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-   Vintage Cars & Classics in India (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintage-cars-classics-india/)

-   -   The Classic Commercial Vehicles (Bus, Trucks etc) Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintage-cars-classics-india/31848-classic-commercial-vehicles-bus-trucks-etc-thread-9.html)

Ram, you are talking about the US military designation. Quite a few were used in the Indian military. They were supplied by PAL as they used to assemble from semi CKD kits. The surplus came into the civilian market through Auctions and the petrol engines were substituted with P6 diesels
and they were used as mini lorries after disconnecting their 4WDs.
We can still see quite a few ex Army wreckers doing towing duty.
These were more modern derivatives of the WW2 WC Series vehicles.:)

only in bengal such vehicle can pass the fitness test for being a public carrier. Also look its on government duty.

An interesting Fiat Fire tender here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/949295-post368.html

Here are Pictures of a 1954 Piaggio Ape Type A "Tourer Version" which belongs to a gentleman named Muthu Kumar from Coimbatore. He is planning on a Chennai to Kanniyakumari trip on this one once he restores it. This is one of a very few, probably less than 10, Type As in India. The last picture is from the net, just for comparison. If anyone has any literature/pictures of this, please send it to me as Mr. Kumar is finding it very difficult to get them which will help in restoration.

Cheers

I hope this is relevant, it was commercial, this was the last Harley Davidson taxi left in Delhi with its original Harley engine before they all were fitted with Greaves Lombardini diesel engines. The son of the owner is seated I think his name was Singh.. :) The owner was a die-hard Harley lover.
The second photo is one of the first being fitted with the diesel engine which gave a much better fuel consumption. At that time rather used Harley engines were available for a few hundred chips.
Maybe it was just a Delhi thing, the Harley engines on open exhaust pipes used to sound wonderful...
Oh well the scooter is probably more interesting:)



My photos. Free to all.

Again dont know if this is an appropriate post as this was not in production at least from the Mysore factory where this picture was taken.

Cheers

Wow, thats a real find! There is one in Pune, which I always thought was possibly the last survivor. Here it is at a 1993 rally, I haven't seen it since. Actually I've always had plans of making a replica out of a regular rickshaw.:)



Much obliged!

So when were these lovely photos taken? This sure is a piece of Indian motoring history, the likes of which we will never get to see again, unless a madcap collector restores one with original engine. :D

The photos were taken in the early 80s, there was one with an Indian Chief 1200cc engine which I managed to buy the engine of lying near Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi.
Imagine dozens of these Harleys together,with no or little silencing, roaring round the streets of Old Delhi (there were maybe 100 or more of these licenced contraptions but they all were banned in the anti pollution drive). There is something special about the sound of a V twin. They ran 2 routes Connaught Place to the Lal Kila and also Connaught place to Karol Bagh Ajmal Khan Road. I brought a new Harley gearbox from UK for one of them. Keeping them running had created a whole industry as well.

Thanks for the picture Karl. Actually even I thought the one my friend has was the last survivor but just wanted to be on the safer side and said may be 10. Im sure some of them are rottening away in someone's backyard. Any clue who owns the Ape from that rally?

cheers

:OT Dont know the relevance but here are some pictures to show the actual potential of the Ape Type A. The ones in India were the fixed canopy Tuk Tuks. The ones Im posting are otherwise along with wooden fittings. I guess this is one three wheeler apt for the Queen (no not Freddy Mercury lol:)

Enjoy.. cheers:

a few from my side.
1) 1940's Ford dumper truck.
2) 1946 Ford GWD Wagon.
3) 1932 Ford truck. ( Karl this is the one i was asking you see in Pune)
4) Mercedes fire engine.
5) Mercedes truck.

I now recognise the place, it is the compound of Penosh, the transport/crane services. The remains of the truck behind are still there, this monster I haven't seen before. I also recall an old crane still junking there, registered MTJ 9000, so it dates atleast to the 70s, if not before that.

I seriously doubt the truck in your photo dates to 1932.

Has the fire engine survived? It looks very well preserved. Im very glad to see someone restoring the TMB truck too. Who has it?

it was there and then moved to the location i told you. we did check the engine plates and it says 1932. so i mentioned it. the truck when we first saw it was upright and over the years has been going under ground.

the fire engine has not survived but is still in bad shape and getting worse. the people dont want to sell or do anything about it.

the TMB truck is restored and with a collector. cant let out names Karl.

Nice pix speedy. I think the following descriptions may be suitable:
1. 1946/49 Dodge
2. 1942-45 CMP (Canadian Military Pattern) Chevrolet/Dodge, most likely this one's a Chevy.
3. 1943-45 Diamond T.
Cheers,
P

Abhi, whats the current status of the truck in the second pic (1946 Ford GWD Wagon).