Basic utility vehicle

Greek financier Peter Kondorgouris began producing a small utility vehicle called the Farmobil, based on a 1957 design by Wilfried Fahr of Switzerland.

Basic utility vehicles were developed by Ford and GM specifically for sale in East Asia, with the intent of opening new markets there and in Africa.

Dutch DAF developed a stillborn competitor for this field, the 1972 BATU (Basic Automotive Transport Unit)[2] General Motors' BTV effort was sold under a variety of different names and used the Vauxhall Viva's underpinnings and 1256 cc inline-four engine.

It was marketed as the GM Amigo, Andino (Ecuador), Chato (Guatemala), Cherito (El Salvador), Compadre (Honduras), Mitaí (Paraguay), and Bedford Harimau ("Tiger", Malaysia).

Those include the Ford Fiera (later known as Nissan Bida), Isuzu KC 20, Mitsubishi Cimarron, and the GM Harabas (made by General Motors).

One thing that unites the various Basic Utility Vehicles of this era is that they used almost exclusively flat, welded sheetmetal, giving them a certain uniformity of appearance.

Because the BUV must account for a lack of infrastructure, the vehicles must pass a variety of tests during the competition including an obstacle course, mud pit, mogul field, and endurance track.