To continue with the 2013 Historic Commercial Vehicle Club’s show, let’s start with a recent import from the US, a 1932 Ford with an original hydraulic Garwood tipper. . If you are in any doubt of the merits of not making vehicles shiny and thus precious, consider the sign on the windscreen: “Too good looking to touch but please do! Feel free to jump in.”
A more modern and larger deviation – a 1985 Kenworth no doubt still in day-to-day use. Trucks of this era are eminently rebuildable and upgradeable for theoretically endless life!
In case you were in any doubt which pickup was the most popular in Australia, here are another F100 and an F350 from the same era, if not the same year.
The Ford D-series was a British truck and I gather they had their issues in Australia, as well as at home. Until a small resurgence by Ivecos and Sprinters, this type of truck has been totally dominated by the Japanese makes (Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Hino) – even Ford switched to re-badged Mazdas.
No not more Internationals! Remember how the cabs were shared by Dodge? Here are a pair of AT4 trucks, a 325 and a 575. I can’t imagine too many truck drivers were upset by the shared bodywork – being usually more interested in the mechanicals.
Back to International again. The vans would have to have sold in much smaller numbers, and this one appears to have been converted into a camper – note the electrical hookup plug, water tap and fly screens on the side.
A pair of unrestored trucks here; a Bedford from the early 1930s and a Dodge 400 I’m guessing from the early 1970s. Depending on your point of view either patina galore, or just plain decay. Mind you I think you can get away with a lot more wear and tear on an old workhorse than a luxury car!
This 1968 Austin FG is highly unusual, with the doors effectively on the back of the cab, which was so the doors didn’t open any wider than the cab for access in tight situations. That doesn’t explain how you were supposed to get to the door if you were parked that close to a wall, though! They were built in 1.5-5 ton versions.
There were a pair of GMC trucks but the photo of the other one was blurry. Remember when digital camera screens were so small you wouldn’t necessarily notice a blurry photo at the time? These ‘Advance’ GM trucks have had a fair bit of coverage on Curbside Classic, but not too often in the larger format like this. Would this have had one of GMC’s big inline sixes?
Here’s an unusual one – a 1983 International N-series. While it doesn’t look that unusual as far as medium-size cabover trucks go, but because it came out around the time that International Harvester was taken over.
Does anyone get tired of seeing a big Diamond T? Talk about a brash, no-nonsense truck, and the pinstriping and scrollwork here just shows the pride its owner has in it.
Do you think there would be a harder-working truck than a timber jinker? Yes, another International; probably an AR190 but the badges on both sides have been removed for air cleaner ducting.
For its size this 1960s (yes really!) Lister RHC Auto Truck might give it a run for its money on a pound-for-pound basis; it has a 1-ton payload. Just 7hp – enough for running around a factory or fruit and vegetable wholesale market as this one did.
This Bedford TK truck is an example of another truck I remember from my childhood on farms in the district.
These Mercedes-Benz L-series trucks are legendary, and had a representation in Australia too.
Here is an example of the variety of trucks on the road in Australia, a Volvo N1025.
A big Dodge AT4 400 or Ford F-series (F750?) look like big trucks until you see them alongside a proper big rig like this Diamond T! The Detroit Diesel mudflaps indicate the Dodge has some serious mumbo though, something shared with the other two too.
I have to say that I am a novice in the various Kenworth models, but at least this one is identified as a 1946. Just as well because there have been so many changes that otherwise I would not have picked it! In fact I wonder how much has not been changed?
A change of pace was this recently imported ex-US Air Force International that looks like a later model Transtar. There is a model number ??9070 on the door, and it has a Detroit Diesel. Don’t suppose anyone drove these?
Last time we had an International KB1, this time let’s take it up a couple of steps with a KB3! More tyres, more tray width, more mirror mounting length and hopefully even some more power.
I probably could have included this Model T van in the last ‘light vehicle’ post. It is a typical example of the no-door delivery van that really represent an earlier time when weather protection was a bonus and not an expectation! But even at Model T speeds the wind factor must have been a problem.
That will do for now; I have an idea for the next post that is a bit out of the ordinary, but I think you will like it!
Very interesting! I had no idea that there were so many of those 1970s Ford F series trucks down there. And those Dodges with the shared International cabs – that is like parallel dimension stuff to this Yank.
Those ’70s Ford trucks were extremely popular. GM weren’t selling Chevy trucks then (well, they tried one year), favouring the Bedford and later Isuzu ranges, and as for Dodge and International, you’ve seen what they offered. No wonder Fords were so popular.
GM sold some limited variants in the second half of the 70s. Initially 6-cylinder only which was surely even then a strange decision.
I haven’t seen much information but it seems Ford would have sold only a few thousand F-series per year.
Gar Wood, whose company made that hydraulic tilt bed was a very successful builder and racer of powerboats in the early 20th century and went on to build streamlined buses in the ’30s-’40s. I think Jim Brophy did a piece on them a while back. Wood also helped invent the modern garbage truck.
That rings a bell, thanks Dan. I think I have seen some type of Gar Wood vehicle before.
Quite the variety indeed, great show and report!
As work trucks I’m only familiar with the Ford D, the Bedford TK, the Benz L and the Volvo N (although these always had the set-back front axle).
Both the Ford and the Bedford did very well here in the sixties and seventies. Bigger UK trucks and tractor units have always been rarities; all of them were true exotics,
Would this have had one of GMC’s big inline sixes?
That depends on how you define “big”. GMC had at least two families of six cylinder gas engines. This, a medium-duty truck, undoubtedly would have had one of the engines from the smaller family, which ranged from 228 to 302 CID; most likely the 270. The “big” GMC sixes had 426 and 503 CID, but they were only used in the HD trucks, which have different front ends than these, with longer hoods.
Aha, in that case the small GMC six! Which was bigger than most others at the time it seems?
The historic division of the Targa Tasmania this year was won by a GMC powered special.
I have to say that I am a novice in the various Kenworth models, but at least this one is identified as a 1946. Just as well because there have been so many changes that otherwise I would not have picked it! In fact I wonder how much has not been changed?
I’m not quite sure what you’re saying there, but if you’re asking if anything from this truck would interchange with a current Kenworth, I’m quite sure the answer is nothing. Or maybe you’re asking something else?
That there have been so many mechanical updates, and the basic form of the truck being so similar to more modern rigs that I wouldn’t have picked it as being that old.
Here’s an unusual one – a 1983 International N-series. While it doesn’t look that unusual as far as medium-size cabover trucks go, but because it came out around the time that International Harvester was taken over.
I don’t recognize that cab; I’m quite certain it was never used in the US, but borrowed from another company for Australia or such.
International was never taken over. Or are you referring to the Australian unit?
Looks like a Nissan.
I assumed he meant the Australian operations, which ended up being taken over by Iveco, but I thought that was more recently than 1983.
That cab looks Japanese and based on a brochure I found it’s a UD truck rebadged as an International for Australia. It looks like the operations was bought by IVECO in 85 or so.,
Found some more information; I-H went into receivership in 1982, the tractor and farm machinery side was sold to Case in 1985 and the truck division to Navistar in 1986.
Not sure when the N-series started and stopped though. I remember my grandfather having a brochure for them so perhaps they ran to 1986.
Navistar was just a rebranding of the remaining business as the International Harvester name was sold to Tenneco with the AG business unit, who merged it with their Case division.
It seems I found US history of the company. Below is a link to a 1988 article stating that Navistar owned about 1/3 of the International truck division in Australia with the rest owned by 14 banks, presumably as a creditors agreement to avoid the company going into liquidation. In 1992 it was sold to Iveco.
https://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/international-harvester-makes-slow-solid-recovery-australia_19880607.html
The N-Series was a rebadged UD Nissan Diesel CM-Series – in N1630 and N1750 forms (the latter having the turbocharged UD 6 cylinder diesel engine)
Yes, I know that truck as a Nissan. It’s also good to see a Ford D-series (the only one I see now has been scrapped for a very long time, it’s similar to the one shown here in terms of the colour and light duty cab) and a Bedford TK – very few of those remaining now. Was the Transit a popular van/light truck in Oz as well?
The International Cab Over is a CO9070. Can’t say I’ve driven them but WalMarts fleet used to use them extensively and they were the final customer for it from what I’ve heard.
Oops that should be CO9670
Thanks I did wonder about that, couldn’t quite make out the letters.
I’m an Aussie and I don’t recall seeing them.
My childhood staring over the top of the cardoor looking out into the world around me from my fishbowl… These were the big fish, making their way through the traffic amongst the Kingswood and Falcon sharks. The International/Dodge in its variations over time, the Bedford TK (used to be everywhere) and the exotic FG. A great throwback to Australian roads in the 1970s. Superb selection John.
Thanks for this series, Is this show held every year ? I must try to get to the next one.
Nice to see an original registration plate on the smaller of the two grey Dodges, it would be from around 1968,
For some reason I find the maroon historic plates a bit jarring , but understand the appeal of cheaper registration for limited use, but shame they can’t look more correct for the year of vehicle.
All I know about Kenworth trucks is the older they are, the cooler they look.
Rode all around Victoria in a Ford D series while working a seasonal job for an apiarist, it was reliable but very slow.
Favourite of this post is the Dodge AT4 with the Detroit Diesel. As a kid growing up in Northern Victoria in the 60s, I could hear trucks with Detroit engines roaring up and down the Murray Valley highway, and we didn’t even live any where near the road.
I suspect a few operators of these trucks loved the sound of these engines and opened up the exhausts to maximise the glorious noise.
Regarding the shared cabs between International and Dodge, I have read that the cabs for both trucks were manufactured by Chrysler in Adelaide.
The two red Dodges featured would be from the later 1970s, as this type of front was the last before production ended.
Those cabs were built by TJ Richards in Adelaide I think.
The possibility of allowing normal plates on the club permit scheme has been floated, but it would need to be integrated into the normal registration database first. They will have to do something before too long because the current number sequence will run out.
The show is on every year, but is now at the Yarra Glen race course.
TJ Richards was the coachbuilding company that was purchased by the Chrysler Corporation in about 1947,did they continue as a seperate operation ?
No it seems not. Maybe the reference I saw with that name, some time back I think, was referring to the factory?