March 14th, 2000
`They’ said it couldn’t be done…
DURING World War II when supplies to Australia from overseas were hard to get, Ford
Australia, like many other manufacturing operations, had to improvise and build import
replacements to keep supplying the armed forces.
Ford built many thousands of army trucks – the famous ‘Blitz’ –
during the war.
However, at one stage they ran out of the heavy duty imported truck wheels and Ford
Geelong plant superintendent, C.C. Westerman, had a blacksmith build some dies and began
stamping out the complete wheels.
After the war Ford Canada heard that Westerman had tried to stamp wheels using this
method and informed him that "we doubt whether this could be done and, even if it
was, the wheels would be no good".
Mr. Westerman didn’t bother to tell them that hundreds of army trucks ran
successfully during the war on his wheels!
Feature