UTEs have grown into the most sought multipurpose vehicles, especially in Australia. These can be used in cityscapes with luxury. It also doubles up as a vehicle and takes on to the harsh outback landscape of the country. Its durability has made it versatile and helped it to invade every market space. The kind of comfort and space it provides has made it popular among Aussies. They prefer to buy a UTE with full accessories. They make all efforts to find a range of ute canopies in Perth to complete the vehicle. UTE is abbreviated for utility and the coupe utility for the Australians. With increasing popularity the term has been expanded to include the open cargo vehicles. In many other countries, these vehicles with open tray space are still referred to as pickup trucks.
- History of UTEs in Australia
According to popular claims, Ford Australia was the first company to invent and produce Australian UTE. The first vehicle was released in 1934. It is considered that the development occurred as a result of the request of a farmer’s wife. She demanded a vehicle to go to church which can also take their pigs to market the next day. The basic Australian design was with a two-door car body that had a tray attached to the rear. The design was called the coupe utility and become popular. The design is still an inspiration for UTE designs. During the 1950 decade, the Ford join hands with Holden Commodore. They jointly produced UTEs with sedan chassis which became a long-lasting tradition in Australia.
- Impact of culture
Australia has immense love for UTEs. There is almost a culture in Australia that is developed around UTEs. People look for getting fancy designs for their UTEs. One of the popular designs is the B&S style. The style includes bullbars, oversized mud flaps, spotlights, flaps for exhaust pipes, aerials, etc. There are many events conducted particularly to celebrate UTEs. Several festivals are arranged yearly and last for many days. These festivals attract many UTE owners from around the country who participate in competitions and other events. These are most common in rural areas. UTEs are also a part of some other festivals like some of the music festivals. The craze of UTEs among Aussies has had a global impression and draw attention from everywhere.
- The trend
A large number of UTEs are sold in Australia including the racing series. The numbers themselves tell the whole story of stardom of UTEs in Australia. The enthusiasm for these vehicles is such that a UTE becomes the top-selling vehicle for three years in succession. Considering the previous year the UTEs made around 18 percent of the best selling cars. The sale of UTEs and SUVs continued to rise even when there was a slump in the car market. These cars may still have a long way to go, but their pace of growth is awe-inspiring.
- The ascend
UTE can adapt to various settings and practically suits Aussies’ conditions. It is equally efficient in farms, construction sites, or for families in suburb areas. It is comfortable, spacious, and sustainable. The newly added safety features are undoubtedly the reason for its growing sales in the past few years.