In other news I've received an invitation to a citizenship ceremony on the 28th July. This will be the final step to becoming an Australian and it feels like the final step towards a new life. Can't wait, although I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. I was checking out a V8 ute this morning at the lights, and even wound down my window to listen to it pull away - I might be uncovering my inner bogan.
Sports utes seem to be a uniquely Australian thing. The 'ute' (utility vehicle, or pickup truck in Americanese) is actually an Australian invention. In the early 30s Ford Australia received a letter from a farmers wife asking 'Why don’t you build people like us a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays?’ There was also a financial element - bank managers at the time would lend money to farmers to buy a farm truck, but not a passenger car. And from that the ute / pickup was born. They're ubiquitous over here, the Australian version of the tradies white van, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The design suits a 4x4 (the Toyota Hilux 4x4 ute is probably the most famous in the UK thanks to Top Gear) and there are plenty of 2 wheel drive estate car equivalents. But there is also a smaller market for sportier versions that can (theoretically at least) carry a ton of building supplies to the yard during the week and still burn rubber at the weekends. Not my pictures
I currently own a very reliable & practical Land Rover turbo diesel Discovery which is great, but I can't help looking at the sports utes. Lots of power, rear wheel drive, no weight over the back wheels and in the hands of an early 40's guy with no real experience of driving high performance cars. What could possibly go wrong?
Sports utes seem to be a uniquely Australian thing. The 'ute' (utility vehicle, or pickup truck in Americanese) is actually an Australian invention. In the early 30s Ford Australia received a letter from a farmers wife asking 'Why don’t you build people like us a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays?’ There was also a financial element - bank managers at the time would lend money to farmers to buy a farm truck, but not a passenger car. And from that the ute / pickup was born. They're ubiquitous over here, the Australian version of the tradies white van, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The design suits a 4x4 (the Toyota Hilux 4x4 ute is probably the most famous in the UK thanks to Top Gear) and there are plenty of 2 wheel drive estate car equivalents. But there is also a smaller market for sportier versions that can (theoretically at least) carry a ton of building supplies to the yard during the week and still burn rubber at the weekends. Not my pictures
I currently own a very reliable & practical Land Rover turbo diesel Discovery which is great, but I can't help looking at the sports utes. Lots of power, rear wheel drive, no weight over the back wheels and in the hands of an early 40's guy with no real experience of driving high performance cars. What could possibly go wrong?
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