Completely lost in the
hoo-haa about Ford and Holden ending local manufacturing in Australia is the
impending death of one of the great icons of the Australian automotive
landscape, since 1948 – the humble Aussie Ute!
Holden launched first, in
1950, with the FX ute, and since then it became an integral part of the Aussie
lifestyle, in cities and the country. It was a hit equally with tradies and
farmers, for those who wanted the comfort of a car-like cabin and the
versatility to carry up to half a ton of ‘something’.
Ford followed in 1960 with
its first ute, named the Ranchero in the USA.
This was one aspect which
cemented the traditional Holden-Ford rivalry we know today. Brand loyalty was
king, and rarely did they swap to each other’s camps.
So, for the last 65 years
‘utes’ have been part of our culture, so much so that a few years ago the
motorsport authorities introduced a special racing class for utes – although
these are propelled by powerful V8 engines, with performance not far below that
of V8 Supercars!
However, it’s as a workhorse
we know them much better. The ute was also the ideal size, blending comfort and
practicality, with car-like performance and handling.
Holden |
Today, the Holden ute has
morphed into an image-leader; with the Falcon not far behind – in either
popularity or sales.
Ford |
In sheer technical ability,
the latest Falcon is head and shoulders above its Holden competitor. In its
last iteration Ford engineers improved just about everything – performance,
ride, handling, load-carrying, tray flexibility and carrying capacity. The
Falcon will carry up to 1000kg, whereas the Holden won’t haul more than 500kg.
So, how popular is the ‘ute’?
How many sales will be lost come 2017 when this icon disappears forever?
In the last full four years
of sales (2010-2013), Holden delivered more than 35,000 – whilst Ford sold over
26,000! That means the market consumed more than 15,000 (on average) every
year, reflecting a market share of light trucks of 20% and 15% for Holden and Ford
respectively.
That’s a big chunk of
business to give up! Just think how disappointed the ute buyers are going to be
after manufacturing ceases in 2017!
If I was a ute fan, I think I’d
be saving up and buying a couple to be going on with!
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