1940 Australian GMH Chevrolet military coupe utility

[Tim Hunter]

Hi everyone at MLU, I thought I'd post some pictures of my latest acquisition, I believe it is a 1940 Australian military GMH Chevrolet coupe utility. The listed colour on the id tag says Khaki. I can see some remnant timber on the sides of the tray that would have supported the canvas rear canopy. I can't find much about it on the net with my limited computer skills so I thought I would ask the knowledgeable people at MLU what is known about this particular character! Thanks in advance, regards, Tim.

[Mike Kelly]

nice find

Here is one bogged

And another in civvy finish

[Tim Hunter]

Thanks Mike, great to see what it would have looked like!

[Mike Kelly]

The Woodville production numbers say that 1484 Chevrolet Standard coupe utilites were made in 1940. I would think that a small percentage of them would have been purchased by essential civilian users

[Mike Cecil]

Tim,

Nice find, with lottsa rewarding work ahead of you.

When you find the chassis (and engine?) numbers, post them here: we'll see what we can find ....

Mike

[gordon]

It does look a little tired, but it has every right to.

To my eye it looks to have most of the essential bits in decent order or repairable. I assume the chassis is still under there, anything in the way of axles, wheels, drivetrain?

I'd guess most of the drivetrain could be sourced from slightly later versions, but on the Dodge equivalents the 1939/40 stuff was just that hair different from 41 through to postwar.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Tim,

Looks like a great find! The Ute being an iconic Australian militarized vehicle, it will be well worth restoring. I think Wheels & Tracks featured photos of this type of vehicle in use with US Forces in Australia?

Hanno

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I think Wheels & Tracks featured photos of this type of vehicle in use with US Forces in Australia?

Yes the US forces did use the Aust. pattern vehicles . I have a pic of Gen. Kenny in front of his Aust. assembled 1941 RHD Dodge staff car , in New Guinea. .

[Mike Kelly]

Following on the coupe ute theme .

This is the 1941 De Soto I bought from Colin A. many years ago. The price was $80 . These utes are actually all Canadian sourced Plymouths with fake grills and badges - Dodge De Soto and the real Plymouth . I believe the body itself was made by TJ Richards in South Aust. with the front guards/wings, and the special fake De Soto grill and the bonnet being imported from Canada . The engine is the Canadian made long block 3 3/8" bore and 4 1/16" stroke

This ute was in good original condition . I bought this car with intentions of restoring it, but at the time I didn't have the skills or tools on hand .

[Mike Kelly]

1940 model I think ?

And a Middle East scene depicting a 1939 coupe ute

[Mike Cecil]

The supply of vehicles to the USASOS was called Reciprocal Lend Lease. I wrote an article about it many years ago, published in Army Motors.

The Australian Govt supplied a myriad of articles to US Forces, and the value of these was placed on the other side of the Lend Lease ledger. By end of war, Australia had supplied around 75% of the value of Lend Lease items supplied to Australia, in RLL - so owed the US Govt the 25% difference.

The variety of motor vehicles was very broad: from little Austin 2 seaters to armoured scout cars. Just imagine some burley Yank liaison officer used to tooling about in a V8 at home in the US, being handed the keys to an Austin 2 seater as his 'liaison duty' vehicle. Would come as quite a shock I should think! And if a current-day restorer finished his little Austin with US registration and white stars on the doors, he'd probably be laughed at (but he may well be accurate!)

Mike