Some of these regulations are enough to make many semi-truck drivers {tank drivers?} cringe. Large pickup trucks have gotten bigger in size over time – some newer models are even larger than the typical big trucks seen in the past.
Today’s massive pickup trucks dominate the roads, but back in the day, drivers had a semi-truck alternative: a car chassis paired with a truck bed. Though probably the most sensible and ambitious car-truck hybrids ever designed, they were hardly a dime a dozen. Nonetheless, they weren’t completely unusual either.
Although hybrid cars and trucks have taken a backseat in modern automotive trends, they still have a place in history. Let’s take a nostalgic drive down memory lane and explore some of the most unusual and iconic car/truck combinations that ever hit the roads, like the legendary Chevrolet El Camino and the peculiarly named Suzuki Mighty Boy.
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Ford Coupe Ute
The concept of a pickup truck evolved in a time when the lines between passenger cars and trucks were hazy. Since early vehicles were fairly simple, there were hardly any noticeable differences between those designed for passengers and those designed for hauling cargo. The Ford Model T pickup closely resembled its passenger-based cousin and played a pivotal role in the development of car/truck hybrids. Nonetheless, the first true car/truck hybrid originated from Australia in the 1930s.
The birthplace of the vehicle is Australia, where a vehicle was developed that combined the advantages of a car and a pickup truck. This vehicle catered to the needs of rural families, driven by a pioneer for this type of vehicle, a rural housewife’s letter to Ford Australia in 1933.
Lew Bandt, an automotive designer, took the customer’s concept to heart and worked tirelessly to bring it to life. The result was a two-door coupe with a steel bed instead of rear seats, resembling a classic five-window Ford coupe. It became incredibly popular in Australia, selling over 20,000 units from 1940 to 1954, and marked the start of the coupe utility vehicle market. The concept soon caught on globally, with various countries adapting and innovating their own versions.
Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18
Henry Ford brought the term “pickup truck” into American language with the Model T, and Australians called it the ute with a five-window coupe, but Ford wasn’t the only brand experimenting with this vehicle configuration.
Pardon, but we’re actually more intrigued by the Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18 than any other.
What kind of aircraft is the Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18? In 1943, the aircraft was in production as a twin-engine bomber which was mostly unarmed.
Armstrong Siddely was famous for designing and manufacturing high-end vehicles in addition to their aero products. The company’s inaugural car model was a 30 horsepower model, accompanied by two smaller, more low-powered models with 14 and 18 horsepower.
Between 1949 and 1953, the Armstrong Siddely Whitley 18 came equipped with an uncommon configuration: a small cargo bed attached to the back of a striking, curved cockpit that seemed almost oversized in comparison. Propelled by a 2.3-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing a modest 18 horsepower, the Siddely Whitley would have been no speedster. Nonetheless, its unusual design is what makes it stand out on our list of classic cars, each with an extra feature in the rear.
Austin A40
Brooks Stevens’ 1938 Austin travel website isn’t known for much about Austin’s early days, but its history actually goes back a lot further than you might think. Austin was founded by Herbert Austin, who had British roots, all the way back in 1905.
In the mid-1940s, Austin’s low-powered Eight, Ten, and Twelve models, each named for its engine horsepower, were due for an upgrade. The Austin A40 Devon, a four-door sedan, and its two-door counterpart, known as the A40 Dorset, were introduced in 1947.
Austin upscaled the Dorset by swapping the rear end with a spacious pickup bed, with an impressive 40 horses pulling at the reins. A quick glance at the design reveals that beneath its classic truck-like appearance, the Dorset’s roots lie in a car-truck hybrid prototype.
The original 1956 model was discontinued, and the A40 continued until it was also phased out 10 years later, in 1967.
Subaru Brat
There’s no substitution for a poorly contrived acronym, and Subaru pushed it to the extreme with the Bi-Drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter. Subaru found a place for itself in the market with its reputation for building rugged, adventurous transporters, and the Brat squarely fits into that category.
The Brat’s 67-95 horsepower motor doesn’t make it a prime candidate for pulling heavy loads, but it’s never been about brute strength – its unique two-seater design with a pickup bed makes it a stylish choice.
This European-designed car was designed for export to other markets, and it made it to roads in Europe, Latin America, Oceania, and North America, although not all regions referred to it as the “Brat.” It also went by other names, including the Targa, Shifter, MV, and Brumby.
The United States started importing the Brat in 1979, the same year it was first introduced, but they stopped doing so in 1987. Meanwhile, other countries continued to enjoy the Brat until its production ended in 1994. The Brat’s awkward name aside, its unique style is undeniable.
Suzuki Mighty Boy
Let’s talk about Japanese exports with unusual names, such as the Suzuki Mighty Boy, a car and pickup. After World War II, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry concocted a plan to boost manufacturing by offering tax incentives and reduced registration fees to drivers of vehicles under a certain size and engine capacity.
In the United States, Japanese manufacturer Suzuki set out to create vehicles that meet these stringent regulations by fully embracing their development.
Suzuki’s Mighty Boy stood out in the kei car lineup, first introduced in 1983. Back then, it came with a three-cylinder engine that gave off 30 horsepower. Possibly the most distinctive aspect of this vehicle was its small size; its truck bed was actually smaller than its cockpit and hood combined. Even if it wasn’t really built for farming or heavy construction, the Mighty Boy was well-suited for navigating Japan’s narrow urban streets while still being able to carry a decent amount of cargo in its bed.
In the late 1980s, Suzuki began exporting the Mighty Boy to countries including Australia and Cyprus, but the model ultimately had a brief lifespan, ceasing production after just five years in 1988.
Chevrolet El Camino
No compilation of vintage vehicles with truck beds is comprehensive without the Chevrolet El Camino. Often considered the most renowned car/truck crossover ever made. The El Camino is more than just a novelty; it’s a genuine classic auto.
The first El Camino debuted in 1959, marking a shift away from utilitarian trucks towards more comfortable vehicles suitable for everyday driving. This was part of a larger trend, following the 1957 introduction of the Ford Ranchero. Although the first-generation El Camino had a short life, lasting only through the 1960 model year, Chevrolet revived the model in 1964.
Over the next few years, Chevrolet devoted significant resources to its El Camino line. By the time the third generation rolled off the assembly line between 1968 and 1972, it had become an iconic vehicle. Despite the inclusion of a pickup bed, the third-generation El Camino is often considered among the most iconic high-performance cars of its time.
Although best known for its sporty muscle history, the Chevrolet El Camino actually lived on for another 17 years before its production ended with the final model year in 1987.
The El Camino’s status as a unique automobile, a blend of car and truck, is well-deserved and widely recognized.
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero often gets overlooked as a pioneering American vehicle that combines elements of a car and a truck, despite being introduced two years before the more famous GM counterpart, the El Camino.
The Ranchero was pitched as a novel automobile concept, but in reality, it was devised by Australian designer Lew Brandt, who is also behind the Ute. The vehicle’s popularity in Australia gave Ford a strong indication that this design might resonate with American car buyers.
In 1957 Ford introduced the Ranchero in North America, with its model built on a station wagon chassis. The initial version of the Ranchero was available with 3.6-, 4.8-, and 5.8-liter engine options. By the year 1960, Ford shifted the design foundation of the Ranchero from the original station wagon to the more compact Falcon chassis.
The production run of the second generation of the Ranchero lasted for five years, which is the longest of its kind in the vehicle’s history. Over this period, Ford made ongoing design changes, eventually leading to a total of seven generations. This was a longer lifespan than the third generation, which was produced for just one year, from 1966 to 1967. Ford discontinued the production of the Ranchero in 1979, a full eight years before it decided to stop making its sister model, the El Camino.
Chevrolet SSR
The two-seater, open-wheel sports car the public wasn’t clamoring for? Following the misstep of Chrysler’s ill-advised throwback, Chevrolet attempted a comparable move.
The Chevrolet SSR sat at the intersection of classic ’30s pickup design, a car-like cabin, and a powerful V8 engine. This two-seat roadster pickup boasted a Vortec V8 capable of producing 300 horsepower, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in under eight seconds and clock a 15-second quarter mile, making it quite impressive for its time. It was undeniably a head-turner.
The SSR’s limited seating and high price of around $41,000 ($70,000 by 2025) hindered its success in the market. It was too pricey to withstand rough treatment on a construction site and too vehicle-like to be truly practical as a truck, and it only accommodated a single passenger. This might be why Chevrolet only produced it for three years, between 2003 and 2006.
The resale value of the SSR on the used market serves as an indicator of its popularity. A used price point of around $28,000 suggests it hasn’t yet reached the iconic status the company envisioned for it, at least not just yet.
Chrysler Valiant Ute
Wanting to keep pace with Ford and General Motors, Chrysler also entered the car/truck hybrid market. Since Ford and Chevrolet were dominating the market in the US with the Ranchero and El Camino models, Chrysler instead looked to Australia, a nation that favors utility vehicles, to try out its own car/truck hybrid.
Based on the Plymouth Valiant, the Chrysler Valiant Ute never made it to the US market, but it quickly gained popularity in Australia. Known as the Valiant Wayfarer Utility when it was first introduced in 1965, the original versions are extremely scarce, and only about 4,500 of them were produced.
After the initial build, Chrysler continued to manufacture nearly 15,000 more combined car/truck hybrids in the mid-1970s. The Valiant Ute was never imported to North America, so finding one driving on US roads or in an American junkyard suggests that it was individually brought in by a buyer.
Proton Jumbuck
Malaysia, Australia’s neighboring country, entered the ute market in the 2000s with the very appropriately named Proton Jumbuck.
The Jumbuck was a multi-purpose vehicle, a mix of a compact car and a pickup truck, accommodating two passengers and a large cargo bed, well-suited for typical construction jobs.
The Jumbuck, equipped with a 1.5-liter Mitsubishi engine, produced 85 horsepower and featured a compact design. Although not as large as American hybrids, this vehicle qualified as a utility vehicle in certain countries where such vehicles received tax and fee advantages, earning it comparison to utility vehicles like the Subaru Brat and Suzuki Mighty Boy.
Proton built the Jumbuck from 2002 to 2011, shipping it to several countries, including Australia, Taiwan, and the UK. Unfortunately, exports halted after it received a low rating in crash tests conducted by the Australian New Car Assessment Program.
Cadillac Mirage
Here’s a largely unknown tidbit: America’s premium brand, Cadillac, experimented with hybrid cars, specifically the Cadillac Mirage, which was so fleet that it’s almost as if it was a fleeting illusion.
In the US in 1975, while the car-truck hybrid trend was on the rise, Cadillac’s high-end options were noticeably absent from the market, as Ford and Chevrolet dominated the market with their offerings. Renowned custom car builder Gene Winfield decided to address this apparent oversight by taking a standard 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville with its long 130-inch wheelbase and transforming it into a unique vehicle with a pickup truck bed, creating a luxurious and exclusive ride. Whatever intuition or vision led Cadillac to grant permission for this innovative project has been lost to memory, but its execution proved to be a fortunate decision.
Traditional Coach Works, based in Chatsworth, California, and founded by Winfield, converted over 200 original 1975 and 1976 model Coupe de Ville Cadillacs into pick-up trucks with Cadillac’s approval. The cost to make this change was a whopping $9,000. Given the car’s original base price of $8,600, buyers had to be serious about their desire for a pickup Cadillac, willing to spend nearly the entire cost of the car on the conversion alone. The trucks were only made from 1975 to 1976, after which this model was no longer produced.
BMW M3 Pickup
This is quite a surprise coming from BMW. While they’re famous for many things, building pickup trucks isn’t one of them. But surprisingly, the company has developed two pickup trucks based on its highly-reputable vehicles.
In 2011, BMW entrusted its graduate engineers and apprentice workers with building a custom pickup truck concept. By modifying an E30 convertible, they added a pickup bed to the rear and equipped it with the high-performance engine used in the M3 model.
BMW unveiled the M3 pickup on April Fools’ Day in 2011, along with the M3 Coupe, M3 Convertible, and M3 Sedan. The reveal of the pickup caused a big stir in the automotive industry, leaving many to question whether it was a mischievous April Fools’ joke.
It was a case of April Fool’s Day gone well for BMW. The M3 pickup was never meant to be taken seriously, just a lighthearted joke on the company’s part. However, the two prototypes that came out of this tongue-in-cheek stunt garnered surprisingly favorable reviews. Those who were lucky enough to take one of them for a spin deemed them an exhilarating and refreshing addition to the BMW lineup.
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