Bantam in Canada

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Michael C
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Bantam in Canada

Post by Michael C » Sun Apr 09, 2017 9:24 am

This image was sent to me many many years ago by a friend in Canada. I've only recently unearthed it during a clean up of my library.

It reportedly shows one of the three Bantams acquired by Ford Motor Co of Canada, leading a group of Universal Carriers Mk.1* from the assembly plant at Windsor, Ontario, in 1941.

Thought the 'Bantam-devotees' might be interested.

Mike
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Re: Bantam in Canada

Post by Polar Roller » Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:38 pm

Thanks so much for posting the picture...I had never seen that one before, Although several others of that car on that day, at that event are around...everyone speaks of three Bantams in this odd hybrid configuration, and yet of all the pictures of the Canadian Bantams..this is the only car that ever shows up. Where is the evidence of the other two? Some one said one went to England?

I still have to guess..without the slightest real evidence..that these cars were made out of the two Pre Pilot York Hoover bodies which were ordered but not received in time ..or, maybe, just in time, but it wasn't convenient...to put on the actual pilot car..the body for which had already been hand made.

The "s" shaped entry (which showed up on both the Pygmy and the Quad, as per the original specs drawing...so much for the alleged ceativity and "innovation" of other engineering staffs that QMC justified speading out th contact on) was one of the first things to go when the Bantam pilot tub was sligtly redesigned for production ...apparently ones heel (spurs? Lol) caught on the hump...so, why did the Canadian version have this out moded shape? Possible answer...Bantam had these two body tubs sitting around, why not use them?

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Re: Bantam in Canada

Post by Michael C » Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:54 pm

Glad it is of interest.

I really don't have a clue about Bantams in Canada - just know the image was sent to me by a friend (a prominent Canadian collector, now deceased) and he had written the caption on the back, so I have to assume he knew what he was talking about when he referred to three vehicles. His exact words were 'one of three pre-production Bantam jeeps acquired by Ford co. of Canada...' (etc). His last comment on the image was that the jeep has a 1941 license plate.

Hope that helps clarify things a little more.

Mike

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Re: Bantam in Canada

Post by Jim Gilmore » Mon Jun 19, 2017 2:27 pm

Bill wrote:

"......The "s" shaped entry (which showed up on both the Pygmy and the Quad, as per the original specs drawing...so much for the alleged ceativity and "innovation" of other engineering staffs that QMC justified speading out th contact on)....."


Bill, your intense bias is blinding you to the facts here............. The "S" shaped opening was what the QMC wanted...as you said it was in the original drawing and that was what they wanted and that was what they got......as for "...ceativity and "innovation" of other engineering staffs..".......ONLY Ford gave the QMC a choice in vehicle design......one pilot with a body that the QMC asked for ( the so called Budd) and one with an innovated and creative body designed by Ford Engineer Clarence Kramer ( the so called Pygmy ). The GP No. 1 body was very different from what the QMC asked for and it became the basis for the standard WW II Jeep later.

"....was one of the first things to go when the Bantam pilot tub was sligtly redesigned for production ...apparently ones heel (spurs? Lol) caught on the hump..."

No...not because of that....it was because of weight reductions that the body entry was changed. Removing that metal reduced the body weight by 6 Lbs.

Jim Gilmore

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Re: Bantam in Canada

Post by DavidA » Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:53 am

Is there a larger version of that photo? I tried to enlarge it for some detail but any detail was lost in a blur. :cry:
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