dazza
The website is right, Lewis Brandt did in fact come up with the simple expedient of joining the coupe cabin to the ute rear, but he joined two bodies that were already in production, to make a combination that had not been previously produced.

The 1934 model Fords were, like most of the US auto industry' merely facelifted cars, so it was no problem to use the existing rear from the 1933 roadster ute. Ford Australia could not have done this before 1934 because they did not have a coupe body in production in Australia. They had sold the "sport coupe", a coupe-like car that had a fixed, or non folding, fabric top. Ford US discontinued this body style after 1932, so for '33 Ford Australia came up with a version that had a steel top back to the pillar [from the sedan] & a fixed fabric rear portion. They developed the rear part of the roof during 1933 for the '34 model.
So it can be claimed that Ford Australia came up with the "coupe utility" but they did not invent the basic ute body design.

I have been around old cars since i was a small boy when my father, along with two others, formed the veteran car club of Australia in 1954. Since that time i have owned, touched, & seen a lot of things, including the 1924 Chev ute ad. My interest in utes was further increased when i came to own a 1924 Dodge ute. It had a Holden body tag on it.

Back in the 70's there were still a lot of the old timers around who had worked in the motor industry since the twenties, some of whom still worked the parts counters of the dealerships that i visited, some were friends of my father, & later, my stepfather. To a man, they were all happy to pass on everything they knew to the young bloke that showed an interest in the cars of their youth that they knew & loved so well, so i got to learn many things during the last forty years or so.
I would particularly seek out anyone who had worked for Harden & Jonstone, the NSW Dodge distributors. This company actually built the cars up from components that arrived in crates, & some of their photo collections were a source of much knowledge & joy.

I have had the dubious pleasure of driving a '34 Ford coupe ute, a '36 Ford roadster ute [they made them for years after '34] & a 29 Ford ute, along with one or two other makes. I have seen the derelict remains of many more, both factory types, as well as "Riverina chop & channel" utes. [Cars converted into commercials on the farm.]

As we pass through life, we aquire many things, & for me, the history of the great Aussie ute has been one of them as i have a strong interest in Aussie automotive achievements.

I am surprised that the picture does not show up as it does on my computer. I have reduced the size of the pic & re submited it. Please let me know if it works or not.