1940 Break Down Chevrolet Holden MCP

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

I'm trying to determine why Lionel thinks they are all MCP trucks, they look like Standard trucks to me.

What the thread is about is breakdown trucks. This is what the subject line originally read. The "modified" means a comparison between a show room available civilian/conventional pattern truck and things that have been changed, ergo "modified" by the military. My truck's windscreen was not something available to civilians on the local Holden distributor's show room floor. Therefore, does it not make sense that mine is indeed a Modified Civilian/Conventional Pattern truck?

Also I have physical evidence - from the manufacturer's plates that my truck was made in 1940. Merv's truck also has manufacturer's plates that also clearly state that it was made in 1940. Despite this I am informed that my truck was made in 1939!!!!

So let's get back to it Breakdown trucks that were on a civilian/conventional chassis. Ones that were modified by the military or changed in the factory from their fully civilian specification and modified according to military specification. It could be taken that simply fitting convoy lamps is a "modification". Modification goes from a 1% change to a 100% change from the original civilian/conventional source.

Yes Tony, All the vehicles that you posted were modified by the military. Yes they were on the same factory line as the fully civilian trucks however they at some time in their production were diverted to have things changed on them according to military specifications of the time. Or after their delivery to the military they were modified - so they become Modified Civilian/Conventional Pattern trucks. As in "Modified" ..... "civilian" or "conventional" .... "pattern".

My early photographs were meant to show how in some cases very little changes were made between a 100% civilian (Merv's truck) and my truck that was built for the military 1940 and "modified" in the factory early in World War II.

Kind Regards
Lionel