Reply 2 U
The COE 1939 and 1940 models were indeed available with rhd and CKD..the Southampton Plant asembled COE 1939 Model rhd trucks and then some WE models came into the country either as prize seizures or diverted stocks, and were lhd. ...without cabs in the latter case so were chassis only. In fact I think Bart V said that there were a load of COE Chevs delivered to La Rochelle which were intended for Antwerp.
As regards Ford Singapore, this was a Canadian Ford subsidiary I think although it is just possible it was a Ford UK one. They probably handled both UK and Canadian Fords...CMPs were sent there or were intended to be. I found a printed photo earlier of a Chevrolet tourer in French Indo-China circa 1931. The country's GM market was in fact covered by GM Java, as was Malaya and Singapore. The fact that the NEI drove on the left [why was that????] suggests that any Fords came in via Singapore. I wish we had period NEI magazines with adverts. Some Fords probably also came from the Amsterdam Plant, with DAF-Trado gear.
This lack of info about Ford in the NEI is really getting to me as I have not found an answer. I wonder if there are any business directories or similar for the 1930-41 period?
|