Australian CGT mystery

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Richard, the official WD rating for the MCC etc. 4 x 4 chassis that the GTs were based on was supposedly 15 cwt.* On the basis that 'capacity' was roughly doubled, e.g. with the 1 1/2-tonner Chevrolets and GMCs to 3-tonners, 30-cwt. capacity seems to fit in with your suggestion. I believe that the FATs did indeed have an official '30-cwt.' capacity, as stated for the 2-pdr. C-GT chassis Portees..some of these were of course converted in 1943 to GS trucks! The WD envisaged that the Portee was to be a 15-cwt. chassis pre-war, duly adapted and this fits in yet again with the British GT weights. That said the DND listed the CMP FATs in the 60-cwt. class and I believe I will make a case based on the research that it was the FATs that were the basis for the heavier trucks. I have had an independent opinion on this point and the consenus is that the all the evidence points to the FATs preceding the 30-cwt and 3-ton 4 x 4 chassis. If the FATs were '30-cwt'' capacity trucks, albeit in the 3-ton class officially, and the 30-cwt. F30S/C60S were adapted therefrom, what engineering work was required to create a 3-tonner therefrom? Is it possible to list apart from chassis length the components required, such as springs, extra cross-members, etc.? I have to consider whether this could be achieved by adapting the civilian 4 x 2 3-ton chassis or whether it was 'bespoke' using civilian components only.

My opinion at the moment is that the 15-cwt. 4 x 4 chassis were developed independently of any other chassis, as were the 8-cwt. chassis. In order to get to some idea of the truth, I have to ask the question as to what extent did the Ford 15-cwt. 4 x 4 pilot chassis [see BLUEPRINT FOR VICTORY] owe anything to the MCC and Guy 4 x 4 15-cwt. Quads? Apart from similarity in basic concept is there anything to suggest that Fords could have adapted the pre-war MCC CS.8T design for instance? According to WHEELS & TRACKS 29 & 30 there was nothing in common at all with the MCC Q/QW!


*May I explain here that the WD often confused chassis types and capacities in their documentation, and this is my literal translation of the 1936 WD vehicle Specifications that all 1938-40 military trucks and lorries supposedly adhered to.