The Club Car Carryall was the model that took the company beyond the golf course. The Carryall II appeared in 1985 as a utility vehicle for factories, college campuses and turf maintenance, grew into a whole series, and was relaunched in an updated form in 2014.
Club Car Carryall at a glance
| Maker | Club Car, Augusta, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Series started | 1985, with the Carryall II |
| First aimed at | manufacturing facilities, college campuses, golf course turf work |
| Type | commercial utility vehicle based on golf car engineering |
| How it began | golf cars modified with holding boxes and other accessories |
| Relaunch | 2014, with improved efficiency and a new line of accessories |
| Related range | XRT personal utility vehicles from 2008–2009 |
| Related vehicles | street-legal low-speed vehicles, 2009–2010 |
| Owner since 2021 | Platinum Equity |
Club Car has no separate Wikipedia article for the Carryall; this page is based on the sections about the model in the English and German articles on the company.
History of the Club Car Carryall
Club Car built its reputation on golf cars, and the first utility vehicles grew out of them almost by accident: the company began offering carts for golf courses by modifying standard golf cars with holding boxes and other accessories for heavier work. That experience led, in 1985, to a purpose-built model, the Carryall II, aimed at manufacturing facilities, college campuses and golf course operations that needed a turf utility vehicle rather than a player’s cart.
The Carryall II became the Carryall series as Club Car kept adding versions and options. The company’s move into utility vehicles was pushed further when it was merged with Bobcat inside Ingersoll Rand to form a Compact Vehicles Technology division, which expanded its range into utility and commercial vehicles alongside golf cars. In 2008 and 2009 Club Car also entered the personal utility vehicle market with the XRT line, from the XRT800 4×2 to the XRT1550 4×4, and in 2009 and 2010 it developed street-legal low-speed vehicles and vehicles for carrying several people at resorts, venues and campuses.
In 2014 the company relaunched its commercial utility line with a reintroduction of the Carryall series, promising improved efficiency and a new range of accessories. The Carryall thus spans the company’s whole commercial history, from a converted golf cart in the 1980s to a family of work vehicles sold alongside the golf ranges. Club Car itself changed hands in 2021, when Platinum Equity bought it from Ingersoll Rand for $1.68 billion.
Design and features
- Work-first design: a utility vehicle for factories, campuses and turf care rather than a player’s cart.
- Golf course origins: developed from golf cars fitted with holding boxes and accessories.
- Series, not one model: the Carryall II grew into a range of versions and options.
- 2014 relaunch: improved efficiency and a new line of accessories.
- Place in the company: the base of Club Car’s commercial utility business.
Club Car Carryall versions
- Carryall II (1985): the first purpose-built utility model.
- Carryall series: the later versions that grew out of the II.
- 2014 Carryall range: the relaunched line with new accessories.
- XRT (2008–2009): personal utility vehicles from the XRT800 to the XRT1550.
- LSV and multi-passenger vehicles (2009–2010): street-legal and resort transport developed alongside.
The Carryall shares its golf car roots with the Club Car DS and the Precedent. More vehicles are in the Club Car collection.
Sources
- Club Car, English Wikipedia: Carryall II, series, 2014 relaunch, XRT and LSV
- Club Car, German Wikipedia: Carryall II as first non-passenger vehicle
