VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 1936 Roadster - 7 seater

Hi wondered if anyone can help us find out more about our car 'Charlotte".The reason I have written is that the story surrounding Charlotte is unusual.
VIN and engine no is MR5560148 can’t find a body number. Charlotte’s story - was supposed to have been sent by the Canadian Airforce to Sth Africa as a staff car. Some years ago an antique dealer in Childers Qld swapped several crates for a sideboard … she remained in these crates for some time then he put it together.She has bucket front seats a rear bench seat and the dickey seat. Hence 7 bodies can get into it!
However she is registered as a 4 seater. She also has a windscreen which you can push forward. She has approx 7000 miles on the clock, but we don’t exactly know if this is the original … but I see no reason why it wouldn’t be if that was the speedo in the crate. She is supposed to be a Fisher? body. We wrote to a chev historian David [can’t remember if it was Hayward?] who said no such car was ever built.
Any comments greatfully received.

We are going to have to see a picture of this! One possibility is that the vehicle was modified by the Armed Forces for its role. The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa was a heavily modified Ford product that was used as a staff car in Africa during WWII. It was modified from a station wagon. You may be able to contact them and see if they have any info on Chevrolets used by the army.

Pictures, Pictures, Please!

Icy,

Engine serial numbers for 1936 go from 5500179 thru 6784512.

M = Standard
R = Right Hand Drive

Mike B :)

Hi Mike!

Can I add to your info:

5224056-5226400
5558401-5599200
6410801-6414790

Has anyone got a number 1 in their 1936 engine number? Mine seems to be M 6208821, but the final character (after cleaning and magnifying glass inspection)is a capital I, or Roman Numeral I. Were all of the ones like that, or do I have an oddity?
John

They were all like that or 1 with a flat top instead of the angled top. Sometimes it is hard to tell.

how do I add a photo of Charlotte? to this post??

I do have a picture of her on www.maryboroughvintage.com when I learn how to get a pic here you can view our website

That's a beautiful looking car! It almost looks like it was made from a coupe, looking at the rear quarter proportions. It's hard to see the windshield with the side curtains on.

Sorry to dig up an old topic.
If your Chev is the one pictured, then it LOOKS like a US model Roadster, as it has (as you say) a fold-down windscreen.
I have a 36 FC Roadster but only a 4 seater (rumble seat).
It differs from yours in that the rear section (in front of the rumble seat) comes further forward and has an upward angle (where your roof starts). There is not room in mine for a rear seat - within the passenger compartment.
The convertible top on mine folds into the rear body section, ie when it is open it sits under the line of the body.
Also, yours has conventionally hinged doors, and fairly short at that. Mine has suicide doors.

There were no US built roadsters in 1936. There were ones built in South Africa, South America, and possibly India with that style of body.

Could this be a GLASER built body from Europe. See the IMPERIAL question in the index list , from a guy in argentina I brought forward a few days ago.

There are 2 people with the GLASER bodied cars in the VCCA

mike

I am still seeking information on my LHD, Kilometer speedo, Phaeton. It has the same windshield and front door hidden hinge style as this roadster, which definitly rules out the Holden possibility. Holden used a body blended "A" pillar and suicide front doors with exposed hinges. Also, I was able to coax faint numbers out of the serial number plate, and it has a Tarrytown code. I have found where Tarrytown made CKD (complete knock down) kits as well as all SUP (single unit packs) for export. The difference seemed to be based on the taxing structure of the importing country. SUP's could be completely built cars shipped in a crate, while the CKD's would be only partially built to avoid import tariffs on complete automobiles. I also have the body build plate which has been posted here before, and since it is titled "General Motors Export Corporation", it seems likely that it was exported from the USA rather than manufactured in another Country which would not consider it "export".
I have found bits of newspaper inside the front doors from the mid 1970's that are from Chile. The only South American assembly factory in1936 was in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which would then distribute the finished and/or assembled product throughout the Continent. Brazil drove on the right side of the road (LHD) after 1928. I am not sure of the surrounding nations, except that they have all followed suit.

Mike, It's not a Glaser body. Glaser is very unique in their styling, especially in the trunk and roof area, and are Cabriolets, not roadsters.

Hey 36 Phaeton,

Was there not a plant in Argentina in the 30's? I know of a 32 landau phaeton which was a right hand drive from down there which had a Kilometer Speedo. Maybe this will help.

---------------------------------------------------------
GM was assembling cars on the BUENOS ARIES ...ARGENTINA assembly line starting in 1925--6.. ARGENTIA was right hand drive until 1939 when they went to left. I have a 35 Chevrolet standard series roadster that was originally right hand drive, dash panel is right hand drive. I believe the car I purchased came to southern united states in the early 90's or late 80's, exported back by MARIO CAPLAN who did a lot of this and advertised in hemmings motor news, back in the day.

If I had gotten the GM Chevrolet floor plate with the car , most likely it would have the Tarrytown NY code.

mike lynch

Well I know that that particular car we are talking about is not a roadster, never said it was, its clearly a cabriolet. The 2 pictures in diff threads showing glaser bodies ARE MUCH DIFFERENT.

How this car that's being discussed gets to carry 7 passengers is beyond me. 2 for front bucket seats, 2 for dicky or rumble seat. If you can get 2 or 3 people behind the front bucket seats has to be a trick of some sort. I barely see enough room to fold the top down let alone a bench seat holding 3 people ??????????

But pictures of said vehicle will solve the question.

mike...........

Mike - They had three assembly plants in 1927. See near the 2:30 mark in this video.
https://archive.org/details/GeneralM1927
It was quite an operation even then, and I would expect even more so by 1936. I really don't think it matters as to which country a car was assembled in, as they were selling to a market of multiple countries, and would have built to each market.
I do know mine was originally a LHD car, so I guess that rules out Argentina as the original sales point for mine.
John

Well here in Canada I have the production figures from GM Oshawa for 1933 1934 1935. We are a left hand driving country but did produce both LHD and RHD drive cars for export around the world. I see no reason why USA plants also did produce RHD.

Not all countries in South America were left hand drive, some were right hand drive like Chile and Ecuador. So using that, cars being ordered and shipped to left hand drive countries in South America from a south American assembly plant, would be accommodated in drive side of their choice ???


lets use the 1935 Chevrolet standard EC phaeton/touring as our example
Chevrolet model 12-56 5 passenger reg phaeton made 3 LHD for domestic sale....1 LHD for export , 116 RHD for export

they also produced the same model 12-56XL 5 pass phaeton
for export LHD 41 were produced, 33 RHD were produced

there is nothing in any of my sheets to tell me what XL in the model number means. I assume these were built for export only and had special equipment.?????

mike lynch...........

How do I Add a photo cannot see how to add it.. Thanks

Go to "FAQ & HELP" at the top right of the upper tool bar on this site. Then scroll down to "How do I add an image to my message?"

You must be a member of the VCCA to post a photograph.

You can add a photo without being a member by uploading it to your own host site, and pasting the link to your reply. If using Facebook as a host, be sure to set the privacy setting for the picture to "public".