Unknown Type of Truck in the Libyan Desert

[Kuno]

I am quite sure that it was the same type of truck as in above picture. Could anybody tell me the type or any other further information about it?

[Bill Murray]

Hi Kuno:

The vehicle in Les' photo and the one you found are, I believe, one and the same type.

A later model Ford BB, I believe, could have had a V-8 or the 4 cylinder engine, probably the former. I think the wheelbase was 134" if I remember correctly.

Both photos show the distinctive "bathtub" type structure with the sides being in the shape of a "U".

I believe the vehicles came from Egypt and there would not have been very many of them.

Bill

[Kuno]

Thanks, Bill. Very interesting information. Now it would be good to know the origin of Les' picture and if any of the allied units had still used this type of truck at least in the early stages of the desert war.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I am not sure if there was an official Ford subsidiary (possibly of Ford Motor Co Ltd, London & Dagenham) or of Ford Motor Co of Canada Ltd, or whether it was a importer-assembler. However, as with the Singapore operation, which was the latter, Fords from the UK, USA, and ahem, Germany were assembled in Alexandria and sent out to all over the Near East and Palestine, Trans-Jordan. The reason I believe it was an i-a operation is because the pre-war British government files refer to Eifel cars being sold there, in a market dominated by British Ford imports, and Ford of Britain said that they had no control over the operation. The presence of subsidised German cars caused consternation amongst the local British car importers. As is known, the prospect of the Volks-Wagen was also treated with concern in the UK and other countries,,,'flivver exports', using the Model T's pet name, was widely used.

[Kuno]

I see; we are plunging again into the confusing history of FORDs model designation etc. ...