Lew Bandt Ute

Lew Bandt's dedication had an enormous impact on the everyday life of the 'ordinary' Australian. Moreover, Lew's design of the ute had an enormous impact on the owners of many car owners across the globe. Who would have thought that combining a car with commercial vehicle would have such an impact on global car design!

The Lew bandt ute was re-built by a dedicated band of enthsiatists from The early ford V8 Club Victoria following an unfortunate accident which resulted in Lew's death. We hope to bring you detailed pictures of the rebuild over the coming months.

The lovingly re-built  ute was handed over to Ford Australia in a touching ceremony. Ford Australia then immediately passed the ute to Lew's family. The ceremony is recorded on video for those interested.

Vivienne reveals a man's life without a trace of self aggrandisement, but worthy of respect. Why then, has his talent been largely overlooked....

Beaut Ute

By Vivienne Worthington

Bystanders are startled by the deafening growl of a V8 engine as it takes off at the lights. The motor of the glossy utility responds to the first touch of the accelerator. It almost rears up as it pulls away with a loud screech, amid a
cloud of burning rubber, and a flash of mag wheels. Cool graphics attract attention, as the ute cruises by with the stereo throbbing.

How many know the story of the first coupe utility vehicle designed by Lewis Bandt and built at Ford, Geelong? Lewis Thornett Bandt was a private man and little is written about his life, but what is known is intriguing. The young engineer, with his natural artistic ability for design, fitted into an industry of vehicle manufacture still in its infancy in Australia. He worked in the design department of Ford, Australia where he was given a letter. The letter had been sent to Hubert French, the Managing Director of Ford, from a Victorian farmer’s wife asking why there was nothing available between a truck and a passenger sedan.

Banks would only give small farmers a loan for a truck used on the farm. They couldn’t afford the expense of two vehicles, so the farmer’s wife suggested Ford consider producing a type of dual-purpose motor car to serve all their needs. It would be suitable to take the family to church on Sunday, but mean they would not require a trailer to take animals to market on Monday.

The letter eventually came to the plant superintendent who gave it to 22-year-old Lewis. He went home with ideas for the new design going round in his head. Bandt planned to design a new vehicle using the Model 40 V8 two-door coupe. He would modify the design to include a weatherproof cabin for the farmer’s wife on Sunday, and a strong deep tray with a drop down tailgate for easy loading and unloading of stock on Monday. Lewis remarked, ‘Those pigs are going to have a luxury ride!’

Now he needed to get the idea on the drawing board. He did not require the full specifications yet, so long as he could portray his design to the bosses. Lewis worked hard on the preliminary drawings for his radical plan. The bosses met his depictions with enthusiasm, and the plant superintendent ordered two prototypes. From these the project went ahead, and the famous Ford coupe utility was born! The first order for 500 went into production in 1934. The launch of the vehicle was greeted with overwhelming fervour.

It projected the Australian motor industry onto the world stage. This new vehicle not only put the Ford Motor Company of Australia on the map, but Geelong as well. Reports of the innovation reached the ears of Henry Ford at the company’s head office in Detroit. Lewis got a surprise on top of the acclaim he received for his new ‘farmer’s friend’. He was summoned to America to present his coupe utility to Henry Ford himself. ‘Henry dubbed it the ‘kangaroo chaser’ and instructed his designers to build similar models for the US market,’ says Adrian Ryan, Ford archivist.

Lewis Bandt returned to Geelong, and headed Ford’s design department for many years. He was responsible for numerous automotive designs in his 48 years of service to the company. After he retired, he searched until he found an original 1934 coupe utility.

He restored it using his artistic flair to decorate the vehicle with paintings of Australian birds and animals on the rear and side panels. He registered it with number plate UT 001.

For many years Lewis could be seen commuting between Airey’s Inlet and Geelong in his beloved vehicle. In  February 1987, he was filming a television clip for the Australian Bicentennial celebrations on location. Returning from this event he was involved in an accident and tragically killed. The narrative of the utility, however, does not end there.

Members of The Early Ford V8 Club Victoria were commissioned to reconstruct and restore the Lew Bandt coupe utility to full running order. After two years work by dedicated club members in the early 1990s, it was left with the original UT 001 plates on the vehicle, for display at the Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong. However, the original blue duco and colourful artistry including a map of Australia were never replicated. Instead it is painted a
light beige.

Lewis probably never imagined that years after his death people would be so proud of their utilities, that they would copy his idea and take it to the n^th degree. Now they decorate them and compete for the title of ‘Ute of the
Year’, in musters all over Australia. Seventy-five years after Lewis designed the great Australian coupe utility, it has become a cult among people in every state.

Musters are held where ute owners compete for awards in various sections. There are prizes for the best decorated ute, or the ute with the most unusual finish. Enthusiasts employ specialist auto-artists to airbrush fantastic tongues of flame along the sides. Stunning works of art, depicting bush or desert scenes on the bodies, vie for attention with cartoons or raunchy slogans, each vividly displayed because aficionados want their ute to stand out from the crowd.

Time, money and effort go into customising and presenting these striking vehicles. The more unusual the paint and graphics, and more sophisticated the sound system, the extra impression they hope to make on the judges. Some of the upholstery competes with the interior design of a millionaire’s jet. The modifications made are vital when utility owners gather at musters to compete. The ute has come a long way from its humble beginnings.

There is something about the utility that appeals to the psyche of Aussies all over the country. There are even contests for the owner who has travelled the most kilometres to compete. Determined to have a great weekend, they come from far and wide to take part in rodeo events. At night they watch showcase spectaculars by Australia’s top music makers singing the praises of country life.

The story of Lewis Bandt, the young genius from Geelong, and his coupe utility design, is not finished yet. The unbelievable popularity of his grand Australian design has led to the establishment of a cult beyond anyone’s
wildest imagining. Farmers of all ages, tradespeople, and enthusiasts continue to worship their utes to this day. Competing in musters adds an extra dimension to the gratification of being a ute owner.

Story reproduced with the gracious permission of Vivienne Worthington.