The first coupe utility (Fig. 18) followed the general design of the farmers' passenger car conversions, but introduced a styling theme and engineering improvements, which gave the vehicle some claim to use both as a respectable transport for people and goods. In latter years the coupe utility has become an established model in Australian vehicle manufacturers' ranges and with its modern refinements of power accessories etc., it is hard to recognise its humble beginnings. In a curious reverse of the normal flow of importing vehicle designs from overseas, both the U.S. multinationals of General Motors and Ford produced coupe utilities based on Australian experience in North America as distinct from the regular pickup trucks, and similar vehicles are now also manufactured in South Africa.

18 First model Ford V-8 coupe utility designed by L. T. Bandt in 1933 (photo courtesy Mr. L. T. Bandt)

A number of Australian firms became involved in the servicing and parts replacement business. In 1919 Chamberlain established the Australian Ball Bearing Company which became involved with the reconditioning of ball bearing races and developed a technique of manufacturing inner and outer cages using imported ball bearings.[17]

Repco, a major automobile supplier of both original equipment and replacement parts sales developed a number of technologically significant processes, including; bonding of aluminium-tin bearings, a unique brake bleeding pump, specialised ring gear rolling methods and cold extrusion techniques. Repco will also be remembered for its part in developing the Repco Brabham racing engine in the 1960s, which Sir Jack Brabham used with such success in international racing.

Motor car radiator cores were developed and manufactured in 1924 by Motor Radiators Pty. Ltd., and serviced the industry.

Die Casters Pty. Ltd., established in 1926 at Richmond, produced excellent quality castings for vehicles, such as door handles, door locks etc., and also supplied the industry with window winding mechanisms, windscreen wipers and blades. This firm developed and patented processes to enable moulding of plastic to metal which was an important breakthrough in the application of metal to plastic technology. During the Second World War Die Casters Pty. Ltd., manufactured defence type products including components of bomb sights, machine guns and engine parts for aircraft.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering