Brands - GMC

S.J. Brenssell, Edievale, West Otago, GMC CCKW353 6x6 bulk spreader. There were two differential types fitted to the W.W.II 6x6 GMCs, the Timken type as fitted to this truck and the GM 'banjo type".

A GMC CCW353 6x4.

GMC CCW353 6x4 ex-N.Z. Army.

Ward's Transport trucks, Ruatoria & Gisborne, loaded up with freight. From the left-White-probably mid-1920s, c.1929-1933 White, c.late 1920s-early 1930s White-(a slightly heavier model than the one to the left of it), c.1926 Chevrolet and c.1929-1931 GMC.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 belonging to Huntly Fertilisers is being loaded by a front end loader mounted on a Fordson E27N Major tractor at a fertiliser or lime works.

G.V. Dewes 1926 GMC K32 or K52B series Big Brute truck now fitted with 10 stud disc wheels with pneumatic tyres on the front axle. The rear axle retains solid rubber tyres on cast spoke wheels. G.V. Dewes ran a cartage service to and from the Tokomaru Bay wharf north of Gisborne. His business was taken over by Chaffey's Transport.

1926 GMC K32 or K52B series Big Brute truck of G.V. Dewes with a load of wool bales.

Certified Concrete Ltd, Invercargill fifties. New Zealand relied on the GMC 6x6 ex military trucks left on our shores after world war 2 for a huge variety of purposes.

A well loaded GMC CCW 6x4 logger.

TNL heavy haul of a boiler from the Nelson port. Notice that Transport Nelson's GMC CCKW 6x6 must have been an open cabbed version as it has a locally built wooden framed cab.

Mossburn Transport Co Ltd operated this immaculate crane mounted GMC 6x6 truck in the fifties and sixties, which represented a major investment for the company at the time.

Mossburn Transport's GMC CCKW353 6x6 fitted with a Quick Way crane to make a very handy mobile crane.

G.V. Dewes 1926 GMC K32 or K52B series Big Brute truck now fitted with 10 stud disc wheels with pneumatic tyres on the front axle. The rear axle retains solid rubber tyres on cast spoke wheels. G.V. Dewes ran a cartage service to and from the Tokomaru Bay wharf north of Gisborne. His business was taken over by Chaffey's Transport.

Dunedin City Transport GMC CCKW352 6x6 used for recovering broken down buses in Dunedin.

Dunedin City Transport GMC CCKW352 6x6 with front mounted winch and rear mounted wrecking crane used for recovering broken down buses in Dunedin. By the look of the guard mounted air cleaner and exhaust stack puffing a bit of white smoke it may have had the original GMC 270 cubic inches petrol engine replaced with a diesel.

Three Clutha Carrying Company, Balclutha, GMC CCKW 6x6 bulk spreaders stopped for a picture while spreading lime or fertiliser on a worked paddock. The lime spreaders look to be Haypark rotary spreaders developed by Alex Hay, lime contractor of Oamaru and later Te Anau and machinery dealers and engineers, Park Bros. of Goodwood, North Otago. The HayPark spreaders were manufactured by South Otago Engineering in Balclutha. Notice that the middle truck and the one to the right of it have front mounted winches.

A neat survivor, a Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to farmers, I.R. & A.B. Begley, Otahu, Western Southland. It is fitted with a Haypark rotary spreader bin manufactured by South Otago Engineering in Balclutha.

A neat survivor, a Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to farmers, I.R. & A.B. Begley, Otahu, Western Southland. It is fitted with a Haypark rotary spreader bin manufactured by South Otago Engineering in Balclutha.

A neat survivor, a Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to farmers, I.R. & A.B. Begley, Otahu, Western Southland. It is fitted with a Haypark rotary spreader bin manufactured by South Otago Engineering in Balclutha.

A neat survivor, a Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to farmers, I.R. & A.B. Begley, Otahu, Western Southland. It is fitted with a Haypark rotary spreader bin manufactured by South Otago Engineering in Balclutha.

A rather battered GMC CCW353 6x4 refuelling/servicing truck refuelling a track mounted skyline log hauler. It appears to have a large air tank mounted horizontally above the fuel tank so must have an engine driven compressor as well.

Frame Transport, Palmerston, East Otago, GMC CCKW353 6x6 with a nicely stacked load of sacks of grain or seed.

A very smart GMC CCKW353 6x6 concrete mixer truck with front mounted winch belonging to M.E. Roberts & Co., Building Contractors of Hokitika, Westland. It appears that the mixer bowl is driven by a Ford diesel engine as it has a Fordson tractor radiator surround and hood.

A Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW 6x6 belonging to Molloy Bros. of Cobden and Kotuku, West Coast. The jinker supporting the rear of the heavy wooden structure appears to be the tandem rearend of another GMC. Molloy Bros. business was purchased by Transport North Canterbury in the late 1960s becoming Molloy Transport with a main depot at Kaiata and a branch at Reefton. Transport North Canterbury didn't have a presence on the West Coast for very long, probably 3 or 4 years before selling Molloy Transport to Trans West Freighters, although they did keep the depot in Reefton.

O'Malley Transport, Ranfurly, GMC CCKW352 6x6 and single axle semi-trailer with what looks to be a pretty heavy wooden double deck stock crate. Notice how the trailer axle is a redundant truck drive axle. Tare weight wasn't so important in those days, you just had to use what was available.

GMC CCKW 6x6 logger of N.Z. Forest Products with tandem axle log jinker with a good load of long logs.

6 GMC CCKW 6x6 concrete mixer trucks of Certified Concrete, Invercargill. The trucks were owned by Southland Sand & Gravel and contracted to Certified.

6 GMC CCKW 6x6 concrete mixer trucks of Certified Concrete, Invercargill. The trucks were owned by Southland Sand & Gravel and contracted to Certified.

T.N. Mouat, Westport, GMC fording a river.

T.N. Mouat, Westport, GMC CCW353 6x4 carting a Cletrac or Oliver crawler tractor.

An open cab GMC CCKW 6x6 with GM banjo diffs and front mounted winch. It appears that this truck was still in military service at the time of this picture.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 belonging to the McVicar Timber Group in Christchurch. This had been a working truck in McVicar's logging fleet and with its 270 cubic inches 6 cylinder petrol engine is a far cry from McVicar's Kenworth logging trucks of the late 1970s-1990s period.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 belonging to the McVicar Timber Group in Christchurch. This had been a working truck in McVicar's logging fleet and with its 270 cubic inches 6 cylinder petrol engine is a far cry from McVicar's Kenworth logging trucks of the late 1970s-1990s period. The GMC model code of CCKW352 or 353 can be explained as-the first letter is the year starting with A in 1939-so C=1941 design, (B=1940, D=1942, no letters allocated for 1942 and 1943, E=1945-46 and so on, this lettering system was used up to the late 1940s), 2nd letter C=conventional, with a bonnet or hood-(F=cab over engine), 3rd letter K=driven front axle, 4th letter W=6x4 tandem rear drive, 352/353=300 series with 52-145" and 53-164" denoting wheelbase length.

J.M. McDonald, Bulk Lime Contractor based in Lumsden, Northern Southland operated this GMC CCKW 6x6 bulk lime spreader. The aircraft appears to be a Piper Cub.

It appears that Maxwell Bros. of Dunedin have just taken delivery of these 3 freshly painted GMC CCKW 6x6 tippers as they parked outside G.T. Gillies premises in Oamaru.

Timber Supplies, Matakana operated this GMC CCKW 6x6 with locally made wooden framed cab. It was likely that this truck was an open cab version when in military use. That is one big bit of timber it's carting.

D.M. Smyth ran this GMC CCKW 6x6 and two axle logging jinker contracted to the Auckland Timber Co.

Before Southern Transport of Invercargill became a general carrier in late 1960, the company, owned by Bill Richardson's father, Harold Richardson, operated a small fleet of International, Ford, GMC, Commer and Thames Trader trucks to service their sawmilling, timber cartage and pre-fabricated house businesses. Harold Richardson owned the Niagara Sawmilling Co. with bush sawmills milling native timber at Progress Valley, Blackhorn and Mokoreta in Eastern Southland. This Timken diff equipped GMC CCKW 6x6 with front mounted winch of Southern Transport based in Wyndham is being loaded with some pretty gnarly native logs.

Before Southern Transport of Invercargill became a general carrier in late 1960, the company, owned by Bill Richardson's father, Harold Richardson, operated a small fleet of International, Ford, GMC, Commer and Thames Trader trucks to service their sawmilling, timber cartage and pre-fabricated house businesses. Harold Richardson owned the Niagara Sawmilling Co. with bush sawmills milling native timber at Progress Valley, Blackhorn and Mokoreta in Eastern Southland. This GMC CCKW 6x6 of Southern Transport based in Wyndham is loaded with some pretty gnarly native logs.

T.N. Mouat, Westport, GMC CCW 6x4 involved in logging operations in the late 1950s-early 1960s period.

GMC CCKW 6x6 logger belonging to logging contractor, Ted Beazley.

Hughey Bros. Contractors, Cheviot, GMC CCKW 6x6 being loaded with lime by an Allis Chalmers HD5G track loader at a lime works.

King's House Removals of Inglewood Rd., Invercargill, GMC CCKW352 6x6 moving a boat on a house trailer. Notice the man sitting on the cradle holding the boat-things were done differently in those days.

King House Removals' GMC CCKW 6x6 moving a church-like building on a house trailer.

D.T. King & Co., Carriers, Pukemaori, GMC CCKW353 moving the body of an old Invercargill Tramways tramcar.

A prefabricated house built by R. Richardson, builders of Invercargill being transported by one of King House Removals' GMC CCKW 6x6 trucks to become a new home for somebody. The front mounted winches on these trucks would have been invaluable on these building removal jobs.

A house being transported by one of King House Removals' GMC CCKW 6x6 trucks to become a new home for somebody. The front mounted winches on these trucks would have been invaluable on these building removal jobs.

A neat front on shot of a banjo diff equipped GMC CCKW 6x6 engaged in native logging operations with a very large piece of timber in tow.

Timber Supplies, Matakana operated this GMC CCKW 6x6 with locally made wooden framed cab. It was likely that this truck was an open cab version when in military use. That is one big bit of timber it's carting.

Dunedin City Transport GMC CCKW 6x6 breakdown truck with wrecking crane and front mounted winch used for recovering broken down buses.

G.T. Gillies, Oamaru, breakdown truck and two GMC CCKW 6x6 mobile cranes of their Mobile Crane Service. One of the crane trucks has a front mounted crane while the other one has a rear mounted crane with a limited amount of slew. The 4x4 breakdown truck is a cut down 6x6 and advertises Morris and Dodge Sales & Service as Gillies were Dominion Motors dealers. There were Chevrolet G4100 and G7100 1 1/2 ton military 4x4s produced during World War 2 with the same cab and sheet metal as this GMC. The easiest way to tell them apart was the Chevrolet had 6 louvres on the bonnet sides while the GMC had 12. Chevrolet only made 4x4s and GMC only made 6x4s and 6x6s of this style. The Chevrolet used a smaller Chevrolet 235 cubic inches 6 cylinder overhead valve petrol engine while the GMC's engine displaced 270 cubic inches.

A well loaded trailer hitched to a Tokarahi Transport Co., North Otago, GMC CCKW 6x6 artic photographed outside G.T. Gillies premises in Oamaru.

D.S. Hazlett & Son, Waipiata, GMC CCKW352 with two axle lowbed transporter loaded with a small Ransomes & Rapier dragline.

Ready-Mix Concrete, Blenheim, fleet-an International LF174 6x4 and 2 GMC CCKW 6x6 mixer trucks.

A front on view of G.T. Gillies banjo diff equipped GMC CCKW 6x6 with the rear mounted slewing crane.

G.T. Gillies CCKW 6x6 with the front mounted crane with a Petter 2 cylinder diesel powered hole borer. It would seem that the auger would wind itself in and the winch rope would free spool down and then be used to lift the auger out of the completed hole. It certainly doesn't look a very safe contraption, but it probably worked alright.

G.T. Gillies Mobile Crane Hire Service GMC CCKW. By the look of the dust on the cab this may have been the first time this truck had seen the light of day for a while.

G.T. Gillies Salvage Service GMC breakdown truck-a cut down former 6x6.

G.T. Gillies Salvage Service GMC breakdown truck-a cut down former 6x6. With the front mounted winch this truck would have been a very capable recovery wagon.

D.S. & J. Hazlett, bulldozing contractors based at Waipiata in the Maniototo operated this GMC CCKW352 pictured outside G.T. Gillies garage in Oamaru to transport their gear around their various jobs. It is hitched to a G.T. Gillies built two axle lowbed transporter with an International TD9 bulldozer with the extra long rams and operator protection to enable it to operate as an overloader. Check out the neat steel guards on the GMC.

Just a few of the over 1,200 GMC CCKW 6x6 trucks that became the property of G.T. Gillies Ltd. when their tender was accepted by the War Assets Realisation Board. Towards the end of the war in the Pacific, the U.S. 1st Marine Division shipped damaged, but repairable, vehicles that had seen service in the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal campaigns to N.Z. for repair by General Motors N.Z. It was thought they would be needed as the war in the Pacific raged on. As it was, with the development of the atomic bomb by the Americans, the war ended a lot sooner than expected. The vehicles were not needed and became the property of the N.Z. Government. Not knowing what to do with the trucks and ignorant of their true value, the Government in the guise of the War Assets Realisation Board put them up for tender. George Gillies and his sons put a tender together for 1,225 GMC 6x6 trucks which was duly accepted in March 1946. The Gillies family had clinched one of the greatest business deals in N.Z. history.

Just a few of the over 1,200 GMC CCKW 6x6 trucks that became the property of G.T. Gillies Ltd. when their tender was accepted by the War Assets Realisation Board. Towards the end of the war in the Pacific, the U.S. 1st Marine Division shipped damaged, but repairable, vehicles that had seen service in the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal campaigns to N.Z. for repair by General Motors N.Z. It was thought they would be needed as the war in the Pacific raged on. As it was, with the development of the atomic bomb by the Americans, the war ended a lot sooner than expected. The vehicles were not needed and became the property of the N.Z. Government. Not knowing what to do with the trucks and ignorant of their true value, the Government in the guise of the War Assets Realisation Board put them up for tender. George Gillies and his sons put a tender together for 1,225 GMC 6x6 trucks which was duly accepted in March 1946. The Gillies family had clinched one of the greatest business deals in N.Z. history. This picture shows the military vehicles including GMCs, Jeeps and Dodges as they were stored at a 5 acre site in Seaview, Wellington. G.T. Gillies eventually bought this site,

G.T. (George) Gillies standing on the roof of one of the over 1,200 ex-U.S. Marine Corps GMC CCKW series 6x6 trucks he had bought by tender from the War Assets Realisation Board.

A photograph taken in 1989 at Gillies foundry in Oamaru showing the remains of some of the last GMC trucks owned by Gillies.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 belonging to Fletcher Timber with its proud driver. The brackets on the front bumper would probably be for carrying the spare wheel.

GMC CCW 6x4 tippers with high sided coal bodies belonging to either the P.W.D.-(Public Works Department-forerunner of the Ministry of Works) or the State Coal Department. The trucks are being loaded by a large Ruston Bucyrus face shovel.

Ferguson's Earthmoving, Greymouth, GMC CCKW 6x6 tipper with cam and roller hoist at Paringa in South Westland.

One of Ferguson's Earthmoving Co.'s GMC CCKW 6x6s equipped as a mobile pile driver. Notice the large counterweight on the front of the truck.

A GMC CCW353 6x4 of Ferguson's Earthmoving Co. Greymouth doing duty as an on-site fuel tanker on a job at Whataroa, South Westland. Most of the 6x4 CCW model GMC trucks that were operated by civilian operators in N.Z. had been in service with the N.Z. Army.

A GMC CCKW that would have been a 6x6, but now cut down to a 4x4 feeding hay in snowy conditions in the Mossburn, Northern Southland area. Plenty of keen young helpers on the back and also notice the cog on the rear axle to drive a lime/fertiliser spreader when fitted.

Ed Evans' GMC CCKW 6x6 fording the Otira River which cuts through his farm at Aickens near Otira on the West Coast. The GMC has been repowered with a Leyland 300 diesel engine as fitted to the early Comet 75 trucks.

Ed Evans' GMC CCKW 6x6 backed in to the stockyards on his farm at Aickens near Otira on the West Coast. The sheep are being brought in for shearing and as they have to cross the Otira River to get to the shearing shed, the old GMC does a good job negotiating the sometimes soft river bed and keeping the sheep dry in the process. The GMC has been repowered with a Leyland 300 diesel engine as fitted to the early Comet 75 trucks.

Consolidated Drillers' drilling rig powered by a 2.71 GM Diesel engine and mounted on a GMC CCKW353 6x6.

A large native log in the process of being loaded on a Perkins powered-(probably a P6), GMC CCW353 6x4 with two axle jinker. The GMC belonged to T. Croft of Stillwater, West Coast, and you will see there needed to be a bit of manual handling to get the log in place.

There aren't many pictures of GMC 6x6s carting stock, but when you come across one they sure look good especially when they're toting a double deck crate with a cab pen. This CCKW353 belonged to Collins Transport of Kurow, North Otago. Collins Transport were one of the founder companies that joined to form Waitaki Transport Holdings in the mid-1960s. Collins were the largest carrier to join the group and the green and cream Waitaki Transport colours were inherited from Collins Transport.

There aren't many pictures of GMC 6x6s carting stock, but when you come across one they sure look good especially when they're toting a double deck crate with a cab pen. This CCKW353 belonged to Collins Transport of Kurow, North Otago. Collins Transport were one of the founder companies that joined to form Waitaki Transport Holdings in the mid-1960s. Collins were the largest carrier to join the group and the green and cream Waitaki Transport colours were inherited from Collins Transport.

A GMC CCKW353 6x6 of Kurow Motor Garage & Service Co. with a damaged 1939 Chevrolet utility on the deck.

A GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to Collins' Transport, Kurow carting a Caterpillar D6-4R series tractor fitted with a LaPlant-Choate hydraulic bulldozer. Collins' 1941-46 type Chevrolet truck has the much easier task of transporting the blade.

A banjo diff equipped GMC CCKW 6x6 tipper fitted with a cam and roller hoist. The truck was operated by the large Christchurch based roading and contracting firm, British Pavements (Canterbury).

A GMC CCKW 6x6 tipping roading chip off on a stockpile. The truck was operated by the large Christchurch based roading and contracting firm, British Pavements (Canterbury).

One of Ferguson's Earthmoving Co.'s GMC CCKW 6x6 tippers. The bulldozer in the background looks like an International TD40 with Bucyrus Erie hydraulic blade.

One of Ferguson's Earthmoving Co.'s GMC CCKW 6x6 tippers getting loaded under a Ruston Bucyrus face shovel.

One of D.T. King & Co.'s GMC CCKW353 6x6s loaded with sacks of grain or seed. No. 11 is the same truck that was pictured transporting the old tram in another picture.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 used on the Chatham Islands to transport airline passengers and freight on the trailer towed behind equipped with high flotation aircraft tyres across the Waitangi Lagoon to the main island. The cab, passenger compartment and fuel tank were set very high as obviously some quite deep water was encountered.

A GMC CCKW 6x6 used on the Chatham Islands to transport airline passengers and freight across the Waitangi Lagoon to the main island. That is a wave suppressing blade mounted on the front and the cab, passenger compartment and fuel tank were set very high as obviously some quite deep water was encountered. Shown here backed up to the front loading doors of a SAFE Air Bristol Freighter aircraft.

A specially bodied GMC CCW353 6x4 used as a mobile aircraft engine testing unit for running up and testing aircraft engines. The N.Z. Army operated around 1,000 GMC CCW353 6x4 trucks which were supplied in "knocked down" form to be assembled by General Motors N.Z. from 1942.

Ferguson's Earthmoving, Greymouth short wheelbase GMC CCW 6x4 hitched to a single axle lowbed transporter with an International bulldozer-probably a petrol start TD18-182 series on board. Across the road from Greymouth International Harvester dealers, Baillie & Neville.

A West Coast bush scene-a GMC CCW353 6x4 assisting in the loading of a skid mounted log hauler onto a lowbed hitched to an International LF195 of Tacon's Transport, Kumara.

King's House Removals of Inglewood Rd., Invercargill, GMC CCKW352 6x6 moving a boat on a house trailer. Notice the man sitting on the cradle holding the boat-things were done differently in those days.

Dunedin City Transport GMC CCKW352 6x6 used for recovering broken down buses in Dunedin.

Southland Construction Co., Invercargill, used this GMC CCKW 6x6 fitted with a U.S. made Rosco tar sprayer. When the GMC was retired the Rosco sprayer was fitted to an International AA164 that was converted to left hand drive for spraying duties.

Mossburn Transport's GMC CCKW353 6x6 fitted with a Quick Way crane to make a very handy mobile crane.

6 GMC CCKW 6x6 concrete mixer trucks of Certified Concrete, Invercargill. The trucks were owned by Southland Sand & Gravel and contracted to Certified.

Old established Dunedin carriers, Foote & Company-(later H.A. Foote Haulage), 1926 GMC K72B series Big Brute truck loaded with a large crate, possibly at the Waipori Power Station. Note that the truck has pneumatic tyres on the front axle and solids on the rear. There were only two of this model of big GMC-K72B, to come to N.Z.-the other one-a 1928 model, was operated by the Vacuum Oil Co. and later by British Pavements in Christchurch. Along with the Hall-Scott engined International HS74 these were some of the heaviest American trucks to come to N.Z. in the later 1920s.