Australian-built cars

[Allen Walker]

Got an elderly lady from Oz asking about the previous history of cars she owned. Trouble is she has no reg. numbers, chassis numbers or anything and even the dates are very vague (i.e. by decade!).
Who holds build records for the Australian-built cars and can we put her in touch with them?

[ken]

Hi alan. I have a french built pi saloon. it was built from a kit shipped out from swindon.there known as ckd. I was lucky to find the chassis number which is stamped on the right hand side on the strut top. as all ckd,s were supposed to have been stamped. I rang gaydon motor museum who sent me a certificate statting when it was built and the date shipped to a dealer. I wonder if they would have the numbers of kits sent to austraila and chassis number range up to when they started building there owen cars in port melbourne. mite be worth a phone call ?


regards ken

[Allen Walker]

Yes, that's the trouble though Ken, she doesn't own the cars now and has no record of any numbers. Bit of a wild goose chase, really. I think she's probably trying to find out where they were built, which dealership they came from, who bought them new, etc., but without something to go on, she has little chance.

[Charles H]

Ken
Was it built in France, or did it go via Belgium? I will try and look for the chassis no on Daves PI tonight. Where abouts on the top of the strut was it stamped in relation to the three strut nuts? Is it the same as the VIN number

[ken]

Hi charles ok belgium, over there. the number is right next to the channel were the it meats the wing behind the two nuts


regards ken

[Charles H]

Thanks Ken

Will look tonight. Is it the same as the VIN number on the aluminium plate or is it different?

[ken]

Hi charles should be the same if its differant you my have a problem. you may have to scrach some paint off . would have sent a picture but the battery in my camera just pack up

ken

[Thorsten]

Allen,

this is going to be a long shot, but you're not in contact with a Mrs K.M.P. Gray, are you? Otherwise I could tell you exactly where her former car is in this very moment.

Kind regards
Thorsten

[canberra triumph]

Allen

I have an Australian 2500tc. The commission plate shows that it was built (assembled more likely) by AMI - Australian Motor Industries, in Melbourne Australia.

This company was the main Australian car builder for Toyotas, Standard Vanguards, Triumph, Ramblers from American Motor Company, Mercedes Benz sedans and Mercedes Benz trucks & probably many more. I believe that the company has now closed down. Hopefully Greeksy can confirm this as he lives in Melbourne.

Simon

[Greeks]

well I can almost smell Port Melbourne from here, but I'm pretty sure AMI doesn't exist in the form it did when they were knocking out saloons.

I don't exactly know who holds records, but I would have thought the elderly ladies first 'Port' of call should be one of the Australian Triumph clubs.

I'm a member of the TSOA Victoria (03 9642 3311), but there's also the Triumph Car Club of Victoria... whose website doesn't seem to work anymore.