Make all the 'convicts on a desert island' jokes you want, but the Aussies know more about utility vehicles than any nation on earth. Let these slides from the seventies take you back to the glory days of being practical.
Last Wednesday marked the 55th birthday of the Chevrolet El Camino, and you did show us lots of great alternatives which we need since GM is not making a new one (nor will they import the existing models from down under). Still, Australia had it better back in the day too.
Commer Utility
Photo taken about 1974 in Victoria, Australia by John Lloyd.
1957 Ford Mainline utility
Melbourne 1974. This rear body was used from the 1952 model through the 1959 model pretty much like this. Australia did not get the 1957-58 cars that we had in North America, but continued the 1956 model with trim changes. By John Lloyd.
FJ Holden
Taken about 1974. Parking lot (car park) at the drag races, Calder Raceway, near Melbourne. By John Lloyd.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet coupe utility, from slide taken about 1975, somewhere in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. By John Lloyd.
VF Valiant ute
Maribyrnong Road, 1974, by John Lloyd.
1953 Ford Mainline utility
Taken in Maribyrnong Victoria in 1974 by John Lloyd.
Land Crab ute
Austin 1800, Australia. By John Lloyd.
1937 Ford coupe utility
Melbourne 1974, by John Lloyd.
Chrysler Valiant Wayfarer utility
Taken about 1974 by John Lloyd.
1952 Chevy Coupe Utility
1951 or 52 model, the last Chevrolets made as utilities by Holden. I took this photo about 1974, and transferred from a slide that was fading. By John Lloyd.
Dodge ute
Wasn't going to use this picture, as there is something from another shot on it. I'm thinking I may have shot this through the window of a Milk Bar. By John Lloyd.
Armstrong Siddeley
Rare ute body, taken in western Victoria in 1975 or 76. I have seen others of these on Flickr, perhaps this very one at a more recent auto event. By John Lloyd.
International Harvester
South Island, New Zealand, 1975 by John Lloyd.
XA Falcon ute
Leopold Street, Maribyrnong, Victoria, Australia 1974. This one has pinstriping and scallops like they did on the big rigs in the seventies. By John Lloyd.
Any of these with a six-pack of VBs and a kangaroo steak. That's all I have to say.
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