No other vehicle truly embodies the diversity of lifestyles in Australia quite like the ute. These popular vehicles can range from feral paddock-bashers with more holes than floor, to pristine units fitted out with every mod-con known to man. You might roll with a roof rack, bullbar, a snorkel and spotties – or you might have an epic tradie set-up, with dedicated drawers for every last tool.
Whether it’s for transporting motorbikes or hay bales, towing a boat, or just for the looks, it’s easy to see why the ute has become such a beloved cultural icon in Australia. It’s genuinely intertwined with our way of life.
The ute has a uniquely Aussie history
It’s generally accepted that the first true ute was developed in Australia, after a Gippsland farmer’s wife wrote to Ford’s Aussie branch in 1933. She requested a passenger vehicle that could take the family to church on Sunday without getting wet, but could also transport the pigs to market on Monday. A young designer at Ford named Lewis Bandt set to work, and soon after the Ford Coupe Utility was born.
Sure, the big boss Henry Ford might have dismissed the vehicle as a ‘kangaroo chaser’ once he saw a prototype in the US. But here in Australia, the versatility of the ute proved highly popular with farmers, and the concept took off. By the early 1950s the ute was popular even on city roads, with a waiting list of 70,000 for the launch of the Holden Ute’s first model. Since then Australia has been home to some truly iconic ute models, including from Ford, Holden and Toyota. Some might even include the Suzuki Mighty Boy and Subaru Brumby in that list!
The evolution from working class hero
Part of the reason for the ute’s growth in popularity is that they were often cheaper to buy than a second car, and for many years now have come with tax breaks for trades and technical industries. But naturally, the main appeal is its usefulness. For a long time, the ute was a true utility vehicle without any of the bells and whistles. A bone-rattling ride and bare-bones interiors were par for the course. In the last few years, though, that expectation has been left in the dust.
These days we have modern single, extra and double cab chassis utes to choose from; utes that can park themselves; and quite possibly in the near future, power our homes. Ute interiors have had a major upgrade, offering journeys that are smoother, safer, more spacious and better connected than ever before.
A bit like a backwards mullet, the modern ute is now all entertainment at the front – and serious business at the back. It’s no wonder it’s taken off as a family car favourite!
While we sadly don’t make any of our own utes in Australia any more, the love of the vehicle has certainly not faded. In fact the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max all took out top-five spots in the best selling new cars of 2024, and the Ranger and HiLux were the most popular used cars of the year.
What’s in the back?
That’s the big question and indeed, the whole point of the ute. You’ll see utes laden with a diverse assortment of farming equipment, right down to those spare bits of baling twine that always come in handy. You’ll see utes loaded up as tradies head out to work in the early morning, and you’ll see utes towing all manner of leisure craft from caravans to jet skis and boats.
The thing is, we pride ourselves on being do-ers in Australia. We DIY our home renos, we go down that bush track less travelled, and we love having ‘just-in-case’ tools stashed in every door pocket to be able to help someone out on the side of the road. The ute is the perfect companion to that attitude. It’s the go-anywhere, take-anything, be-ready-for-it-all sidekick.
So there you have it. We played a pivotal role in the invention of the ute, and it rewards us by evolving to fit the way we live, work and weekend. That’s pretty bloody good if you ask us.
By the way – whether you’re a surfer, a farmer, a camper, a FIFO worker, an offroader, a plumber or a tower, you’ll find some brilliant pre-loved utes in Sydney with Carma. As with all of Carma’s vehicles, every second-hand ute is meticulously selected and inspected by experts, to ensure you’re choosing from only the best. Explore the range today, all with a 3-month warranty.
