Toyota AK10 Picture (1 Viewer)

[stephows]

I'm new to his forum but I'm keen on Toyota history.
The unusual suspension was because Toyota engineers had pre war links with German engineers.
The Toyota engineers had access to designs that became the Beetle and Kublewagen.
So Toyota used some of these features on the AK10 (torsion bars and swing arms).
These were the same Toyota engineers (led by Dr Kazuo Kumabe) who designed the 1947 Toyota SA passenger car which used many features from the Beetle.

I'm the principle contributor (with a lot of help from my friend Bill) on the Wikipedia GB article that Johnny referred to.
The KB truck has the rounded grill and the KC truck has the dead flat radiator.
The KC truck was used as the basis of the KCY amphibian LVT.
I'm not sure if the KCY used the AK10 front suspension or if the AK10 used the KCY front suspension.

Can you tell me which book you got the AK10 pictures from?
I'd like to be able to use it as a source on Wikipedia.

- Stepho

 

[semlin]

this is interesting if you over lap the kc and ak...what do you think?

Interesting thread. I actually see a little bit of the 45 in that photo, especially the roof line.

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

The Toyota engineers had access to designs that became the Beetle and Kublewagen.
So Toyota used some of these features on the AK10 (torsion bars and swing arms).

Stepho, thanks for sharing. That's what I suspected but it just seemed to different, didn't think about it from that angle. Thanks for the work on the early history.

 

[JohnnyC]

Stepho, thanks for sharing. That's what I suspected but it just seemed to different, didn't think about it from that angle. Thanks for the work on the early history.

x2

 

[stephows]

Does anybody know when the AK or AK10 was made?
The Bantam Jeep was found in the Phillipines in 1941 but no mention is made of the AK or AK10 production dates.
The KCY was made from Nov 1943 to Aug 1944.
I'd love to know whether the the 4WD front axle was first designed for the AK10 or the KCY amphibian.

- Stepho

 

[JohnnyC]

Does anybody know when the AK or AK10 was made?

The Bantam Jeep was found in the Phillipines in 1941 but no mention is made of the AK or AK10 production dates.
The KCY was made from Nov 1943 to Aug 1944.
I'd love to know whether the the 4WD front axle was first designed for the AK10 or the KCY amphibian.

- Stepho

I have the following information:
Nov 1943 KC-type truck (wartime model of KB-type) to start producing
Nov 1943 amphibious type 4wd production
July 10 1944 AK-type 4wd prototype production
Dec 10th 1944 TR-type four-ton tractor

Assuming the it’s easier to build and test a carry over truck (KB to KC) than a few ton amphibious type truck...I would say the KC was completed and tested found to be adequate and then the others were made.



My 2c and what I have found ....sooooo far

 

[JohnnyC]

got this from a site thats shadowing our posts

new pic though

 

[stephows]

Note the single headlight.
This confirms it's production late in the war when materials were in short supply.

By the way, I've bought a couple of scale model kits of the KC airplane starter truck.
The box says it's a GB but the body style is obviously a simple KB or KC rather than the more complicated panels of the GB.
I've put some pictures on the Wikipedia "Toyota KC" page.
Toyota G1 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've made the first one pretty much straight (minus the equipment).
The second one will be the KC poverty version with simpler wheel guards (fenders), a full (but simple) cab, a full size cargo bed and a single headlight.

- Stepho

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

got this from a site thats shadowing our posts

Tell them to come on over!

 

[FJnotCJ]

got this from a site thats shadowing our posts

new pic though

Same photo as the your first one in this thread, just cleaned up a bit....

 

[JohnnyC]

Same photo as the your first one in this thread, just cleaned up a bit....

i think its a crop down of the original pic...in which my first pic was a newsprint of.

 

[JohnnyC]

this photo looks like it was scaned from the original (same as previous pic) ...but...what does it say below?

 

[JohnnyC]

here is a good pic of the war-time KC

 

[owensexport]

Translation:
Small size 4wd copied from Jeep.

 

[JohnnyC]

I've found a picture some time ago that has shead light on the whole "copy of a jeep" theory.

I went and over some time did a lil digging and research about it.

another website had another picture pop up as well as the one i found before and yet another website with the identical picture from before...but the original site where i found the 1st pic was not up and running anymore

I have gathered this information about the "jeep copy" as well as a tragic begining to our beloved cruisers:

The American and Filipino defense forces on the Bataan Peninsula were forced to surrender on April 8th 1942. The Bantam BRC-40 was captured at that time as well. Sadly I found that the defense forces were not as lucky as the BRC-40.

As the BRC-40 made its way to Japan the defense forces went on the Bataan death march http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Death_March of the 75,000 troops a minimum of 6000-11,000 died on the 60mi march where as they did not receive water or food for 5-6 days as they marched straight thru to their prisons. A great number more perished at the hands of their captors as they were beaten in their camps.

The Bantam BRC-40s were sent to Japan by ship from Manila, Philippines and were later displayed for the Japanese public at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

Here are two pictures of the captured Bantam BRC-40.

The 1st picture shows the Japanese Imperial Army with the captured Bantam as well as William Burns who is shown with the tanker crewman helmet on. The Bantam belonged to the 192 Tank battalion of the American forces in the Philippines.

Tragicly William Burns would later die at the hands of his captures.

The second picture shows the Bantam BRC-40 at Clark Airfield awaiting shipment to Japan.

here are the two sites that still have the original 1st pic as well as one with the other:
La Segunda Guerra Mundial • Toyota AK10
Bantam bcr40 capturado - Panzernet

 

[JohnnyC]

comparison

 

[JohnnyC]

This is a confermation of the Jeeps going to Japan:

"The men on this detail were selected because they were in good physical condition. These men drove trucks down to Bataan to bring back vehicles that had been abandoned and disabled by the retreating Filipino and American forces. Each truck had a driver and three men assigned to it. The men would hook three vehicles together and tow the damaged vehicles to San Fernando. Each man would sit in a vehicle and steer it. From San Fernando, the men would drive the vehicles to Manila where the vehicles were loaded onto ships bound for Japan. "

Full Story of William Burns:
" Cpl. William Edison Burns, Jr., was born on August 3, 1919, to William E. Burns, Sr. & Mary Burns in Oak Park, Illinois. With his brother and sister, he attended the Field-Stevenson Grammar School in Forest Park and Garfield School in Maywood.
In Maywood, he lived at 808 South 9th Avenue and attended Proviso Township High School. He was a member of the Proviso graduating Class of 1938. While a student at Proviso, he was interested in music, basketball and ice skating. After high school, he was employed by the Continental Can Company in Chicago.
Bill was a member of the 33rd Tank Company of the Illinois National Guard and was called to federal service in November of 1940. He trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Camp Polk, Louisiana, before being sent to the Philippines in October of 1941.
When war came in December of 1941, William served as a member of the motorcycle reconnaissance detachment and was a dispatch rider for the 192nd Tank Battalion. As a member of this unit, he carried messages between the various companies of the 192nd. While under heavy enemy fire from enemy machine guns, aerial bombing and artillery fire, he made numerous trips to the front lines units delivering messages and guiding other messengers. By doing this, he showed utter disregard for his own personal safety while performing his duties.
During the evening of April 8, 1942, Bill informed his friend, Sgt. Ray Vadenbroucke that had been selected to drive one of the two jeeps that were to carry the officers of General King's staff to negotiate the surrender of the Filipino and American forces on Bataan. Since he did not know if he would return from this mission alive, Bill asked Ray to inform his parents that he had done his best during the Battle of Bataan.
On April 9, 1942, Bill drove the jeep which carried Col. Everett C. Williams and Major Marshall H. Hurt to notify the Japanese that General King intended on surrendering the Filipino and American Forces on Bataan. He returned to the American lines with Major Hurt to bring the news that the Japanese were willing to accept the surrender of General King's troops.
Bill next drove the jeep carrying Col. Collier, a member of General King's staff, to the meeting with General Kameichiro Nagano to discuss the terms of surrender. During this trip up the East Road, the two jeeps were attacked by Japanese planes. This was done despite the fact they were carrying white flags. Bill saved his own life and that of Col. Collier when he swerved his jeep sharply to the left as a Japanese plane strafed them. He continued to play this game of "cat and mouse" with the Japanese planes until a Japanese reconnaissance plane acknowledged them and kept the other planes away.

With the surrender of Bataan, Bill took part in the death march and was held as a Prisoner of War at Camp O'Donnell. Sometime between April 12 and May 1, while a POW at Camp O'Donnell, Bill was one of 100 POW's selected to go to Camp Olivas on a work detail.
The men on this detail were selected because they were in good physical condition. These men drove trucks down to Bataan to bring back vehicles that had been abandoned and disabled by the retreating Filipino and American forces. Each truck had a driver and three men assigned to it. The men would hook three vehicles together and tow the damaged vehicles to San Fernando. Each man would sit in a vehicle and steer it. From San Fernando, the men would drive the vehicles to Manila where the vehicles were loaded onto ships bound for Japan.
While working on this detail, Bill was one of five men selected by the Japanese to be sent to the hospital because of illness. Bill and Charles Peterson, another member of Company B, were considered so ill that they were placed in isolation. According to conflicting reports, Cpl. William Edison Burns died on July 3, 1942, from malaria and yellow jaundice or dysentery.
After his death, Sgt. Bob Peterson and Pvt. Harry Noworul, both of B Company, convinced the Japanese to allow them to bury Bill outside of San Fernando. The two men carried his body two miles from the town where they buried him in a secluded spot. After the war, the Burns Family requested that Bill's remains be returned to the United States. Since his father had moved to California, Bill was reburied at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.
Cpl. William E. Burns was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Silver Star for meritorious achievement and gallantry in action.

The full story about Cpl. William Edison Burns, Jr can be seen here:
Burns

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

Thanks Johnny

 

[JohnnyC]

come to find out.....the original picture of William Burns in the BRC-40 was ironically 1st posted from the Bataan Project website as seen here:
B DTW 3

The picture was donated to the Project from the Burns family

 

[drjbc3]

JohnnyC,

It's amazing how far cars have come since the AK-10. Think of the talent and money that the advances represent.