Falcon Ute

Post by **madmax_00uk** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:45 am

I spotted a Falcon Ute or pick up as the UK call them the other day in town and noticed that It didn't have any Ford badges on it at all! Where they imported under another name at all?

Post by **Wrinkles** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:22 pm

They were sold here for a brief period as a Nissan. It was the XF model Falcon. (don't know about the UK though) It was back in the late 80's era of car-swapping between manufacturers - Ford Laser/Mazda 323, Ford Telstar/Mazda 626, Holden Astra/Nissan Pulsar, Nissan Patrol/Ford Maverick.

I think Nissan just marketed them as the "Nissan Ute" - no specific model designation. Don't recall what badges or decals they had on them. Depending on the model you saw, somebody could have easily had any badges removed.

Post by **March Hare** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:10 pm

...here's a link to a trio of vintage Falcon XB commercials. the second commercial features just the XB Van and the XB Ute.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sUZKBp1Bijs

Post by **bluddyangus** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:14 pm

you forgot the holden commodore/toyota lexcen vn...with ford and holden being oppositions..there should be some friction with the nissan pulsar/holden astra and nissan ute/ford xf ute or maverick..next there will be a nissan/toyobishi

Post by **RickH** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:47 pm

How about the Holden Apollo and the Toyota Camry? Almost identical!

Post by **Big Bopper Bart** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:21 pm

What about a Chevrolet truck and a GMC truck?,my god just change the emblems and you have the same truck

Post by **Wrinkles** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:59 pm

at least Chev and GMC have "family connections" like Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth (correct me if I'm wrong) ..but I always thought it was weird when Holden & Toyota or Ford & Nissan got together to share vehicles.

I'm assuming in the States that it would be like Chev releasing a re-badged Camry as one of their own.

From memory, most of these shared vehicles just had slightly different interior trim, different tail lights and not too much else.

Post by **March Hare** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:08 pm

... Both Chevy and Ford have done the re-badging here since the '70's..I remember my Grandad had a brand new '77 Chevy Luv pickup..It was realy a re-badged Isuzu..

...And Ford's first mini-pickup realesd in the states in the '70's was named the Ford Courier.. It was made by Mazda...back when these were sold the "Ranger " p-up was still a full sized F250...

Post by **Big Bopper Bart** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:33 am

Thos Luvs make bad ass drag trucks same with the early Couriers

Post by **SandmanVan** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:14 am

i owned a chev luv ute. in australia they were brought out with a isuzu motor like geminis. but it was a full chassis so i put in a 283 small block. it went better then. the xf nissan ute still had ford badge in the centre of the steering wheel and on the complaince plate