Trencher

An AP3 Royal! I am officially envious....

I have a Lowline canopy here somewhere from an AP3 Wayfarer.

Jarrod.

A member in South Australia has an extremely nice Chrysler Ute. I do not remember his name or the model of the Ute but even my Wife liked it and she calls all our trucks and projects "Rusty old piles of shit."
I have learned a bit about Internationals from my mate who has lots of them (he has a Dodge Pilothouse Ute and a Fargo Pilothouse truck as well) but I cannot understand Dodge model types from the time when they shared bodywork with Inter. Made by Richards of Adelaide? It seems to me that all Dodges from 1800 CWT Utes to fairly big trucks are all called AT4? No doubt lots of you will put me right here.

Richards were building almost identical cabs for International and Chrysler (as well as bodywork for many other makes) from the early 30's. Most had completely different front end tin ware but as we know, the streamlined shape of the 60's was mainly a badge engineering exercise on the Inter/Chrysler products tinware while they retained their mechanical differences.



Tobias John Martin Richards was a coach and wagon builder in South Australia, first learning the craft from Mr L Maraum of Hindmarsh Square. In 1885 T J Richards opened a small coachbuilding shop in Pulteney Street, Adelaide. He quickly began exhibiting his designs at various country shows and by 1900 he had additional premises on Hindmarsh Square. He retired from the business in 1911 and the firm became T.J. Richards & Sons Ltd., soon adding motor body building to the enterprise.

As the motor vehicle became a viable form of transport in Australia the company moved more into acting as agents for various car marques such as Dixi and Studebaker. In 1917 the company acquired a 14 acre site on Leader Street, Keswick (now the site of Le Cornu’s furniture warehouse) manufacturing motor bodies. A second 11 acre site was opened at Mile End. In 1947 the American company Chrysler purchased a controlling interest and around the same time the company was renamed Chrysler (Australia) Limited. A truck factory was opened at Finsbury, South Australia, the vehicle plant was relocated to Tonsley Park, and an engine plant was built at Lonsdale. In 1980 Mitsubishi took over the company and its many sites. The history of T.J. Richards, Chrysler and Mitsubishi represents an important aspect of Australian vehicle manufacturing history.

Yes, all great info, but what is the bloody trencher? Anybody know?

Morris wrote:

A member in South Australia has an extremely nice Chrysler Ute. I do not remember his name or the model of the Ute but even my Wife liked it and she calls all our trucks and projects "Rusty old piles of shit."
I have learned a bit about Internationals from my mate who has lots of them (he has a Dodge Pilothouse Ute and a Fargo Pilothouse truck as well) but I cannot understand Dodge model types from the time when they shared bodywork with Inter. Made by Richards of Adelaide? It seems to me that all Dodges from 1800 CWT Utes to fairly big trucks are all called AT4? No doubt lots of you will put me right here.

AT4 then DSN

overnite wrote:

Morris wrote:

A member in South Australia has an extremely nice Chrysler Ute. I do not remember his name or the model of the Ute but even my Wife liked it and she calls all our trucks and projects "Rusty old piles of shit."
I have learned a bit about Internationals from my mate who has lots of them (he has a Dodge Pilothouse Ute and a Fargo Pilothouse truck as well) but I cannot understand Dodge model types from the time when they shared bodywork with Inter. Made by Richards of Adelaide? It seems to me that all Dodges from 1800 CWT Utes to fairly big trucks are all called AT4? No doubt lots of you will put me right here.

AT4 then DSN

D5N ...

You are correct.