"G'day Mate! Is that your Ute?"

Those who know me know that I love my '73 Ranchero GT. I was a sophomore in high school when it was built. The Ranchero and ElCamino car/truck models were quite popular in their day, with Ford ending production of the Ranchero in 1979, GM ending El Camino/Caballero production run in 1987. The Australians however, kept up production of the ute, morphing them from US platforms to their own, and they did a damn fine job of it. Even from up here you can see that the ute has been a popular part of Aussie culture. Sadly, Ford ended production in Australia in 2016, which no doubt pissed off the Australians. I don't blame them.

Chevrolet did make an attempt at ute revival with the SSR in 2003, with a front end reminiscent of the 1949 pickup, a sharp looking vehicle (I wouldn't throw sacks of concrete in it though) but enthusiasm waned and they ended production in 2006.

In an era when all vehicles look the same it would be nice to see utes come back. Not everyone wants to drive an F150, though most do, which is my point. Come on Detroit, who wouldn't like to see a retro version of the 1968-69 El Camino or the 1970-71 Ranchero GT?