Rare Australian 1950 Ford Prefect E493A Pickup Utility "UTE" RH Drive No Reserve

At age 73 and after a second heart attack I guess it's time to "downsize”. No reserve sale. No games. This truck has been a labor of love for 8 years and I hate to see it go.

Are you the type of car person who wants to be unique. The car cruises feature the same old selection of cars and trucks. I GUARANTEE you'll be the only one there that really stands out because I believe this 1950 Ford Prefect Ute might be the only one of it's kind on the road in the United States. Wherever you take this people just stop and stare and take pictures. Most have no idea what it is. It would also make a great display vehicle for a Ford dealer. Maybe it'll go back to Australia where it started.

It is NOT a hot rod. It originally was an Australian farm truck and that's how I kept it. Books say about 1300 plus were made in Australia between 1949 and 1953. There are maybe 50 of these scattered down under. I know of one other in the United States but it is not put together. The original 20 HP side valve motor couldn't make it up Pennsylvania hills. It now has a 1975 Triumph 1500 cc motor that makes about 80 HP. Matching 4 speed transmission and coupled to an MG rear end. It can hold it's own but it's not a speed demon. Sounds quiet and runs great also.

Installation of a new wiring harness made this 12 volt. All new gauges were added. The interior has new carpeting, seat belts and the seats and headliner are in great condition. I added turn signals (car had none) and, if you'll notice, the clutch and brake pedals were elevated and taken off the floor. The seat moved back gives plenty of room (I'm 6 foot 2) and the steering wheel was changed to a smaller sportier version. The original steering wheel will be sent to you with the car if you buy this. Also an extra windshield and some other parts that I have here.

The car's wood undercarriage (like many old cars) is in fine condition. Original muffler working fine also. Vehicle has 4 brand new Coker 560 x 16 whitewall RADIAL tires (with tubes) on it's original wheels. The old mechanical brakes have been changed to hydraulic versions. There has been a lot of fabrication done to make all this work.

Originally the truck had one tail light. Rear end was reworked a bit to add a second.

The blue enamel paint is not perfect but is very nice. As of this writing it has been wet sanded and buffed out and looks great. The bed area has recently been all sanded and repainted I sanded down the Australian pine floor bed and put a number of polyurethane coats on it.

The 8 gallon gas tank sits under the bed and you add gas there, (see photo) not on the side.

This is actually the Deluxe model because it has ONE sun visor. It has neither a heater nor a radio. Those are after market items to be added if you wish. It also does not have power steering.

Neat features are a wind shield that opens out for fresh air, a great hood ornament and the Australian license plate which comes with the car. Custom made black tonneau cover over the bed.

In many ways this is relatively new. New kingpins, new motor mounts, radiator is like new, new upgraded head lights, new rubber on the running boards, rear window rubber changed, much more. New fuel pump, battery, gaskets, fuse box, switches and more.

This was made with TEN rear leaf springs. I removed three. Still has a strong seven left.

There has been less than 25 miles put on this right-hand drive truck after all this work.

Since this has never seen the rain I never got around to fixing the windshield wipers. You could do aftermarket ones if you so desire. Again I repeat no power steering.

Dashboard is metal but has the original bakelite style paint. See all the photos for more neat stuff.

This utility vehicle ("Ute”) has been garage kept and has not been in the rain or snow. I am very accommodating as to your shipping or picking it up. Foreign sales welcome. As with many vehicles I won't recoup all the money I spent on this but I'm 73 and have too many cars. This is a very unique vehicle and it draws people like you wouldn't believe. It literally stops traffic as hardly anyone knows what make vehicle it is. Always wins trophies at shows and wins Peoples Choice awards also, In Australia you see these but not in the United States. Moms and kids like it also because of the "Little Blue Truck" series. Lots of folks will ask if they can have their photo taken in the truck, Some pretty ladies also. At convention setting shows all the models come over and have their photo taken. It's a unique and attractive truck that most people just seem to like.

Okay: I treat my cars better than most people treat their children. Here are the negatives I can think of as I get ready to list: It is a 50's vehicle and is obviously more challenging to drive especially without power steering; I never fixed the windshield wipers because it was a "Sunday Show" type of vehicle; it's a new speedometer and I may or MAY NOT have time to calibrate it (instructions would be sent); spare is crappy; 7 remaining leaf springs are probably too many but doesn't affect your driving; don't buy this as a daily driver. I'm not selling this locally as I think it's going to leave the US. It is on Ebay worldwide. This will need a little tinkering. It's 70 years old.

Please check out the photos. I am located 6 miles north of Pittsburgh off Route 8 for viewing or pickup. Buyer pays shipping (if necessary). Truck has clear Pennsylvania title. $500 Paypal deposit upon sale. Other details in listing.

June, 2011 - Jim O'Clair

These cute little "trucks" were manufactured exclusively in Australia and derived from the 1938-'49 Ford Prefect E93A four-door saloons. The coupe utility was built from 1949-'53. Designed as a working Prefect, the unique coupe utility or "Ute" body style was crafted from the same four-door, five-passenger saloon chassis and shared the same 94-inch wheelbase. At the time, Fords sold in Australia were shipped un assembled, and then constructed at Ford's Geelong assembly plant, to save import tariff charges for assembled vehicles.

Many ranchers and farmers wanted to haul light loads inexpensively without having to pay a full-size pickup's price tag. The Ute is more business coupe than pickup, with a 5½-foot utility box and rumble seat-looking tailgate built off the rear deck and into the rear fenders. The coachwork rear body was designed in Australia, and examples elsewhere in the world are certainly imported from there.

The A493A Ute featured the same 1,172cc side-valve four-cylinder engine as the Prefect car models. The engine bore and stroke dimensions were 63.5mm x 92.45mm, and the 6.16:1 compression engine was rated at 10hp for taxation purposes, or 32 bhp @ 4,000 RPM. It generated 46-lbs.ft. of torque @ 2,400 RPM. The Prefect Ute used a three-speed gearbox and Ford single-barrel carburetor, and had very little available in the way of options. The wheels wore 500 x 16 tires; the interior was functionally spartan, with faux leather and wood, and as with all of the other 1949-'53 Prefects, used six-volt electrics and vacuum-operated wipers. Hop-up parts are available such as an Aquaplane intake manifold that accepts twin SU carburetors.