I am curious, I have always herd my father say that they discontinued building cars/trucks during the world war II years (which he was in) stopping production in 42 and restarting production in 46. Can anyone verify this? I know they switched production lines at major manufactures to building jeeps, tanks, ambulances and service vehicle's, so did they build any fords chevys during those years? thanks in advance I found a 42 mercury in the woods near my house and this is what sparked a question from a friend of mine. thanks
All kinds of things going on during the war. Pass car prod. ends Feb '42, a very few civilian trucks were built on high priority until late '45. Most dealer inventory was frozen in Jan. & allotted to those high priority trades, farmers, etc.
Any new cars built during the war years, such as military staff cars and essential production such as law enforcement vehicles were identical to '42 models assembled from parts on hand. Same with trucks. I know of a '43 Chevy farm truck and a '44 Ford gasoline tanker.
Any cars that were produced after early 1942 model year until 1946 civilian production were for war efforts, not civilian sales. Such as staff cars and so forth. This is also the main reason 46-48 cars are considered pre-war designs. It took about 3 years after war production ended to get the new designs out for civilian sales
I was at my Grandson's School for a Veteran's Day Program last fall, and a Teacher??? introduced a WW II Veteran as a World War "eleven" Veteran from her notes. She was corrected by another teacher, but I felt so bad I could have cried. I have no idea what she could teach our kids, certainly not respect.
You are correct, I have a friend who has a wartime Ford flatbed truck that was originally sold new to a fish farm in Chippewa Lake, Michigan. Somebody must of been very well connected with the ration board to be able to get it!
Pretty much guaranteed the fish farm was supplying fish to the government to feed GIs. I find it absolutely amazing what took place during WWII, never before or since has a country transformed its civilian work force and production facilities as our country did, it was truly the greatest generation!
Country Doctors were on the high priorty list because of the welfare and health of the population. As we old people recall doctors made house calls. Many babys were delivered at home.. Here in Huntsville is a navy gray 3/4 ton truck that was delivered to a local doctor. It is still in the family. He also got open gas rations....................................... Sadly I have heard of another teacher calling it W W eleven. the same teacher read the Viet Nam loss as 5 thousand eight hundred. She went nuts when she was corrected.
Asked my 14 year old nephew whether he knew about this last summer and he looked at me like I had two heads! He knew nothing of Charles Lindberg, or any thing from the first half of the last century... Scary. We summer schooled him right then and there!!!
I know that my 1946 Olds sedanette was manufactured in October 1945 before end of WW2. Oldsmobile production ceased on 5th February 1942 due to WW2; Japan surrendered on 2nd September 1945; Post WW2 Oldsmobile production commenced on 15th October 1945; Oldsmobile production ceased on 21st November 1945 due to a United Auto Workers strike and recommenced on 1st April 1946.
As a son of long time Ford employee, the war effort needed steel, rubber, oil, nylon, etc. for the war. Fuel was rationed. My 1940 Mercury 4 door had an original gas ration decal on the windshield. Car parts were scarce too. Some items like sugar, salt and food products were rationed too. Automobile plants were converted to manufacture tanks and planes. The Claycomo Mo. which builds the F-150 now built planes during the war. Ford had another plant in the Sheffield district in KCMO. GM had a plant in the Fairfax district in KCK and still does. A friend's family bought surplus cars and trucks after the war; dismantled, refurbed and boxed them and sold car parts. They also bought tanks and armored vehicles and stored them for resale. Several generations of families lived under the same roof during the war years. I was born at the end of World War II.
Wolfcreek Steve is right; that was the greatest generation. I hate to think what would have happened if we lost that war. The country pulled together to help win that war. I lost relatives that I hadn't even met in that war.
[ I found a 42 mercury in the woods near my house and this is what sparked a question from a friend of mine. thanks[/QUOTE] Do you have any pictures? I have a 42 Sport coupe. Bought is sight unseen as a 41. Delightfully surprised when they dropped of a 42. It too was something someone found out in the woods.
I can remember a car going down the street on the rims, no tires. I remember my Gramma taking me down to A bridge so I could see a barge towing a captured jap sub to port. I remember her going to get her RATIONS. Best of all, I remember my dad coming home from the war.
I taught 8th grade Science for about 5 years and I put a quote from Thomas Jefferson on the board. When the kids sat down they asked"Who is Thomas Jefferson?" I went ballistic. That day turned into a history lesson and I retired shortly after that. It's no wonder we are declining as a nation.
I can only wish we had teachers like you today. My son has all the teaching credentials for History and for English but has yet to land a teaching position. Must not be a priority now days!
and most of them thank god japan was stupid enough to bomb pearl harbor and drag us into the war to save their asses...
Dec. 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor day. The 42 models were already in production. Production ended in early 1942 making the 42 model rare. Any cars made after the changeover were made from parts that were in stock but made before the production lines were changed over to tanks and airplanes. Notice the parking lights that were carried through to the 46 models after the war. I was born in 44 and I've always lamented the fact that there were never any 44 Fords to restore.
A good history of Fords wartime efforts can be found in the book "FORD TRUCKS SINCE 1903, along with production dates. By James K. Wagner
The Jalopy Journal
