AU Falcon Utilities – Overview.

 Click Here To Go To Utes Gallery

Ford had been experimenting with the cab-chassis concept (commonly known in Australia as the ‘One Tonner’ thanks to the HQ – Z Holden's) since the early 90’s and the XG Falcon Ute. Indeed there was one rusty EF shell spotted sitting out the back of the Ford proving ground on the 2000 Home Coming Rally. But none of these shared the AU’s super cab concept... The long awaited AU Ute finally arrived in the middle of 1999 to an astonished audience bringing converts from both sides of the camp. It didn’t seem to matter that it was no longer a true “ute” (i.e. with rear box section welded to the cab) and now came with a F100 style pickup bed. For even that brought with it many plusses over the old style – one of which was the fact that you could easily convert your Ute into a cab-chassis or tray back even if you bought it with a style side bed. Which was super handy if you’d just backed it into a telephone post...But the “style side” box came with other little bonuses as well – including a standard fitment plastic bed liner with no steel backing!!! At first I thought this wasn’t a particularly wise move – but as I thought about it some more I began to realize it could deliver some pretty sensational advantages as well! Like there’s no areas to collect water between plastic & steel (a common rust trap), there are no easily dintable wheel arches, it cuts out a heap of un-necessary weight and leave no pockets at the bottom of the rear guards for mud and dust to gather and attract the deadly cancer. And as for those open to the elements rear guards – ‘55 to ’57 Chevy’s came with these didn’t they? up – that plastic tray liner was a danged good idea – even comes with cup holders in the tailgate too! Someone really had their thinking caps on for this one – with clever little notches cast in to hold timber and help stop timber and things from sliding all around the place. The rear guards themselves are now made of bake hardened steel (as is the rest of the outside panels) – making sure they’d handle all those little bumps and scratches like never before – as was the tailgate with a design that meant it was now stronger than a leopard tank.

And to top it all off – Ford has thankfully kept the leave sprung rear suspension! Not only have they done that, but they’ve turned this beast into the best handling (and riding) Ute this side of Timbuktu – something nobody thought was possible on leave springs. Surprisingly even the XR’s retain their leave springs – but it doesn’t seem to matter in a Ute that handles and looks this good! Still, it makes you wonder that if the Ute handles this good as is, what would happen if Ford’s introduced the heavy (good for nailing down that light tail) independent rear suspension to it’s sports models... The XR6 & XR8 just manage to do everything right – and must just about be one of the most desirable two wheel drive utilities anywhere in the world. Either that or Ford’s have the world’s first two door 2 seater with a huge boot! And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better you don’t have to mortgage the house to buy one or pay the insurance bill either...

And as far as appearance goes, you can’t get much better in a mass-produced vehicle for this price – this thing even rivals the Mustang (in my books anyway). Yet Falcons have always been big on looks and always respond well to modifications. The Commodore for some reason always manages to look just that – just another Commodore until you throw serious wads of cash at it! (And huge pieces of fibreglass as well). Perhaps that is a legacy of it’s popularity with the hot-up crew – just about everything’s been done, making it even harder to be original. The Falcon Ute looks that good that many a dedicated Holden fan has been caught switching ranks for a look, a test drive and (dare I say it) even to purchase! There was one story (confirmed) doing the traps just after the AU Ute’s release of one bloke who traded his brand new 1200km (yep – one thousand two hundred kays) old VS Commodore Ute just to get into one! Now that’s what I call a change of heart... Indeed one Holden exec who toured the Ford plant just prior to the Ute's release was heard to vocalise his (and Holden’s) concerns regarding Ford’s plans for it’s Ute. Yep – he shoulda been worried! But nobody was expecting it to be this good...

  And who can forget those classic one tonner ads – you know the ones (where the bloke makes a birthday wish and a AU Falcon falls out of the sky – followed by a stack of tinnies).  Fair dinkum – only in Australia could these things generate interest levels similar to Holden announcing it would be building a two door Commodore.  Even Street Machine magazine got in on the act – so large was the AU’s impact on Aussie culture I remember they even previewed an AU XL tray back in the opening editorial!  The then editor marvelled over the looks he got while driving – and the thing even had steel wheels!!!

  In fact the Ute has done so well Fords have actually had trouble keeping up with demand – with extra production days having to be brought in for Ute production.  In this the Ute has been a kind of saviour for Ford Australia during the time the AU sedans and wagons haven’t been selling so well.  The public liked the Ute so much they simply started fitting the Ute's “egg crate” grill to their sedans – which Ford finally took notice of when they brought out the Falcon “Classic”, which looked much better than fitting a Futura grill to the Forte (and therefore producing a counterfeit).  Those who dare take a peek beneath the rear of the AU Ute will be astonished at the size and weight of the rear chassis – this thing makes the old HQ tonners look positively weedy!  With the exceptionally strong cabin of the sedan tied to the rear chassis by a rather large torque box running the entire width across the back of the cab this little beauty ‘ll march on for years too. And you want tough? Just check out that awesome front suspension set up with it’s forged control arms ensuring this ain’t no Toorak tractor. Although you might want the optional bash plate to protect that aluminium front cross member). Yep – ya cannot hand a man a grander Ute...

AU Home / Contact / Links / Home Page / Feedback / EF Home EL Home / Galleries / Showcars / Visitor's Cars / Guestbook