Revised 1942 S/M Contracts Listing

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

X EXPORT DESTINATION CODES AFTER SERIAL NUMBERS:
X1 ANY POINT EXCEPT FULLY BUILT UP
X2 UNITED KINGDOM BUILT UP
X3 INDIA CKD
X4 AUSTRALIA CKD
X5 NEW ZEALAND CKD ALTHOUGH ASSEMBLED TRUCKS HAD “XH”
X6 BATAVIA, NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES CKD
X7 UNITED KINGDOM CKD
X8 ANY POINT CKD
X9 SOUTH AFRICA CKD ALTHOUGH ASSEMBLED CMP TRUCKS HAD “XG” E.G. XG8421 160 [NOW IN NAMIBIA]

Batavia was of course seized by the Japanese and then became a Toyota Plant although the Japs apparently seized and converted for their use various Chevrolet cars and trucks.

Example of X2 code:
MODEL 8421X2 1842102448 #11 CAB CZ 4241710*

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA [C.8]
MADE IN GM CANADA
OSHAWA WALKERVILLE REGINA
MODEL 84-20X2;
SERIAL.1842018573
ENGINE 3716534; BODY SERIAL 2459;
TRIM ZR PAINT F.C. 98


XH: ALL S/M 2394: [ASSEMBLED BY G.M. NEW ZEALAND]
XH8448-275 MFGD. 4 MAY 1943
XH8448-377 ENGINE # FR3,863,573 MFGD. 5 MAY 1943
XH8448-382 ENGINE # FR3,863,937 MFGD. 5 MAY 1943
XH8448-428 MFGD. 5 MAY 1943
XH8448-564 MFGD. 5 MAY 1943
XH8448-657 ENGINE # FR3,864,068 MFGD. 5 MAY 1943

XH8448-718 ENGINE # FR3,864,330 MFGD. 5 JUNE 1943
XH8448-834 MFGD. 5 JUNE 1943
XH8448-890 MFGD. 5 JUNE 1943

Facsimile of Buidl Plate on known C8AX:

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA C8AX
CHASSIS MODEL C.15441
CAB MODEL 13
CHASSIS SERIAL XH8448-718
ENGINE SERIAL FR3864330
ORDER 2394
DATE OF MFG 5 JUNE 43

This seems to prove that GM New Zealand, Petone, near Wellington did indeed assemble two distinct batches.

Now this brings me on to something I had not considered much before, namely that GM South African of Port Elizabeth and GM New Zealand both received and assembled Canadian chassis and applied their own GMOO-allocated "X" codes as against using the GM of Canada serial number. Whether GM India of Bombay used "XT" I have no idea, though it is possible. Contrast this with GM-Holden's who used "S", "M", and "P" for "Sydney", "Melbourne" and "Perth" assembly respectively although "B" for "Brisbane" and "A" for "Adelaide" do not appear to have been used in my experience. The plant codes used were either added after the model number or at the end of the serial number [both Oshawa-allocated].

The original Plant addresses were:
City Road, Melbourne, Victoria
Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales
Wickham Street, Valley, Brisbane, Queensland
Corner Rann & Birkenhead Streets, Birkenhead, South Australia
Corner Buckland & Victoria Streets, Cottelsoe Beach, Western Australia but I have to check on the Melbourne address for the 1940's.

As regards Ford's plants, these were in Port Elizabeth, SA and Bombay, India as well as the Australian plants. These were all subsidiaries of Ford of Canada, itself a partial subsidiary only of Ford of the US.