Americanisation of Australian Car Market.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

That add makes me angry and I mute it every time.

Also the 'plate sale' has nothing to do with 'crockery'. WTF?
How dumb do they think we are?

Sadly this is the direction of Australia.

Speaking of ad's on TV, how many of them are Australian? 25-30%?

Why do people still watch ads on TV, is the question?

[superyob]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Those who bash unions are generally those who have never had an employer happily ride roughshod over their rights and conditions at work...like mine who has recently just cancelled our workplace agreements because they had a lot of "awkward" things in them like sensible rostering practices and certainty about our hours of work..."not competitive in the modern world", don'tcha know...and the Fair Work commission happily agreed with them and scrapped our perfectly legal enterprise agreements, just like that.

Which, neatly, has set a precedent for every other workplace in the country with an agreement in place...all the boss has to do is whine sufficiently well to the commission and they will just tear up and throw out the workers long held rights and conditions.

But yeah, who needs unions these days...it's all peachy keen and friendly and fluffy in industrial relations, right?

Right...?


ANYWAY...cost of servicing. Even a small corner service guy will charge pretty big hourly rates, especially for newer stuff, as will big dealerships.

I don't know what the industrial landscape looks like now but in the 80s and 90s, as a diesel mechanic, I earned more in non union workshops...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

It costs around $35/hr that's what.

If you calculate per hour actually charged out on a job, it's more like $45/hr.

Once you add in rent (often several $1000s per month) plus equipment & the biggest hidden costs of all, insurance & software upgrades to scanners (usually 4 or 5 of those). At $120-$140 per hour the owner would be better off going fishing, at least then he could eat on a daily basis.

I might add these are Sydney costs , where the median house price for whole greater Sydney area is over $1.1 million & in my suburb, closer to $1.5 million.

Dr Terry

My rent costs me $2400/month for 280m2 factory, its enough for 3 workbays.

[Dash_XR]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Those who bash unions are generally those who have never had an employer happily ride roughshod over their rights and conditions at work...like mine who has recently just cancelled our workplace agreements because they had a lot of "awkward" things in them like sensible rostering practices and certainty about our hours of work..."not competitive in the modern world", don'tcha know...and the Fair Work commission happily agreed with them and scrapped our perfectly legal enterprise agreements, just like that.

Which, neatly, has set a precedent for every other workplace in the country with an agreement in place...all the boss has to do is whine sufficiently well to the commission and they will just tear up and throw out the workers long held rights and conditions.

But yeah, who needs unions these days...it's all peachy keen and friendly and fluffy in industrial relations, right?

Right...?


ANYWAY...cost of servicing. Even a small corner service guy will charge pretty big hourly rates, especially for newer stuff, as will big dealerships.

That's the glossy version they like to portray but in reality they'll throw you under a bus just as quick as an employer will, maybe even quicker if they have a mate that wants your job.

Reason the US car industry has lasted so long is probably because it doesn't have a union big enough to run it into the ground?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dash_XR

That's the glossy version they like to portray but in reality they'll throw you under a bus just as quick as an employer will, maybe even quicker if they have a mate that wants your job.

Reason the US car industry has lasted so long is probably because it doesn't have a union big enough to run it into the ground?

Maybe because they have a market 10x and more the size of ours, and they don't have a production facility in the region which can pump out 400,000+ cars vs the 60,000 ours could at max capacity which they have a free trade agreement signed with.

[Dash_XR]

I think the government will always keep pumping money in to keep them afloat regardless.

[JG66ME]

We seem to be well off topic now
Or am I missing something?

[Elks]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I like how she says something along the lines of "you might find a cheaper truck, or a bigger seller, but not a better one.

Oh! She said truck. That's disappointing.

[FPV+fteT3]

Looks like car advice missed the memo on americanisation of the car market they still refer to a ranger as a ute can't be a misprint as they mention the ute several times in the article

The flagship 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak made its world premiere in Thailand today, bringing new levels of driver assist technologies to the ute market, wrapped in trademark aggressive styling additions.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/359179/2...trak-revealed/

Someone should slap the writer and explain truck,pickup,cab chassis to him or maybe, just maybe keep it Australian and ute it is.

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

Looks like car advice missed the memo on americanisation of the car market they still refer to a ranger as a ute can't be a misprint as they mention the ute several times in the article

The flagship 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak made its world premiere in Thailand today, bringing new levels of driver assist technologies to the ute market, wrapped in trademark aggressive styling additions.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/359179/2...trak-revealed/

Someone should slap the writer and explain truck,pickup,cab chassis to him or maybe, just maybe keep it Australian and ute it is.

I have just downloaded the official Ford of Australia brochure for the Ranger. On every page it refers to the Ranger truck. The word ute does not get a mention.

Ford gave us the ute. Now they are about to take it away.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/sbarker/My%20Documents/Downloads/1248888642567.pdf

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

I have just downloaded the official Ford of Australia brochure for the Ranger. On every page it refers to the Ranger truck. The word ute does not get a mention.

Ford gave us the ute. Now they are about to take it away.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/sbarker/My%20Documents/Downloads/1248888642567.pdf

Who said Ford gave us the ute?

[Harrison]

Looks like they've come to the conclusion that we, the people, want 'trucks' these days -

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/n...06-100yu2.html


So that's what we're getting...

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Who said Ford gave us the ute?

Ford did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ute_(vehicle)

The worlds' first "Closed Cab" Pickup truck was developed by Henry Ford in 1928, and whilst the Ford Model A (1927–1931) Roadster Pickup was produced in the United States from 6 years earlier, Ford is claimed to be the first company to produce an Australian "ute".[4] This was the result of a 1932 letter from the unnamed wife of a farmer in Victoria, Australia asking for “a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays”.[4] In response, Ford designer Lew Bandt developed the ute and the model called a "coupe utility" at the time was released in 1934.[4] When the Australian version was displayed in the US Henry Ford Nicknamed it the "Kangaroo Chaser". A convertible version, known as the roadster utility was produced in limited numbers by Ford in the 1930s

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Elks

Oh! She said truck. That's disappointing.

I dunno man, I don't find her attractive.

Maybe because I have unrealistic expectations from watching too much porn

[Harrison]

You could be onto something there bloke.


Online pornographic car ads....


"A year's supply of Viagra with every new Ford Big Daddy"


Should get the punters in.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Those who bash unions are generally those who have never had an employer happily ride roughshod over their rights and conditions at work...like mine who has recently just cancelled our workplace agreements because they had a lot of "awkward" things in them like sensible rostering practices and certainty about our hours of work..."not competitive in the modern world", don'tcha know...and the Fair Work commission happily agreed with them and scrapped our perfectly legal enterprise agreements, just like that.

Which, neatly, has set a precedent for every other workplace in the country with an agreement in place...all the boss has to do is whine sufficiently well to the commission and they will just tear up and throw out the workers long held rights and conditions.

But yeah, who needs unions these days...it's all peachy keen and friendly and fluffy in industrial relations, right?

Right...?


ANYWAY...cost of servicing. Even a small corner service guy will charge pretty big hourly rates, especially for newer stuff, as will big dealerships.

You work for Aurizon by any chance ?

[Elks]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Who said Ford gave us the ute?

History. As per post above. Google "Lew Bandt utility"

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

My rent costs me $2400/month for 280m2 factory, its enough for 3 workbays.

$600 per week!!

Is that in Sydney, anywhere within 30km of the CBD ?

Dr Terry

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I dunno man, I don't find her attractive.

Neither do I.

I just hate her face sooo much!

Could be just because of what she says.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

$600 per week!!

Is that in Sydney, anywhere within 30km of the CBD ?

Dr Terry

I believe that under his avatar it says Country Vic.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by Elks

History. As per post above. Google "Lew Bandt utility"

I don't know if it was Ford or not but there were definitely cars with utility trays at the back way before 1934. Not an Australian "invention" at all.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

$600 per week!!

Is that in Sydney, anywhere within 30km of the CBD ?

Dr Terry

Macedon Ranges in Vic, about 50km out of Melbourne.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by MrZ

I don't know if it was Ford or not but there were definitely cars with utility trays at the back way before 1934. Not an Australian "invention" at all.

This is what the original conversation was all about.

A cab with a separate tray is not a UTE.

The world's first true ute (coupe utility) was invented by Lew Bandt working for Ford Australia as part of the 1934 range. It was unique in that the body & tray were one.

All tray backs prior to that were pick-up trucks, i.e. they had a separate tray.

Dr Terry

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Macedon Ranges in Vic, about 50km out of Melbourne.

Commercial rent in the Sydney area is absurdly expensive, compared to anywhere else in Australia. Also, local councils hate approving premises for workshop use, they don't like 'dirty' industries.

Dr Terry

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

This is what the original conversation was all about.

A cab with a separate tray is not a UTE.

The world's first true ute (coupe utility) was invented by Lew Bandt working for Ford Australia as part of the 1934 range. It was unique in that the body & tray were one.

All tray backs prior to that were pick-up trucks, i.e. they had a separate tray.

Dr Terry

Oh la di da... a tray that isn't completely integrated into the body - what a tragedy. Couldn't this bored farmer's wife have got her hubby to buy a Ford Model A pickup instead? Would it have been so tragic, especially in the middle of the great depression when few people could afford new cars at all?? Sounds like a concocted story to me.

[Harrison]

Isn't this about the traditional Australian words used to describe certain vehicles Terry ?

Who cares about precise definitions ffs ? I've worked in a wide varuety of industries in various locations around this vast brown land and in all of them, didn't matter if it was a trayback, pickup, styleside, wellback, stepside, dual cab, extra cab or single cab, it was a ute.


That's what Aussies call them.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Oh la di da... a tray that isn't completely integrated into the body - what a tragedy. Couldn't this bored farmer's wife have got her hubby to buy a Ford Model A pickup instead? Would it have been so tragic, especially in the middle of the great depression when few people could afford new cars at all?? Sounds like a concocted story to me.

Both Ford and GMH tell of a story about a bank manager knocking back a loan on a sedan, on account it was not capable of assisting in the farm production process.
And bingo that was the green light for what was called the coupe ute.
That we now mainly just generally call utes nowadays.

GMH made a 1934 Bedford BXC Coupe Utility and a 1934 Chevrolet Coupe Utility.

The fact is that if you can take the back off or on like a AU Falcon, it is in fact a Pick-up Utility and the XK Falcon to XH is a Coupe Utility.

The fact is that before 1934 they were all Pick-up Utility's or Roadster Pick-up's, but no Coupe Utes until 1934.

And one thing is, that they could not afford a sedan, but needed such a thing.
And another thing is that back in the day, cars and utes were in short supply in Australia.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Harrison

You could be onto something there bloke.


Online pornographic car ads....


"A year's supply of Viagra with every new Ford Big Daddy"


Should get the punters in.

Well, at least you can rightfully say you have blue running through your veins I guess....

[39ClevoUte]

Yes the coupe ute was ours. Except from 61-72 (roughly) every Aus Ford ute has been coupe based or styled.
Pickups and roadster pickups etc have very tight cabs. Designed for max carrying capacity and not for driver comfort.
King cabs replace Coupe utes I guess.

Also of interest is US in early days used same cab for pickups and trucks. Where as we had the "car based" coupe ute and used US pickup/truck bodies for our trucks.
Attached Aus 55 Coupe ute and US 55

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

This is what the original conversation was all about.

A cab with a separate tray is not a UTE.

So to be really pedantic you could say that the Fords in the V8 Utes category are not really utes, as the tray/bucket is separate from the cab. Whereas the Commodore's are all one piece?