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Thornycroft A1


Great War truck

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Hi Tim.  The simple answer is 'yes'.  In its 1 September 1924 issue, Motor Transport gave 'first details of the new Thornycroft chassis that has been designed with an eye to large output, low production cost and the W.D. subsidy specification' - the specification being that for 30-cwt. vehicles.  I copy a picture below.

The article says that, "two of these machines... have, in fact, been actually constructed for the War Office...".

1953399602_ThornycroftA1(1).thumb.jpg.39fc758aecc18f12621edbe151a44858.jpg

An advert then appears on 13 October 1924.

161418413_ThornycroftA1(2).thumb.jpg.138eea9939c1020a9066c0a661a9ecb9.jpg

In the 7 September 1925 issue it is also reported that among orders given out during July by Government Departments were orders by the War Office for a number of 30-cwt. chassis with J. I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., the Vulcan Motor Co., Ltd., Hallys Industrial Motor Co., Ltd., and the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd.

So there possibly weren't many held directly by the War Office.  But of course the purpose of subsidy schemes is to have a fleet ready for impressment when the need arises.

 

 

 

 

 

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Exciting stuff!

Here's Commercial Motor's equivalent article from 2 September 1924: http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/2nd-september-1924/10/a-new-chassis-for-the-subsidy and in the 6 April 1926 edition they report War Office orders for 30-cwt. types from Thornycroft (and others) being made in February.

Edited by Runflat
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The Thornycroft vehicle registers are online here: https://collections.hampshireculture.org.uk/topic/thornycroft-vehicle-registers

On a quick browse, these chassis numbers appear:

11021-11022 (Sept 1924)

11211-11226 (Jan 1925)

11261-11268 (March 1925)

11945-11950 (Sept 1925)

12317-12323 (March 1926)

I make this a total of 29!

 

 

Edited by Runflat
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Here are some photos of Ross's A1 when he collected it. As you can see it has been flat packed but is still missing a few bits for it. What Ross is looking for is drawings of the body, cab and cab roof. It might be the same as other 1.5 ton Subsidy trucks of that time. Thanks. 

20190122_141056_resized_1.jpg

20190122_141123_resized (3).jpg

Edited by Great War truck
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On 4/19/2020 at 7:56 AM, Zuffen said:

Located Downunder I see.

Australia has a kind climate for old machinery.

I'm thinking New Zealand. Check the number plates. (or am I mistaken?)

 

Jarrod. 

Edited by pyw304
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The A1 model was very popular in Australia and there are a number of survivors. Here I am loaded and about to take two to a truck tech college (TAFE) in Brisbane.  Only recently was it realised that the one up front was the very one used as a podium for the very first Brisbane truck show back in 1968. The one behind I had acquired as a donor for restoration. Noelene Bradley, President of Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia who run the modern Brisbane Truck show, saw the opportunity to celebrate the show's history and put together the project which will see a complete restoration by tech students. New manufacture, including castings poured on the TAFE campus will be involved, so if anyone is looking for spares the TAFE could be asked to make duplicates. A full feature film is being made of the project.

Thory A1s loaded.jpg

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