General Motors Truck

[Hanno Spoelstra]

But what type of cab is this?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I think I can say that I have never seen a cab like that! I suggest from the parking lights that it is a 1941-on model, perhaps 1942 or even 1945-on to 1946. My immediate reaction was that it reminded me of a DIVCO conversion with the Walk-thru style body, but it's not! However there were wartime bodies for use as canteens and the like with extra side windows on a widened body on 1941 chassis-cowl Chevrolets and I wondered if this truck originally had a wartime utility body which was cut back at some time and standard doors etc. fitted. It certainly looks like a chassis-cowl to me with a cab-body added.

Oh! I should add that I suspect it's a civilian style order as it has "GENERAL MOTORS TRUCK" on the hood side, and this tended to be deleted on military orders. Where is the truck now please?

[Kent Aist]

To me it looks like a standard cab with wings added for some reason. Only reason I can come up with is if it was used as a trash truck and they wanted to give some cover the loaders, but they ususally ride on the back.

[cliff]

I would say it was a cowl model originally with a custom built bus or canteen body on it, possibly wood framed. Some one has removed the rear body and added a standard cab to the cowl/windscreen unit.

David the Australian forces, especially the RAAF used this model GMC in WW2 complete with painted over General Motors Truck badges.

Cheers
Cliff

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Cheers Cliff. I can guess that they might have had civilian-style front ends? I'll check my Master Parts List drawings to see if the badge is listed for US Government orders. The '39 and '40 Chevrolets to military order had painted-over Chevrolet grille scripts, but the GMCs to French order that landed here lacked any side badges but at least some had "GMC" script in the top of the rad grille.

Did the Australian forces used Maple Leaf Trucks? They of course had the badges in the same place as the GMCs, with the Maple Leaf symbol but from memory MLs in Canadian service that I have photos of lacked the badges.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

As far as I can see, the wings were definitely added to the cab. It is not a cowl with wings and a cab added later.

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Where is the truck now please?

The picture was sent to me by a KTR member, googling the file name led me to the following site: http://flickr.com/photos/astrovinni/sets/64472/. All I can tell is that the pics were taken on 22 December 2004, almost certainly in the USA.

H.

[Rolf S. Ask]

My guess is some sort of crash/rescue truck...
There seems to be a handle just under the window.
Pitty we do not see the runningboards. But it could be a shelter for someone standing on the running board rushing forward to assist some help in a hurry in a situation I can not imagine.

And notice how the door seems to be in a much better state than the rest of the truck. Can the door have been fittet later, or has it just been shelteres under the wings?

Rolf

[Keith Webb]

Looks like a drip rail around the windscreen - did civvy models have an opening windscreen?

[cliff]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Did the Australian forces used Maple Leaf Trucks? They of course had the badges in the same place as the GMCs, with the Maple Leaf symbol but from memory MLs in Canadian service that I have photos of lacked the badges.

Yes David they did use some. The Darwin Overland Maintenace Force was originally equiped with 1939 GMC or Chevrolet Maple Leaf trucks with locally built Indian Army type cabs with sleeper compartments.

Cheers
Cliff

edit Just realised I did not give credit for the pic which I think is from the South Australian libary. I used Picture Australia web site and searched using the Stuart Highway.

[Mike K]

That is a 1940 model GMC , with parking lights on the guards .The fine wire mesh over the grill was a common mod done in the Northern Territory to prevent stuff getting into radiator .

Mike

[cliff]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
That is a 1940 model GMC , with parking lights on the guards .The fine wire mesh over the grill was a common mod done in the Northern Territory to prevent stuff getting into radiator .

Thanks Mike. They used Chevrolets and the odd Ford or two as well.

Cheers
Cliff

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Note the old GMC "tractor" that looks very old to me, and should arguably be in a museum! Also the '41-46 with brush guard appears to have a second gearlever...for fwd?

I am sure that the wings are indeed original from the corrosion. It reminds me as I said of a DIVCO or similar Walk-thru ore what they called a Parcel Van. It looks as though the cab/body has been cut back and a replacement cab inserted.

It might be worth posting a note on the Old GMC Triucks forum:

http://oldgmctrucks.infopop.cc/eve

Oh! Canadian GMCs mimicked Canadain Chevrolets and Maple Leafs, and there was cross-use in certain models of Chev and GMC or Chev-based engines. The '40 GMC could be either Canadian or US-sourced.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
I am sure that the wings are indeed original from the corrosion. It reminds me as I said of a DIVCO or similar Walk-thru ore what they called a Parcel Van. It looks as though the cab/body has been cut back and a replacement cab inserted.

If you look closely you will see the wings are actually fitted to and over the cab roof. The fact that the door looks to be in a better shape has much to do with the shielding from prevailing winds and the sun.

Like Rolf suggested, I think this was some kind of ermergency truck.

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

However, it looked to me as though the back of the cab-over section has been cut away as though the body was removed at some stage. Or cut back.

If it is an emergency vehicle, are those step boards meant for men to hang on and be shielded from the wind/fire by the wings? Also, the wings have the same "molding" as the hood, which suggests that this was a professional modification by probably an officially-authorised coachbuilder.