[Mike K]

Colin Bell, the former counter sales person at Auto Surplus , told me he worked for Healings in Melbourne just after the war . He said they had brand new SWB Ford CMP's in CKD form that were sold to farmers etc.

Lanes Motors, the large Morris agency in Melbourne were selling army Morris Commercial CS8's and PU's as early as mid 1945 , to essential users . Lanes would typically supply 4 or 5 at a time to their sub dealerships in rural areas e.g., I can confirm that a Shepparton dealer got some CS8's and so did a Whittlesea Morris dealership . Lanes painted the trucks with in a cheap grey paint , over the army scheme . The grey paint fell off rather quickly . A Mr McLean from Whittlesea purchased a CS8 in 1945 and it was used until traded in on a new Land Rover in 1952. The Morris travelled to Sydney and back twice towing a horse float ..... This info came from his son , who then aged 15 , recalled the Morris so well . It was many years later ( 2000) , I was at Bendigo swap meet when I came across a CS8 radiator and surround , painted grey . The seller told me he was from Whittlesea and his very eldery neighbour across the road had a CS8 in his back yard , the truck was terribly rusty and beyond repair , but he had salvaged the radiator from it . The elderly neighbour had bought it in the early 1950's and converted it into a camper , by building a enclosed van body . .... is this a coincidence or is it the same truck bought by McLeans . Who knows .

Mike