Let's Talk Cyclecars

1934 Australian Model Y. State Library of Queensland; photo by Arthur McLeod; 'Mr Grant's car'

 

Is that Australian factory coachwork? or by a coachbuilder contracted to Ford? or an independent local coachbuilder?

Are you familiar with this thread? https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/coachbuilt-early-fords.569617/

 

I just read a book about S.A. Cheney from Australia. He created the car industry there. Because of Aussie law cars had to be built in country starting about 1916. He was able to import running chassis from the US and had to have them bodied there in order to sell them. He talked the Holden family which built horse carriages to build him bodies at a reasonable price. He had no money invested in them, just wanted a good body so he could sell cars. The rest is history until the Aussie Gov't forced them to quit building cars a few years ago. Maybe some of the Aussies can elaborate? BTW, his first imported car was a 1915 Dodge Brothers. A friend of mine owns this very car.

 

I am pretty sure that the Model Y roadster pictured above was built by Ford. I only found that rare photo yesterday. My guess is that 'Mr Grant' had just purchased it; it looks pristine. Not sure if I have seen the coachbuilt-early-fords thread (just glanced at page 1) but will have a close look at it; thanks.

 

The Aussie Gov't didn't exactly force Holden (GM) and Ford to stop building cars in Australia. What they did do was to stop propping them up with financial support, which lead to both companies deciding to close down their manufacturing facilities.

 

When Morgan tried to sell the 2012 5 speed 3 wheeler there they went through hell to do it. T?hey had to send a car there and have it crash tested and do many modifications to meet the Aussie standards.

 

But that's it entirely. It's a regulatory environment which effectively enforces a technological paradigm which presupposes production volumes far in excess of extant demand, however long engineered. It is maintained internationally despite the ensuing ecological disaster, but in smaller, peripheral markets it can't be pulled off without specific state help.