Rootes WW2 production data
 

A friend in the U.S. emailed me this production data for the Rootes group WW2 . Its taken from Vol.2 of their official own history. Apparently Vols 1 and 3 are missing in action.

I pasted the data into three .txt files as its too large in MS word format. Over 100 pages of info there.

Interesting seeing the Hillman tillies ordered for Australia. Were they ever delivered ? I don't think so . None have turned up here as far as I know .

Mike

Data
 

The Coventry Transport Museum has original Rootes papers and they have some info in there for instance on CMP bodies that the Group produced.

Mike (& David), thanks for this interesting information!

H.

Info
 

I might have the info at my parents' place. It included Thrupp & Maberly, and Sunbeam-Talbot (Barlby Road factory) in west London.

You and Richard F. posted some info in the Ford WOC1 thread?

H.

Summary
 

"Rootes also had a sub-contractual agreement with General Motors Limited, and official information shows that Thrupp & Maberly Limited, Acton, the coachbuilders, received for instance an order for 250 General Service Truck bodies for Ford and Chevrolet chassis in 1943, 33 of which were completed by 27 November 1943, along with 61 A.E.C. cabs and 43 Humber l.w.b. limousines. Between 1 December 1943 and 29 February 1944, an order for a further 100 G.S. truck bodies was received. 112 G.S. truck bodies were produced in this period. The period to 27 May 1944 saw a further 150 bodies being produced, and then the order was expected to be reduced by 100, but then by 31 August 1944 the final order for 200 bodies was cancelled".

There were several sheets of paper that they sent and I know that I found them when sorting the garage out a few weeks back. There would I hope be more information and figures in the Rootes archive therefore. I found them very helpful years ago when I queried, so it's worth a try to see what they have.

I can add to the above information that General Motors Limited had a meeting in May 1941 at Cuerdon Mill, Bamber Bridge near Preston at which various agreements were reached for the assembly of Chevrolet and GMC vehicles in the UK. Northern Counties Engineering, Rootes Group and Pearsons of Liverpool were present, and we now know what Pearsons were doing there! Rootes allocated Barlby Road to assemble some Canadian vehicles in 1940-41 according to Sid Swallow.

Hanno,

If you are refering to bodies made for CMP's, by Rootes group, then here is the entry from the factory records;

for War Office

Qty 850, which is crossed out and 600 handwritten in

G.S bodies (300 T&M & 550 Maidstone )

Date of intention to purchase 7-6-43
Date of order 9-6-43
Contract no. 294/23/S.3507

Hi Mike,

What's the title of the Rootes history - I wouldn't mind looking out for a copy.

Alan

Info
 

Hi Alan

My informant is a auto historian who lives in the USA . He has the book on loan . I would think it would be a very scarce item .He scanned the pages you see . I'm not sure, but Rootes themselves may have published the three volume set . I would love to see the whole book set, rather than bits of it .

Sadly , very few of those wartime Humbers made it down here . At least one Humber LRC did though, a friend here has its remains . Presently, he is rebuilding a FWD heavy utility , a pommie emigrant brought it out here in the late 1950's. Interestingly, it had a British army rebuild in the mid 1950's , scribblings were discovered inside the tailgate panels . It's a most impressive bit of kit I must say . Why on earth didn't they continue making them after the war .. would have been a ripper run about on the 'estate'.

Mike

I know the GS bodies in the picture were built earlier than the contract listed here, but would Rootes have been building the British style wooden GS bodies, or bodies according to Canadian drawings?

Rootes
 

Rootes Ltd at Maidstone, the body-building arm, and also service centre, had a long history of association with General Motors Limited, Chevrolet importers. Rootes were a GM marque distributor from around 1922.

It is no surprise to me that at the meeting in May (?) 1941 called by GM Ltd, which featured 'Fat Cats' from Pearsons of Liverpool, Northern Counties Engineering and Rootes, that the latter had a contract to build CMP bodies. By then GM Ltd were assembling BRITISH order Chevrolet CMPs at Bamber Bridge near Preston, although that ceased by the end of the year. Another company with associations with GM Ltd, Lep Transport & Depository Ltd had by then been assembling CANADIAN CMPs at their Chiswick, London W.4 depot on the Thames, on eof just three (Canadian direct) contract assemblers with Prearson's one of the others, and of course the CMD at Slough.

Mike,

Is there any chance of some photos of his LRC remains.

Regards,

Les.

Humber LRC remains
 

hi Les

The LRC as found, was a rolling chassis with the motor in situ . The I.D. plate with contract number is still there , that is how it was worked out it was originally a LRC .The armoured hull, or skin was cut off many years ago. The LRC motor is like new , with no wear visible, it's going into the Humber 'BOX' heavy utility .I think the axles ratio are different to the BOX? ... I am no authority on these . These things are just so scarce down here .

Mike