What makes a truck a Maple Leaf?

[Lionelgee]

Hello MLU members,

As you can tell by this message I am new to this forum. I was just visiting the Australian War Memorial (http://www.awm.gov.au) site after one of your members in Australia suggested I look for pictures of my truck when I came across this photo. The Australian War Memorial describes the photograph as ID Number: 127768 Physical description: Black & white Summary: AUSTRALIA. LORRIES, 3-TON G.S. (AUSTRALIAN). "MAPLE LEAF" CHEVROLET. THREE-QUARTER FRONT VIEW, RIGHT SIDE. I had thought that Maple Leaf trucks were manufactured in Canada and assembled in Australia or other Commonwealth Countries. If go the War Memorial site and copy the numbers 127768 into the top right-hand "search" box it will take you to the link with the truck's photo.

On the firewall of my truck it has a Holden emblem and says it was built in Australia in 1940. It has quarter-vent windows in the doors and vents in the side wall of the cab located roughly between the seat and the firewall. Is this truck which is a modified version of the Chevrolet Truck that was built in Australia still classed as a "Maple Leaf" truck.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[zemsi]

... here's the link to the pic so not everybody has to do it manually

[cliff]

My understanding is that 'Maple Leaf' Chevrolet trucks were the export model made in Canada in the 1930's. The cab you discribe is a cab built by GMHolden onto the imported chassis. Rear body of the truck in the AWM photo would have been locally built as well.

My opinion is that if the body plate does not say 'Maple Leaf' and it has not got the 'Maple Leaf' name badges either side of the bonnet it is not a 'Maple Leaf' Chevrolet. You cannot take the AWM photo captions as Gospel in every case as they can often be misleading or plain wrong.

Below are two photos from the AWM showing in Photo 1 the "Maple Leaf" Chev 3 ton and in Photo 2 the 'Ordinary' Chev 3 ton. Both are Holden assembled and the only difference I can see is the Maple Leaf is fitted with the 18inch Military split rim wheel and the Ordinary is fitted with Civilian type rims and tyres, plus the Maple Leaf has the cut out guards to take the larger wheel/tyre combo. A lot of the later (1941) Chevs had the guards cut out right from new.

A nice and rare find as most Chev's around the place are 1941 and newer.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

GM of Canada introduced the Walkerville-built Chevrolet Heavy Duty or Extra Fort in French, as of 1st Juy 1930. They were based on the equivalent GMC and used Chevy engines but GMC trans. This continued until 1833 when Maple Leafs replaced Chevrolet HD, but again were GMC-based. Basically a Chevrolet equivalent of GMC for Chevy dealers. It then gets complicated from around 1938 with COE being introsuced, and GMC adopting Chevy or Chevy-based engines shared with MLs, and MLs using Chev and 224 cu in Chev-based engines. I think ML was dropped for 1952 in favour of GMCs, and Chevrolet-badged heavier trucks.

Into the pot we must add firstly from 1935-39 Oldsmobile trucks for export only including for Holden assembly, and secondly 1937-9 export Chevrolets, GMCs and Olds trucks all being US-built 'clones' [component-sharing and in effect badge engineering], with COE available before Canada in 1938 and in the US in 1939. GMC and Olds trucks used the Olds 224 cu in '224' engine, Chevrolet the 216, and all were available with Hercules diesel engines!

[Mike Kelly]

Pics of Lionels truck

Looks ex army to me with the GMH brass framed opening windscreen..this was normally seen on 41 models , so it may be a late production 40

Mike

[cletrac (RIP)]

The Maple Leaf trucks were basically a Chev with minor trim differences and a Maple Leaf sign on the hood. The 42 to 46 trucks still had the Chev sign on the front of the hood and the Maple Leaf signs on the back corners of the hood. Maple Leafs were sold by the dealers that sold Pontiac cars. The 41 to 45 models had painted grilles etc since chrome was needed for more important wartime stuff.

[Lionelgee]

Hello MLU,

I just got back from spending a day with my truck and getting it ready for its ride home. I have now wired down the loose boards in the timber bed. I put a rubber strap and with a plastic coated hook to each front mudguard and connected this to a wire running over the hood which was within plastic tubing. I also used nylon ropes to provide some extra security to make sure the hood does not spring open during the 400 kilometre trip home. I just found what is supposed to be a proper 1940 Maple Leaf which was modified for desert duty for a lot cheaper than what I paid for my truck.

Would anyone out there have a decent original 1940 Chevrolet hood ornament? I am watching one on eBay and know two places in America which sell new reproductions. I would prefer to get an original hood ornament if one is available.

I will be checking out the "Maple Leaf" either sometime next week or in the second week of August.

Thanks for all the replies about my question about the Maple Leaf - I really appreciate it.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[hrpearce]

A friend has seen a 4X4 with a Maple Leaf badge on the bonnet (sorry no pictures) and he asked me to try and find out if this is genuion or just a farm built bitzer.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

From memory there were some pre-war 4x4 Maple Leafs, on a limited-production basis, similar to that of US-built GMCs that GM were exporting to governments around the world. Otherwise I think it may be a conversion?

[cliff]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

A friend has seen a 4X4 with a Maple Leaf badge on the bonnet (sorry no pictures) and he asked me to try and find out if this is genuion or just a farm built bitzer.

without photos it is impossible to tell but it is probably a farm conversion using blitz axles & running gear.

[Bob McNeill]

something like this ???

[Corey Myronuk]

Originally Posted by Bob McNeill

something like this ???

That is a beautiful truck..id roll in that everyday.