Article on Australian Pattern Arty Tractors

[Keith Webb]

By Mike Cecil

Here.

[cliff]

excellent article. Thanks to Keith for the link and Mike Cecil for writting it.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Very nice.

I wondere who imported M-H equipment into Australia? We know the Canadian and now UK importers, but did Fords bring in the components?

Here's some information that might interest from the DND papers:

Interesting information on developments was contained in a Memorandum dated 31 May 1939. On 30 May at GM of Canada’s plant in Oshawa, Colonel Carr was shown two 4 x 4 trucks destined apparently for the Malay States. It is queried here whether Colonel E.W. MacDonald, the ‘Special Representative’ in Ottawa for GM Products of Canada was involved in the presentation. The company informed him that they also had orders for two more such trucks for Australia, one for India and one for Egypt. The front axle on all of these trucks was a Timken product that was similar in all respects to the Marmon-Herrington system, which was apparently also produced by Timken. The two trucks seen had 7.50 x 20-inch tyres with dual rear wheels, and 13.50 x 20-inch single wheels all round. The wheelbase in each case was the standard 133-inch, which coincides with some Chevrolet and GMC 1939 Model trucks. The exhibited trucks looked abnormally high in the front because of the straight axle and the fact that the mudguards for the standard drop-axle were being used, exaggerating the space between tyre and mudguard. They were fitted in front with a screen over the radiator and headlights identical to those used by the U.S. Army. The whole design was evolved in Pontiac, Michigan, and all parts were at that time being imported from the U.S.