Ex Army Desoto Ute.??
 

Spotted this one on Ebay listed in a slightly obscure spot.. :confused Might be a find for someone out there.. No connection at all to this one.. Merry Christmas to all as well..
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DESOTO-1941-E...3A1|240%3A1318

Aussie body?
 

I assume that it's a Richards body?

It certainly is David .. I owned two of them in the early 80's .. A Desoto and a Plymouth.. they are all Plymouths actually ... it's not a genuine Desoto but a Plymouth jazzed up a bit . One of mine came from Marong..just near Bendigo ..I paid $80 for it !!! That guy is dreaming ..4 k. The only one in Aust. he says .. rubbish. Typical Ebay bull...t.

Richards only built the cab and rear deck.. the front end metal and guards and bonnet were imported . Not sure bout the doors ..probably made here.

I wrote an article on them , for the Plymouth club mag. in the U.S.

Mike

Aha!
 

T J Richards, apparently of Keswick, Adelaide. Sounds as though it's a Canadian 'Plysoto', the Plymouth-De Soto export offering. We are all familiar with the 'Plodge' Plymouth-Dodge cars. Sounds as though the Ute was meant to be sold by De Soto & Fargo truck dealers? Might look up my Parts List to see if I can find any reference.

So do you know my old mate Jim Benjaminson then?

Yep David , Jim B. saw the pics of the utes I had and wanted to buy mine !! He'd never seen anything like it before ( well , he wouldn't in North America would he ) ... I'd sold mine years before .... I might email him and let him know about the 4 k one..but gees ..you'd have to be keen .

Another club member here had 2 of them in the late 70's... He never finshed them.. sadly he died some time ago. I drove the Plymouth around for a while ,took it on one or two VMVC outings , very comfortable to drive .

Mike

desoto
 

The $80 Desoto ute from Marong ... it was tidy ..but needed a full resoration.

Wish now I still owned it ..

Mike

unusual dodge
 

A 1939 or 40 aussie Dodge ute with soft top ...this is the 116" wheelbase .. light commercial chassis ..not sedan car . I also owned one of these for 10 years ..a 46 model with the closed cab, not rag top . It could be a Fargo with that grill .. the 46 was similar ..but with the headlights spaced out more towards the guards .

Very unusual to see the rag top on one of these .

Mike

Models
 

My parts list i.d. charts suggest that the De Soto was either a DE1 or DE15, US-sourced, 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. This from memory as I have put my papers away!

Nice
 

She's a very attractive looking vehicle. Almost a touch of the 'Stuebakers' about her.

Hope someone restores this to original military specification.

That's a '39 grille
 

Could have been used later down your way, but out of production in the US and Canada by September 1939.