1940 Australian GMH Chevrolet military coupe utility

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

The 1941 Chev coupe ute models are unique, apparently GMH cut down Chev sedan bodies and made up a patchwork cab - the cab appears to be a semi - flat backed affair . Ford did a similar thing to their 41 army coupe ute . I did see a Chev 41 coupe ute years ago in a wrecking yard , during a club trip to Mywee up on the Murray. There was also a rag top roadster cab version , made in small numbers as 1941 Chevs and Pontiac. The well traveled 1941 Pontiac of C Anderson was purchased by me in 1981 . I drove it home from Geelong along Geelong road unregistered . The old chap had bought it in 1946 , he said it came down from Townsville where the RAAF had it . He took it for a drive around the block for me and every time he moved it he put another dent in the bodywork . He had just handed in the original 1946 number plates a few weeks before I got it . He topped up the air in the tyres, he wheeled out a mobile air supply in the form of a Wirraway main wheel, it must have had about 100psi in it and he transferred the air over to the Pontiac tyres . It was $300 I paid for the car . I passed it onto Colin as he had spares from sedans and another ute .

As Rick knows, the army specified wider rims/tyres for these vehicles , 7.50-16 I think

Mike, a bit of bad news for you. I was the loosing bidder at Col Andersons auction for the Pontiac. It went the chap who lives at 'Rust Hill' in SA and was displayed at the South Australian Military Museum until about 6 months ago. After being taken out on a run and placed back in the museum it caught fire and was partially or fully destroyed. (it depends who you speak to). It seems that there was a long term build up of horse hair from the seat padding which had fallen down and accumulated behind the seat on the floor and the exhaust ran close to the underside of the floor. This bit of floor got hot and started the horse hair smoldering and eventually the horse hair caught alight some 3/4hr after being parked up and burnt the car. The placement of the sprinkler system above the displays in the museum saved the other exibits but never quenched the Pontiac. It may be restored but who knows. (It was the owner who told me about the fire.)

Regards Rick.