Ice Cold In Alex
 

In VINTAGE ROADSCENE issue 87

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/ca..._roadscene.htm

[Note this may be the old issue 86]

there is a letter from Australian RUPERT CONDICK which referred to K2Y ambulance A121370, the number being carried by K2Y A1211558 for some scenes in ICE COLD IN ALEX, now in the ambulance museum. The ambulance that featured in most of the film, he said, also numbered A121370 was a 'Canadian Military Pattern Chevrolet C30 (it could have been a C60S, but I think that this was unlikely) which was fitted with an Austin/Mann Egerton body. From what little I know CMP Chev's never had ambulance bodies, only CMP F60L (Fords had ambulance bodies, but there was a shortage of four-wheel drive ambulance bodies towardds the end of the war. I have heard that KATY was a stock vehicle from the motor pool at Aelexandria but someone went to some trouble to move the controls around. Such conversion would make sense, being smaller than the Ford version!...'

The British had C60L ambulances with Lindsay-style 'house' bodies and there were indeed similar F60Ls but there were no domestic Chev C30/C60S ambulances.

Re: Ice Cold In Alex
 

David,

The K2 featured in the film did have a driven CMP front axle and apparantly it was because of mobility problems during the making of the film that this was done. Not an army mod. I think it more likely that the axles were changed, possibly rear as well to keep the ratios correct. A transfer box could be fitted. Much more likely to do this than swap the body, because wheelbase would have to be the same. Anyway, it sounded definitly like an Austin and in those days they would not have bothered to dub the correct engine noise on. Don't forget the "German" armour was not authentic either!


Back in the W&T days Bart made some comments on this.

Richard

Re: Re: Ice Cold In Alex
 

As well as the Land-Rover and Champ across the square from the bar.

R.

One of my favourite war movies - in spite of that Land Rover at the end (Never spotted the Champ. It's been a long time since I saw it, so I'll look for it next time I have a chance to view it.)

I'd wondered what make that ambulance was, figured it was some sort of Morris or Austin - now I know. One of these? http://www.o5m6.de/austin_k2.html (This is a great site, by the way - look around)

I always get a kick out of the bit with the SOE/SAS guys at the petrol dump.

Sylvia Sims is just *gorgeous* in this pic, too. Too bad she takes the rap for letting go of the crank up the sand dune.

ice cold in alex
 

hi just an update,
the austin k2ys in the film as i think there where 2 4x2, and one 4x4 which featured in most of the film,
the 4x4 is a standard k2y, with C8A transmission ( drive train ).

4x4
 

I kept looking at the film to see if I could i.d. the front diff design and it looked smaller than a Chevrolet one. The rear system looked unlike a Chevy one as well...but what the heck do I know? :confused Others have suggested it was off a British truck...does that make sense?

Austin K2 maybe?
 

My understanding was as previously stated: 2 standard 4x2 units plus one modified 4x4 unit during the filming. I also thought the front axle was from the later Austin K9?? Would assume 'mate and match' issues would also be easier.

Ian

Ice Cold
 

Film Still
 

The top right 'Film Still' photo clearly shows the non-CMP (I would suggest) fwd system. Note the straight driveshafts etc. I keep thinking that it's an Austin-sourced drivetrain.

David,

The "straight driveshafts" are only due to the position of the transfer box output in relation to the axle drive flanges. If you watch the film and freeze frame it when they wind the K2 up the hill, you can plainly see CMP hubs. The only transfer boxes that Austin had produced at that time were the K5 and K9 types.

Richard,
Definately, a Chevy front axle.
You also see the front axle and caps from a C30 when they are going though the minefield. My understanding was that several Katies were used in various confiqurations in this film. Early on, they show the beam of the front axle, whilst they are checking the sump plug. Another shot clearly shows an Austin banjo rear axle, when they are changing the rear spring and slowly crushing the german/ african chap, (van derpole, I think that's how it's spelt !)
Still a great film !
Regards
Keith

Cmp!
 

It now appears that I was indeed wrong as I have read a small item that mentioned that they did indeed use a CMP system...from someone who was there during fliming. It seems that there were also RAMC K2/Ys featured, apparently based in Libya around the time of the Suez crisis. I had no idea that the Army continued so long with them!

ice cold in Alex
 

David we have been down this road before...however despite the experts.Ian is quite right ..army workshops in Libya converted 3 austin K9's for the film...this has ben noted before in Windscreen magazine...and I b elieve there was an article in Soldier magazine at the time the film was released...keep up the good work...hope you have some good titles for sale for Xmas...best regards malcolm :thup: :thup: :thup:

There are plenty of stills from the film in Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine (July 2008) including a head-on shot where the diff is clearly off-set (to the driver's right) like a CMP but not like the K9. You can also see CMP style hubs in some of the photographs and six-stud wheels in another, so the C8A analysis seems spot on to me.

This said, the article says:
The standard item was a 4x2 Austin K2 but for some scenes the film's technicians seemed to have used a Canadian Military Pattern 4x4 chassis and mounted the Austin's coachowrk on top of it. There were also stories of the British Motor Corporation lending the production a hand via a 4x4 Austin K9 disguised as a K2 (just look at the front axle in certain shots).

So there you go. Watch the film and take your choice.

One oddity, the article starts by quoting what appears to be an extract from the book:
My official name is A1079654, ambulance, Austin, K2. I have a six-cylinder overhead valve 29.8HP engine, four gears, and I weigh about two and a half tons. But I have always been called KATY.

Did they get the number wrong in the film! (Now there's a little known fact.) Anyone got the book?

Ico Cold
 

a few pictures

Alan,

That number was in a batch that was never issued.....and the census number in Radek's post from a film clip was also ficticious.

ice cold alex
 

i like the feed back, cheers.
in the film ica the k2y has six stud split rim wheels, the axle pattern chev so these have to be C8A/X axles, better view when they take the wheel off. it should be noted that, the axles fit straight on to the austin chassis, check dia,s for HUP chassis and Austin.

i did think that the chassis was C30, but the axles would be wrong. or
i have a C15A long wheel base ( 137" ) australian ambulance ( not much left of it)/Users/
there are a lot of differences from the book to the film, beer different, name of the german, love affaire sergeant and nurse.

The final scene of that film -which I liked very much- was not filmed in Alexandria/Egypt but in Tripoli/Libya. The buildings are still existing today at the so called Algeria Square opposite the former cathedral (which is now a mosque).