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Old 02-03-05, 08:58
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David_Hayward (RIP) David_Hayward (RIP) is offline
former Resident Historian
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The New Forest, England
Posts: 3,841
Default Tractor

Is the '40 COE from a Danish [GM International] or Belgian/Dutch [GM Continental] brochure? The existence of the tractor unit in the export market suggests that there was also a GMC equivalent. This may answere the query as to why there were at least two or three GMC tractor units, 1940 Models, that were used for transporting grain lifters. I suspect that these were diverted orders, either en route to Antwerp or Copenhagen/Stockholm. In the case of the latter a large consignment of civilian GM trucks bound for Denmark was interecepted by the Royal Navy in 1940 and landed in England. There was a kerfuffle between GM in Southampton/London and New York with the British Government because GM claimed that the consignment was due to be delivered to Denmark for Norwegian and Swedish dealers, and both at the time were neutral. The Government attitude was that Denmark was occupied and the Norwegian and Swedish deliveries could not be completed, even though the shipment was US-owned. I am certain that the consignment of Chevtrolet and GMC cars and trucks was auctioned off and the proceeds handed to the Treasury.
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