Very interesting post over on the Ford Barn about Australian "freighters".
Australian Ford Freighters - The Ford Barn

(you may need to be registered to see the pics)

Here is an example. Note how deep the bed is. Surprisingly, these were not common, most were sold as flatbeds. A very sleek design!

 

That is neat looking. Notice the bed with that tailgate looks like the traditional Australian Ute, only larger in size. Notice also the parking lights or turn signals in the front fenders.

 

Thank you Ross, for bringing it over to FTE for us to enjoy. Pretty cool.

 

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

To be clear, they were ALL called Freighters (not F1s) in Australia.


That appears to be a sliced and diced ute bed......


I've seen 'styleside' beds before, but not one of these.


In Australia, history on these trucks is thin, and many are tempted to fill in gaps themselves, then promote them as facts.....

 

Did you read Mercman's posts on the Ford Barn?

 

Yes......I thought it might illuminate some of the history, but not so much...

 

Very cool. I read the part where they said they cut the rear fenders to accommodate the wider beds. Those rear fenders look more like F-2 fenders to me.

 

I see what you're saying about them all being called Freighters, he is saying the same thing. The bed is what's unique, being a Wide Pickup Bed, apparently not real popular in AU and not used elsewhere.

For those who can't see the pics over on the Barn, here is a '61 sales brochure with the same type of bed. Note it is almost 5 ft wide.

 

Those beds were used plenty in Australia.......on UTES, but not on 'pick ups'...which were nearly all farm trucks in the 50s. By the early 60s, Aussie manufacturing was in full effect via multiple brands, and mainly Ford American pickups were used as heavier duty city rigs, such as bricklayers/construction/cementers, etc, not to mention prodigious use as Ambulances.


The same ute bed was used up until the late 50s, going back to 1937 or so, judging by the common top extrusion.
That's why I say the one on FordBarn doesn't look original....the way it wraps around at the bottom below the tailgate does not look original, hence my suspicion that it is either a "coach built when new" (very common in early Australia - even by Dealerships) or custom built by someone in their shed between the 70s and now.

 

Aussie Icon-- The UTE | The H.A.M.B.