If you’re from Australia or New Zealand then you’ll surely be very familiar with the term UTE and what it refers to. If you’re from anywhere else in the world you might think that this article somehow relates to Jamaican English slang. Either way, utes have been around for donkeys years and continue to sell nearly as well as they did when they first came about…
The UTE
There’s a good reason why you may not know what the term UTE means if you aren’t from Australia or New Zealand, this is primarily because it’s a term native to their region which makes accessories like ute covers from Bossco Auto Parts fairly unique. UTE basically means a ‘utility vehicle’, but they are quite unique in terms of how they look and perform. In other parts of the world people likely use a ‘pick-up’ truck or a 4-wheel drive flatbed, both tend to be quite big and cumbersome.
What Makes Them So Unique?
With a UTE however, they are built on passenger car chassis, as such, they perform nearly as well as their counterparts but with one added feature that stands them apart, they only have 2 or 3 seats in the front of the vehicle, the rear is wholly dedicated to providing space for transporting goods. It’s this unique feature that has made them so popular over the years and why they stand to be almost as popular as when they first entered the scene.
What’s Changed?
As you’d expect, with tech advancements and so forth the vehicles themselves have become faster, nimbler, better at braking, more economical etc etc, the list really does go on. In fact, they are so close to their counterparts in terms of performance they have their own racing league similar to the touring car series! Nowadays though, it has become a little more confusing because the utes of today tend to use the term UTE to describe any kind of vehicle that is capable of transporting goods.
A Peice of History
If you’re at all interested in UTE’s then it could be well worth a look through their history, your search engine would be a superb starting place and, you wouldn’t have to leave the comfort of your seat! At first glance it looks like Ford was the first on the scene back in the early 1940s, other major manufacturers include such names as Holden, General Motors, Crysler, Isuzu, Mazda and many more.
Considering that they remain to be popular, you might also find that they hold their value well, definitely something to look into if you’re in the market for a new motor!