Creative engineering has created a ute of a different colour that combines the best of an early era with some modern upgrades that makes this ute simply unique.

The Wolseley ute came into existence because the owner wanted something different – a vehicle he could confidently leave in a parking area and know that there’d never be another one alongside.

It is styled on a concept of an Austin ute planned for Australia which never eventuated.

Hand built by gifted Perth automotive coach builder – and now retired – Mark Floyd, the ute was built on the request of a Western Australian mining identity who wanted a ute that would stand out in the crowd.

If the fact that it is based on a 1963 Wolseley doesn’t make it stand out, perhaps the distinctive ute bed with its winged tail lights might grab the eye. Or, if you hadn’t noticed, the two-tone orange and white paint that has led to it being described as the “Coates Hire” special after the livery of a prominent Australian machinery and equipment hire company.

There are many unexpected delights in this car. It is testament to the mechanical and coach work experts that turned a – in its time – highly competent and prestigious sedan into a near-new ute that has sufficient performance to pace modern traffic, survive a Perth summer crawling through a peak-hour St Georges Terrace mire and cruise effortlessly to Margaret River where, incidentally, this car previously lived.

The project started as a Wolseley 24/80 that came out of the British Motor Corporation conglomerate. The 24/80 also shared major components with the Austin Freeway MkI (1962-64) so when BMC needed a ute for Australia, it built a single Austin Freeway-based variant in the UK in 1960. It wasn’t the first ute as a similar Freeway-based version entered production for the Argentine market with a four-cylinder engine.

The Freeway-based prototype came to Australia in 1960 and after some modifications to cope with Australian road conditions and climate, began a test program.

It did not score highly and was discretely moved to become the general-purpose delivery vehicle at BMC’s factory in the Sydney suburb of Zetland. In about 1967 it was sold to a private buyer. It is believed to have been restored subsequently but has not been seen in public and has vanished. In 1968, using experience gained from the Freeway, BMC launched the Australian-built Austin 1800 ute.

The Perth Wolseley here started life as a 24/80 sedan and for the past five years, has been an exercise in creative engineering. The roof was shortened, the rear doors removed, rear quarter lights were added and the tray was added including an unusual side-swing tailgate. A marine-grade carpet lines the tray.

The cabin was completely rebuilt with the upmarket feel of the car retained in the walnut-veneered dash and door rims, Smith instruments, stitched dash, carpet and wood-rimmed steering wheel.

The colour is, er, different and together with the ute shape, makes this unique Wolseley the subject of polarising comments.

Mechanical work mixed the need to retain the car’s origins yet incorporate modern motoring aids. The car had to live in extreme temperatures, peak traffic and cope with long distances at relatively high speeds so it had to be easy to drive and reliable.

Air conditioning and power steering were deemed important. So an electric air conditioning unit was sourced and the compressor positioned in the only available space, deep under the alternator (yes, the generator was replaced).

The steering has electric-assistance via an aftermarket product. It is also hidden, while the non-original brake booster is within one front fender cavity and the air conditioner’s condenser is within the other fender.

The engine’s radiator is a heavy-duty aluminium unit to keep the six-cylinder “Blue Streak” engine – originally 2.4 litres and representing a one-and-a-half MG MGA engine, and now 2.7 litres using the bigger MGB pistons – from overheating. The gearbox has the original shifter knob showing the four-speed gear pattern but under the stick is a Nissan five-speed transmission.

So it’s a classic in the sense that most of the chassis and engine parts are original while the rest has some sympathy with the 1960s. But on the road it’s a different matter because it drives like a new car with a solid footprint and confidence-inspiring brakes and acceleration.

The electric-assist steering takes some familiarisation – there is a bit of delay between the steering wheel turn and the reaction of the front wheels – but it’s well balanced, effortless and makes the car easier to manoeuvre.

The engine is unexpectedly responsive and boasts quick acceleration, though the overhead-valve arrangement and BMC’s focus on durability and not performance places the emphasis on low engine speed torque. The gears are slick and the clutch light and positive, so it is never a threatening car to drive.

The front seats are high so the controls feel too low, though it’s certainly comfortable with plenty of room and a warming sense of old-world luxury in the yellow-faced Smiths instruments and walnut veneer gloss.

Behind the front seats is space for personal items – perhaps the mandatory ute-owner’s dog – much like the current “space cab” or “extra cab” offerings by ute makers such as Toyota and Ford.

Beneath the bed’s all-weather carpet, the varnished timber lift-up panel exposes a large tool box. The swing-out tail gate is unusual but perhaps makes loading easier.

The unique ute has the occasional outing and as an exercise in transition from an idea to reality, it is a success and a credit to its builders. And the owner sleeps easy knowing he can park at any golf course and never see a similar car. — NEIL DOWLING