Ford Australia revealed a special edition ute at the Melbourne Motor Show - the BF Falcon XR6 Cab Chassis.

Only 300 of the new special edition models will be made, to go on sale in May.

The new ute debuted at the 2005 Sydney Motor Show, and positive public reaction to the then concept earmarked it for future production.

"We expect this vehicle will have huge appeal to people who use their ute as a workhorse, but also want a vehicle that stands apart from the crowd," said Ford Australia President, Tom Gorman.

"The XR6 Cab Chassis delivers on performance and appearance related attributes, but also allows for personalisation through the addition of a custom tray or body."

The special edition ute is designed to combine the practical capability of a cab chassis with the stylish good looks of the XR, meaning customers do not have to compromise looks for functionality.

The ute will be available as standard with half tonne XR sports suspension and 17" XR alloy wheels. For those customers requiring a heavier load capacity, a one tonne suspension option with one tonne rated 16" alloy wheels is also available at no extra cost.

Exterior treatment mirrors the XR range and includes a sports front bumper, while the interior is afforded enhancements including a liquid metallic finish on the Interior Command Centre (ICC) fascia and centre console plus soft feel grab handles with satin chrome insert.

Power is supplied by Ford's Barra 4.0 litre DOHC Dual Independent Variable Cam Timing (DIVCT) 6 cylinder engine, which delivers 190 kW of power @ 5,250 rpm and 383 Nm of torque @ 2,500rpm.

A choice of two transmissions are available with the 5-speed manual transmission being offered as standard. The optional 4-speed automatic transmission also combines Sequential Sports Shift (SSS) with Grade Control Logic.

The XR6 Cab Chassis is also certified to Euro III emission requirements, and features On Board Diagnostics (OBD).

Pricing and further specification information will be revealed closer to the on sale date.