility File:1940 Bedford JC coupe utility.jpg, 1940 Bedford JC coupe utility File:Holden 50-2016 Ute (15563477783).jpg, Holden 50-2016 utility File:Vauxhall Velox Ute (15088646474).jpg, Vauxhall Velox utility File:1947 Chevrolet Stylemaster Ute (20159794372).jpg, 1947 Chevrolet Stylemaster utility File:1952 Chevrolet 52-1206B coupe utility (6102891895).jpg, 1952 Chevrolet Styleline utility File:Holden FB Ute (14950067418).jpg, Holden FB utility File:1971-74 HQ Belmont Ute

.JPG, Holden HQ Belmont utility File:2005 Holden Ute (VZ) Storm S utility (2015-08-07) 01.jpg, 2005 Holden VZ Ute File:1935 Plymouth PJD Coupe Utility (26802915544).jpg, 1935 Plymouth coupe utility File:1936 Dodge D2 Coupe Utility (22107235088).jpg, 1936 Dodge D2 coupe Utility File:1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe Coupe Utility (26802915554).jpg, 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe utility File:1956-57 DeSoto SP25 Diplomat Plaza coupe utility (1).jpg, 1956–57 DeSoto Diplomat Plaza utility File:Chrysler AP3 Wayfarer.jpg, Chrysler AP3 Wayfarer utility File:Chrysler AP6 Valiant Wayfarer utility.JPG, Chrysler AP6 Valiant Wayfarer utility File:Dodge VG utility (41469782301).jpg, Dodge VG utility File:Chrysler CL Valiant Utility.jpg, Chrysler CL Valiant utility File:1953 Austin A40 utility (21563929520).jpg, 1953 Austin A40 utility File:Austin A55 Coupe Utility.JPG, Austin A55 utility File:Austin 1800 Ute (15301571143).jpg, Austin 1800 utility File:1961 Standard Vanguard 6 utility (25467784966).jpg, 1961 Standard Vanguard utility File:1946 Dodge Fargo Coupe Utility (21672240584).jpg, 1946 Fargo utility File:1953 Dodge 108-A utility (8184543305).jpg, 1953 Dodge 108-A utility File:1946 Chevrolet Series 13 coupe utility (6995038610).jpg, 1946 Chevrolet Commercial utility File:International AL-110 (16006091420).jpg, 1952 International AL-110 Deluxe utility

Prototypes

* AMC Cowboy: Derived from the Hornet, it was intended to compete with small pickups from Japan, but the project was canceled after AMC acquired Jeep, which already sold small pickups. * Austin Metro Ranger: A concept based on the first generation model, it featured a full roll bar, flood lights, and a rear-mounted spare. * BMW M3 ute/pickup: On April Fools' Day 2011, BMW announced the BMW M3 ute/pickup. This vehicle was based on the E93 Convertible and featured a structured aluminum pickup bed and removable targa roof. It was created by BMW's M Division as a one-off workshop transport vehicle for use within the company. It was actually the second such ute that BMW built for this purpose: they had previously built one using a first generation M3 convertible in 1986. This coupe ute served the factory for 26 years before the April Fools car was built to replace it. * Pontiac G8 ST: A rebadged Holden Ute (which is based on the

Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is a series of automobiles that were sold by now-defunct Australian manufacturer Holden from 1978 until 2020. They were manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of ...

sedan, which was rebadged as the Pontiac G8 in North America) was shown at the New York International Auto Show in March 2008. It was slated for release in the third quarter of 2009 for the 2010 model year, but was quickly cancelled before any were sold due to budgeting cuts and Pontiac's near bankruptcy. * Toyota X-Runner: Concept vehicle displayed by

Toyota Australia Toyota Australia is an Australian subsidiary of the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. It markets Toyota products and manages motorsport, advertising and business operations for Toyota in Australia. It is also responsible for Lexus vehicles in A ...

at the 2003 Melbourne and Sydney International Motor Shows. The body shell was largely based on that of the first generation Avalon (production of which picked up in Australia a few months after it left off in North America, and lasted until 2005), while the suspension and AWD parts were borrowed from the contemporary Lexus RX. It was intended for production, but Toyota of Australia could not get approval from the parent company. File:2003 Toyota X-Runner utility - Concept car (5057543971).jpg, Toyota X-Runner concept utility as displayed at the 2003 Sydney International Motor Show

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coupe utility Car body styles Pickup trucks Vehicles introduced in 1934