The Australian car market is a truly fascinating place. While we love our massive, hulking pickup trucks, the Aussies are perfectly happy in their car-based utes from Ford and Holden. It's like an alternate reality where everyone said, "Why have an F-150 when you can have an El Camino?"


Take this great ad for the '86 Ford Falcon Utes and Vans. The narrator poetically promises comfort and style in the Falcon, which is "best by a country mile" with "six-cylinder performance with economy to boot." And if the Ute still isn't practical enough, there's also the Falcon Van, which is like a Ute but with a tall camper top and a hatchback.

Besides the dearly departed Subaru Baja, we just don't have anything like this in the U.S. anymore.


Should Ford and GM sell these in America? Obviously, we're strongly on the record as yes. Let us know in the comments below.