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 light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
s
that have a separate cargo bed 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" (pronounced
uːt, although the term is also used there to describe traditional-style pickups.
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 United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor C ...
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,
[Early Australian Automotive Design; The First Fifty Years. Norm Darwin page 179] Bandt used the passenger compartment and roof from the
Ford V8
Ford engines are those used in Ford Motor Company vehicles and in aftermarket, sports and kit applications. Different engine ranges are used in various global markets.
3 cylinder
A series of Ford DOHC 12-valve inline-three engines with Twin Indep ...
5 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 the existing roadster utility that had been produced by various manufacturers as early as 1924. Darwin also suggests that the idea was being developed by other manufacturers simultaneously, as General Motors-Holden's Ltd 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.
[Early Australian Automotive Design; The First Fifty Years. Norm Darwin page 185]
In North America, this idea was also trialed by some manufacturers. Studebaker created the
Studebaker Coupe Express
The Studebaker Coupe Express was a passenger car based pickup truck, produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, between 1937 and 1939. Unlike other concurrent pick-up trucks, the coupe express mated Studebaker's passenger car s ...
and sold it between 1937-1939.
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 is 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
Chevrolet El Camino
The
Chevrolet El Camino is a coupé utility/pickup vehicle that was produced by Chevrolet from 1959 to 1960 and from 1964 to 1987.
Introduced in 1958 (for the 1959 model year) in response to the success of the
Ford Ranchero pickup, its first run lasted only two years. Production resumed in 1963 (for the 1964 model year) based on the
Chevelle A-platform. In 1977 (for the 1978 model year) it was shifted to the
GM G-body platform. Production finished in 1987.
Although based on corresponding Chevrolet car lines, the vehicle is classified and titled in North America as a truck. GMC's badge engineered El Camino variant, the
Sprint, was introduced in 1970 (for the 1971 model year). It was renamed
Caballero in 1977 (for the 1978 model year), and produced until 1987.
In Spanish, ''el camino'' means "the road" and is related to the verb "caminar" (to walk).
Other North American coupé utilities
* 1936–1942
Chevrolet Coupe Delivery
* 1982–1984
Dodge Rampage
* 1981–1982
Ford Durango
* 1957–1959
Ford Ranchero (full-size)
* 1960–1965
Ford Falcon Ranchero (Falcon compact)
* 1966–1979
Ford Ranchero (mid-size)
* 1971–1987
GMC Sprint / Caballero (GMC rebadge of the El Camino)
* 1983
Plymouth Scamp There have been two small cars from Plymouth called the Scamp:
* 1971–1976 RWD 2-door hardtop coupe, based on the Plymouth Valiant
* 1983 FWD coupé utility, based on the Plymouth Horizon; see Dodge Rampage
The Dodge Rampage was a subcompact, un ...
South American models
Since the 1970s, utes have been built in Brazil under European car-maker badges, usually based in hatchbacks, such as the
Ford Courier, based on the
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...
MkIV. Current examples include the
Chevrolet Montana (based on the
Opel Corsa
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chev ...
and later on the
Chevrolet Agile), the Peugeot Hoggar (based on the South American
Peugeot 207), the Volkswagen Saveiro (based on the
Volkswagen Gol
The Volkswagen Gol is a subcompact car that has been manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil since 1980 as Volkswagen's entry-level car in the Latin American market—where it succeeded the Volkswagen Type 1 (Fusca) and the VW Brasilia. S ...
) and the
Fiat Strada
The Fiat Strada is a supermini coupé utility produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 1998. It is based on Fiat's world car "project 178", the Palio. It is produced by Fiat Automóveis in Brazil, and has been marketed worldwide, exclud ...
(based on the
Fiat Palio).
Other South American coupé utility models:
* 1983–1994
Chevrolet Chevy 500
The Chevrolet Chevette is a front-engine, rear-drive subcompact manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1976–1987 as a three-door or five-door hatchback. Introduced in September 1975, the Chevette superseded the Vega as Chev ...
(Brazil)
* 2003–2021
Chevrolet Montana
* 1994–2004
Chevrolet Corsa Pick Up (Argentina and Brazil)
* 1953–1979
Citroën 2CV "Citroneta" (South America only)
* 1971–1990
Dodge 1500 (Uruguay)
* 1996–present
Fiat Strada
The Fiat Strada is a supermini coupé utility produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 1998. It is based on Fiat's world car "project 178", the Palio. It is produced by Fiat Automóveis in Brazil, and has been marketed worldwide, exclud ...
* 1998–2013
Ford Courier (Brazil)
* 1973–1991
Ford Falcon Ranchero (Argentina)
* 1982–1997
Ford Pampa
The Ford Pampa is a coupe utility manufactured by Ford do Brasil between 1982 and 1997. It was derived from the Ford Corcel and Ford Del Rey, and was the best-selling coupe utility in Brazil for several years.
The Ford Pampa was replaced by the ...
(Brazil)
* 2010–2014
Peugeot Hoggar
* 2015–present
Ram 700 (Mexico-exclusive rebadged version of the Fiat Strada)
* 1980–present
Volkswagen Saveiro/Pointer coupé utility
Asian models
* 1991–1995
Daihatsu Mira P1/Miracab
* 2004–2007
Geely Rural Nanny
* 1975–1990
Hyundai Pony
* 1965–1971
Mitsubishi Colt 800
* 1971–2007
Nissan Sunny
* 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 United States, 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 Masterline
* 1968–1974
Toyota Mark II coupé utility
* 1964–1988
Toyota Publica coupé utility/Toyota coupé utility
South African models
Australian
Holden Kingswood,
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate 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 Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* For ...
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
Ford Courier, sold there 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)
European models
Austin Marina
A coupé utility based on the 1971–1980
Morris Marina with a 1275 cc engine was badged as an Austin. There were never many of these truck variants sold.
Mini
Variously badged pick-up variants were built on the chassis of the
Mini
The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
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 t ...
)
* 2007–2012
Dacia Logan Pick-Up
* 1975–2012
Dacia Logan/Logan II
* 1972–1982
Emelba 127 Poker
* 1977–2013
Fiat Fiorino
* 1974–2001
IZh-27151
* 1955–1966
Peugeot 403
The Peugeot 403 is a mid-size car manufactured and marketed by Peugeot between May 1955 and October 1966. A total of 1,214,121 of all types, including commercial models, were produced, making it the first Peugeot to exceed one million in sales.
...
* 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 and wagon configurations – but also as twin two-door coup� ...
* 1975–1985
Simca 1100
The Simca 1100 is a car built from 1967 to 1982 by Simca. It was replaced by the Simca-Talbot Horizon.
History
The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales. The design ...
* 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 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"
Middle Eastern models
* 1967–2005
Paykan
The Paykan ( fa, پيکان meaning ''Arrow'') is the first Iranian-made car produced by Iran Khodro (formerly called "Iran National") between 1967 and 2005. The car was very popular in Iran from its introduction until its discontinuation. I ...
coupé utility (Iran)
* 2015–present
IKCO Arisun
The IKCO Arisun 1 and Arisun 2 is a small coupe utility (pickup) designed by Iran Khodro, based on the Peugeot 405. Production started in 2015, and it costs about $7,000. Production was temporarily halted in December 2016, but has since recommenced ...
* 2008–present
SAIPA Pick-Up
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
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate 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 Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* For ...
(from 1999–2016 the Falcon utility had a separate pick up bed and was therefore no longer strictly a coupe utility)
* 1952–1959
Ford Mainline
The Ford Mainline is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States in the models years 1952 to 1956. It was introduced as the base trim level of the 1952 Ford range below the Customline and Crestline models.John Gunnell, Stan ...
* 1949–1951
Ford Pilot
* 1953–1955
Ford Popular 103E
The Ford Popular, often called the Ford Pop, is a car from Ford UK that was built in England between 1953 and 1962. When launched, it was Britain's lowest priced car.
The name Popular was also used by Ford to describe its 1930s Y Type model. Th ...
* 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)
The Ford Falcon (XF) is a full-sized car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1984 to 1988. It was the third and final iteration of the fourth generation of the Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (XF)—the luxury-oriented version. ...
utility)
General Motors-Holden
* From 1934 various GM chassis were available fitted with coupe utility bodywork
*
Bedford HC
The Bedford HC is a small commercial vehicle that was made by Bedford, beginning in 1938. The vehicle shared its running gear with the H-series Vauxhall 10-4 saloon. Production of civilian vehicles ceased during World War II with the HC van re-e ...
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. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thr ...
* 1990–2017
Holden Commodore/Holden Ute (models from 2000–2017 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
The DeSoto Diplomat is an automobile produced by DeSoto from 1946 to 1962 for sale in export markets other than the United States and Canada.
The export DeSoto based on the Plymouth was first introduced in 1937 and was built in Detroit. Chrysl ...
* 1966–1976 Dodge (lower spec version of the Valiant/Wayfarer utility)
* 1956–1957
Dodge Kingsway
The Dodge Kingsway is an automobile built by Dodge for export markets. The Kingsway name was adopted for the 1940 models. Before that, the export models based on Plymouth models had no unique model names.
Kingsways were rebadged Plymouth vehicles, ...
* 1956–1957
Plymouth Cranbrook/
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) 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.
Sa ...
/
Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
Africa
* Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco
* Belvedere, Harare, Z ...
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
*
Standard Vanguard
*
Triumph Maylower
Rootes Group
* 1939 Hillman Fourteen
* 1956
Hillman deluxe utility based on Mark VIII Hillman Minx
Lightburn
*
Zeta
Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, 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 f ...
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 full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia endi ...
sedan, although rebadged as a 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 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.
See also
*
Car body styles
*
Kei truck
*
Pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
*
Roadster utility
*
Truck classification
Truck classifications are typically based upon the maximum loaded weight of the truck, typically using the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and sometimes also the gross trailer weight rating (GTWR), and can vary among jurisdictions.
Unite ...
*
Ute (vehicle)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coupe utility
Car body styles
Vehicles introduced in 1934
Pickup trucks