Lend lease Chevrolet 30 cwt truck information

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

There is enough evidence to suggest that General Motors invented the term ''Completely Knocked Down' or CKD', and this started with the Tarrytown, New York plant and also Oshawa, Ontario (the latter late 1922 to November 1923). In fact it was probably specifically James D Mooney, then head (President) of General Motors Export Company as was. Tarrytown phased out CKD production in June-July 1925 in favour of Bloomfield Boxing Plant, whioch started on 21st May 1925 with crates leaving for GM International, Copenhagen. These were crates of components for local assembly, with local assembly plants adding their own cabs, tyres, etc. sourced locally if possible and of course4 bodies. GM India, Bombay, GM Near East, Alexandria, GM South African, Port Elizabeth, GM-Holden's (as would become from 1931), were all local assembly plants that received Bloomfield shipments, supplemented by chassis only from Oshawa to Holden's in/from 1935. Studies of magazines shows that chassis were shipped as components from 1925 for local welding -up and assembly. By 1936 Bloomfield announced the degree to which they had reduced crating size for their component-shipping. This expertise was later used during the war as the 1944 GM Overseas Operations was at pains to broadcast ( they blew their own trumpets!).

CKD shipments were attempted for CMPs in spring 1940 for British assembly in Southampton (and Dagenham) but the system was found wanting, and SKD replaced it rapidly.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

There is enough evidence to suggest that General Motors invented the term ''Completely Knocked Down' or CKD',
*snip*
This expertise was later used during the war as the 1944 GM Overseas Operations was at pains to broadcast ( they blew their own trumpets!).

This is endorsed by the differences in CKD content (what was shipped from Canada) between Chevrolet and Ford, as listed by Mike Cecil in the thread "Antipodean Ford CMPs" on the Old MLU Forum:

• Chevrolet: all chassis and mechanicals, wheels. Rest manufactured locally: complete cabs, complete bodies, spare tyre rack and tool box.
  
• Ford: all chassis, mechanicals, cab floor/lower cab frame, upper (windscreen) cab frame, doors, windscreen frames, front shell, wheels. Rest manufactured locally in Aust: cab floor, engine cover, cab back, roof, guards, spare wheel carrier & tool box, body.

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

That makes sense to me...thanks for that! Dagenham of course sent out knocked-down vehicles but nowhere near that sent out by GM boxing plants. That said, Tarrytown and Oshawa also exported as required chassis only or chassis with front end.