Utes have come in all shapes and sizes, from the whopping 5-metre long Holden Crewman to the array of small Asian models.

They are worshipped at their own muster at Deniliquin every year and put to work and play in both the country and now in the city.

Sydney's David Falzon is one of the devoted. He has owned five different Datsun/Nissan 1200 utes and says he has finally settled on the one he's going to keep. His 1985 Nissan 50th anniversary model has had a relatively protected life. When he bought it 18 months ago it was a one-owner still in good original condition.

"[They] only used it to go down to the tennis club. It's only tennis rackets in the back," Falzon says. But at least it got driven, clocking up about 60,000km. Falzon has spent several thousand dollars sprucing up the car to ensure it is now in excellent original condition. So much so that he won't drive it in case it gets damaged.

"I've never driven the car. It's a shame that I can't drive it, but I don't want to get stone chips on the bottom. "It's not registered. The plan is to keep it in storage," he says.

Falzon says he has received a considerable offer ($30,000) to buy it but he won't sell. He says he has been a fan of the little utes for years. "I've always loved them. It's small, it's compact. I've had five of them. I said to my wife the next one I buy will be the one I keep. "And this one has got no rust."

Falzon says he bought the car in fair condition. Since then he sourced many new parts, some from Japan, to restore the car. "It just needed sprucing up." It has also been repainted in a striking coat of its original red.

Falzon says the utes were popular in their day, outselling the equivalent Datsun/Nissan sedan model. "They were very popular. They were the best seller out of the 1200 models," he says. As new in 1985 the two-door ute sold for $7865 and was powered by an 1171cc four-cylinder engine. It weighed only 1320kg.

They have proven favourites with street car modifiers over the years with many receiving far more powerful engines transplanted into the lightweight chassis.

The Nissan 1200 ute was first seen in Australia back in 1971 when it wore a Datsun badge. That car was imported from Japan with the same size engine as the last cars 14 years later.