Aussie Icon - SLOPERS

The only one that I could find that is already scanned and in my computer is this 1937 Chevy Aussie sales brochure. I know I have more in the sales brochure collection including some MoPar and even a Terraplane but they are burried right now.

Of course my primary focus of my collection is UTE material since i am a UTE owner

 

cool to see some aussie content up here!
i posted these pix a couple of years ago...
my dads '39 ford sloper "custom-rod" he built as a teenager in the mid '60s.

 

Here's a couple more '39 Ford slopers.

 

http://www.rocketindustries.com.au/hotrod_day/gallery/thumbs/lrg-703-dsc_172.jpg

 

A cool bodystyle for sure. I'd not kick one outta my driveway...

 

Anyone got a pic of Andrew Lindsay's old '40? That car started it all for me. On the footpath outside the Moomba Hotel in West Melbourne, on a Friday night.

Come on Pix, I know you lurk. Post one up.

 

Ahhhhh slopers! Here's a pic of a US sedan and the Sloper equivolent. Profile of the Black sloper and mine before and after chopping.

Some Ford literature listed them as coupe sedans. They came out in the Ford lineup when the cupe was dropped after '38. My body is a '39 standard.

The rear seat back folded forward for a 9 foot flat floor through to the trunk lid. Salesman's friend!

 

Love the look of these cars. Too bad they weren't made in the US! I think they have a look to rival the 2-door 38-40 Fords. Until this post, all I ever heard about was Utes! Neat. What else you guys got? Gary

 

Here's Andrew's 1940 Sloper. Did you want the before



or after photos ?

 

A customers 35 Chevy

 

Never did see Andrews 40 after he went the taildragger look. Then, not many did. I certainly never saw the aftermath of the T-bone. Man, that looks sad.

 

This may be a bit of topic , but how about another rare Aussie body style, a '33 sport coupe.

 

'35 Chev.

 

Hey Ryan ,Our good neigbours ,the Aussie's done some way out shit, have ya seen what they did with the 'UTE' ,

 

Hey,

Do the Holden bodied Slopers have the high wooden body frame content of the Fisher Body products, built in North America, from this era?

Slopers & Utes = serious cool!

Thanx,

Swankey Devils C.C.

" It's time for another Tea Party! "

 

Hi Guys
Here's some pics of a 1939 Deluxe Ford sloper.

 

I love this car.....

Where's the pic of the rear section mock up, the drawing. I love that look.

 

Here's some of an Aussie Williy's Ute by Holden

 

Another one I found in my photo box........

 

.......found another that I forgot about

 

In the GoodGuys latest issue in the classified ads there is a 1939 Chev. Sloper.. Looks pretty good.....It is in Australia....

 

Thought I would throw in a Aussie 37 Ford Coupe in here to show you how different they are

 

So why did the Aussie's do things a tad different ? was it to keep guys in jobs ,man I love their 'UTES'.........

 

Hey,

So, would it correct to say that the Sloper's day in the sun was a short one when contrasted with that of the Ute's?
I've yet to see any 50's era sloper type bodys, didn't the postwar lines of the vehicles lend themselves to the sloper look? Perhaps the sloper wasn't as useful as the ute, and therefore not in as big, if any, a demand? Did the sedanette look of GM's postwar era make the sloper yesterday's news? Did that body style even make an appearence in OZ or Kiwiville? It would be another fifteen years, up here in North America, before the fastback style would break cover.

Thanx,
Swankey Devils C.C.
" Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Compassion! "

 

You're right about their day in the sun, postwar new cars were in very short supply and expensive. Very few or no sedanettes in either market but lots of military surplus vehicles, you could still buy an army Indian new in NZ in the 60s and a WLA Hogley assembled from parts in Oz into the 80s at least.

 

I saw it. Fucking cool car, good times - and then the old lady.

Good memories tho' . His roadster is gonna be the tits. That Ranchero is no slouch either.

The Pix - not only does he know where its at, he knows what it is as well.....

 

The 'sloper' body syle was a relatively short lived style in Australia. The 'ute' style is still being made today, it's uniquelly Australian and is a very common body style.
Without being an expert i think the sloper style was a prelude to the wagon. The back seat folding down on most, a larger boot area and plenty of room inside for the kids and dog. Australian cars were all about function and form.
Post war 50's cars were identical to, or based on American sedan shapes. In most cases just a year behind in most body styles from Ford, Plymouth etc and our home grown Holden (General Motors Australia) took over from assembling Chevrolet's and started making there own cars. (Only a few Chevs were sold new in the 50's and even Dodge and Plymouth were special orders.)
When the wagon came along the sloper style went. Why have a sloper when you can buy a better looking and more functional wagon? And the style of the 50's cars wouldn't have suited a sloper look anyways.
Does that help?

 

In 1983 Eddie Ford published this very interesting History of Holden
From its early body building buisness till its present models (current at the time of printing.)

There is a nine page section devoted to Slopers, of all different makes and models covered by GM world wide. That were marketed and built in Australia. This included Vauxhall.



These two photos are of great interest, did the Australian Sloper have some influence of some of the American GM designs

 

Cool thread.

I ♥ slopers.

 

There is NO body shape better looking than a 38-39-40 sloper, I LOVE those cars and wish I had the money to buy one. X38, yous with the chop is pure steel sex mate!