Bren Gun Carrier
Maker and role
General Motors Corporation, Manufacturer
Production date
1941
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
1968.46
Production period
Description
L2 Bren Gun Carrier - World War II - fitted with Ford engine. This type of vehicle was widely used by Commonwealth forces during World War 2.
Brief History
These Bren Gun Carriers, also known as Universal Carriers, were assembled at the New Zealand Railway Workshops in Petone from parts manufactured by several New Zealand suppliers, Ford NZ for example provided the engines. General Motors NZ, also located in Petone, co-ordinated the project and provided expertise in vehicle assembly.
Marks
AN / 364 Painted
A3 Painted
A3 Painted
Media/Materials
Other name
Universal Carrier
Collection
Credit Line
General Motors Corporation. 1941. Bren Gun Carrier, 1968.46. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
Related exhibitions
Public comments
Thank you for sharing this information, and the book reference.
- MOTAT Curatorial Research posted 3 years ago.
These were built using parts manufactured all over NZ. Ford-NZ, located at Seaview in Lower Hutt, provided the engine (Ford V8), transmission and rear axle; the NZ Railway Workshops in Petone, Lower Hutt provided the heavy steel military bodies and possibly the caterpillar tracks and wheels (not known for sure). General Motors-NZ, also located in Petone, co-ordinated the project, and arranged for the making of the various parts required from workshops located all over NZ. Final assembly was carried out at the NZ Railways workshops with GM-NZ providing vehicle assembly expertise. It was a fine example of competitors collaborating for the war effort. (Refer pages 84-85 of "Ford in New Zealand - Driving Ahead 1936-97" by John Stokes, published 2020 by New Holland Publishing.)
- John Stokes posted 3 years ago.