Swedish Umbau

[Bill Murray]

Was not only the Germans that made these conversions.
Here a Plymouth but the Swedes also did similar on Ford/Chev/Dodge chassis.
Bill

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Thanks for this interesting picture. Please note that this car is equipped with a gengas stove and not run on gasoline but wood-gas. What gengas is called in English I do not know, but most Swedish cars run on wood-gas during the WW 2 years. This however meant that the motor only had some 65% of its normal horsepower strenght.

[Bill Murray]

Evening Stellan:

Indeed that vehicle is set up with a gengas system.
I understand that Sweden, given that their industrial base was not destroyed and that they were very advanced in engineering, developed a number of suitable sytems for burning not only wood but also charcoal.
If it is of interest to you, I have many, many advertisments from contemporary Swedish automotive magazines marketing such apparatus that I can scan and send if you like.
I am not an expert on the subject, but I believe that Sweden, then Germany and maybe France were the only countries that really developed and used that technology.
A very poor translation, but I believe that "gengas" meant simply, "generated gas" in simple English.
Bill

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Thank you Bill!

The gengas period is quite interesting. I would like to see a few of the ads for different systems. Sweden does not have much oil. During the WW 2 years even the use of wood was restricted.

There were restrictions on everything. Meat, eggs, soap e t c.
I remember that restrictions on coffee was lifted in 1948.

I think you made a good translation, because in Swedish gengas is short for generatorgas which originally was used in iron steelmills.

There was a similar system using carbide (see picture below).

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Gengas could be generated from wood, charcoal and coal. The gas contains 20-30 % CO, 10-20% H and the rest K.

Picture: Filling charcoal.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

General Motors in Stockholm was I think the leading factory delivering gengas systems.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Taxi cabs with gengas generators type GMC-Swedlund in Malmö. I would guess spring 1940.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

This taxi cab has a carbide-gas system. Carbide + water = gas.
Car type?

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Gengas propelled car - ok. But what type of car?

[Bill Murray]

Morning Stellan:
Of your pictures, ID is as follows.
Two taxi photo, the one on the left is a Chevrolet and the one on the right is probably also a Chev.
The next taxi photo is a Chrysler product that I cannot positively identify but most likely a Dodge.
The last photo is of a Dodge.
As I am sure you are aware, SAAB-ANA was the Chrysler importer for Sweden from the 1930s through the early 1960s at least.
As I remember, they imported mostly Dodge passenger cars and Fargo trucks, the export name given to Dodge trucks outside the US.
As a very minor point of historical interest, Volvo, from the 1930s used a wide range of US sourced parts in their passenger cars and I can remember when I started with them in the US getting replacement parts for the braking system that were still in boxes with the name Studebaker on them.
Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Similar GM subsidiaries produced converters, including GM Suisse in Biel/Bienne, and GM do Brazil, Sao Caetano, who produced a charcoal gas generator.

Anyhow, quoting from the wartime boom on GM overseas re GM Nordiska, Stockholm:

The plant continued to produce charcoal gas generators at a reduced volume, and there has now been added a line of wood gas generators.

[cliff]

the last picture Stellan posted is a 1938 Dodge sedan.

very interesting story about these 'gengas' plants. Thanks for sharing guys.

PS> I guess there is/was a shortage of boot (trunk) lids in Switzerland when petrol began to flow again

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Good morning!

Thanks for ID of the cars. This is a Volvo with gengas . On top of car are sacks with charcoal. Reg nr AC = Västerbotten, Northern Sweden.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Reg nr Z = Jämtland, Middle Sweden.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

School bus. Sweden 1940-45. The cabin was fitted with a wood burning stove.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Another type of gengas generator. Made by General Motors, Stockholm. Car model?

[cliff]

At a guess a 1938 Buick or Pontiac

cheers
Cliff

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Thank You Cliff!

Here is another gengas car. This is equipped with the Imbert gengas generator. Reg nr C = Uppland. Capital Uppsala 70 km N Stockholm.

[Bill Murray]

Morning Stellan:
Your last two pictures:
First is a Chevrolet Imperial Sedan
Second is a 1937 Buick.
Both used as taxis.
Bill

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Good morning Dog Robber!

Thank you for that ID. The gengas "Umbau" came in several different shapes. Here type "Lion gengas".

From 2nd September 1939 00H00 it was forbidden to sell petrol in Sweden. From 10H00 same day it was forbidden to drive private cars.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

The gengas system was invented by Axel Svedlund (b. 1891) already in 1913 and used during WW 1 in limited numbers. After WW 1 there was no market so Svelund who was a graduated engineer turned to farming.

In 1928 he took up production of gengas generators for agricultural tractors but only on a small scale. He however got patent for 21 different types of gengas generators.

In October 1939 he sold license rights to several motor companies amongst wich General Motors. During WW 2 some 35.000 generators were made in Sweden.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Gengas generator type Bruza. Car type?

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Gengas generator type Bruce. Car type?

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

The gengas system was also used for trucks and busses.

[Bill Murray]

Stellan:
Of the last three cars:
Dodge, Chevrolet and either a Dodge or Plymouth.
The bus is likely a Volvo although Volvo and Scania built bus chassis to a couple of standard designs and they were bodied by coachbuilders so it is some times hard to tell.
Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I would not have imagined that anyone would have spotted the 1939 Model Chevrolet Imperial Sedan, Model 1023, 1223 or 1323...depending on whether it had the standard front axle, Dubonnet ifs or light-truck front axle! These cars were assembled by GM Continental in Antwerp, also GM India, and now it seems GM Nordiska! These were widely used as taxicabs as well as limousines..the limo had the front division.

The trailer was built by GM Nordiska and is identical to one in the 1944 GMOO book.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bill Murray
Stellan:

The bus is likely a Volvo although Volvo and Scania built bus chassis to a couple of standard designs and they were bodied by coachbuilders so it is some times hard to tell.

You are right Bill!

Trying out my memory I think most busses during the WW 2 years were built by Svenska Karosserifabriken in Katrineholm and Hägglund & Söner in Örnsköldsvik as two examples.

So I agree. It is difficult to ID a bus from this period. I think the coach type was called "Bulldog".

Picture: Another gengas cab.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Another one. Thanks for ID Bill and David!

The GM plant was in Hammarby south of Stockholm. They also made trams/streetcars some years.

[Bill Murray]

Evening Stellan/David:

Last two, Chrysler and a Plymouth.
I really should correct my post here as the first pic I sent is not, in fact, an umbau but merely a probably conscripted private car in Swedish service. I apologize for that. The typical raid cars and open personnel carriers built by the Germans would not have served well in Sweden's climate.

Thank you for the compliment, David. Not of interest here, but limousines and taxis are another of my collecting interests and I have many, many pics of "stretched" American cars of the 30's, 40's and 50's in service as taxis in such places as Turkey and Greece as well as in Western Europe. I doubt if any of them would have passed any kind of MOT, TUV or SBP exam.

You are correct, Stellan, those flat fronters were called Bulldogs.
As a small piece of history, when Sweden switched from driving on the left to the right, they sent hundreds if not thousands of RHD busses to various African nations. I believe SIDA was in charge of this (Swedish International Development Agency). It seems it was cheaper to get new busses than convert the old ones so they gave them away. Nice bit of business for Volvo and Scania for a couple of years.
Just a little more trivia.
Cheers
Bill

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Good morning Bill!

You are right. Many RHD busses vere given to Africa and Asia. Here a ship with busses from Stockholm going to Pakistan.

Post WW 2 came the "Boxer" model coach.