TEI #32 - Solved. Morris Commercial half track conversion by Roadless Traction Ltd.

[Tom_I]

Here's an oddity. There's a point for you if you can identify the base vehicle, and the company that engineered the track conversion.

[Tom_I]

Experts?

[Bill Murray]

I could not find this exact vehicle but I think it is a Morris.
The half track assembly was done by Martell Roadless, (Traction) I have also seen, and this was one of many experimental vehicles done for the British Defense Department.

[Tom_I]

A lot of what you have said is right, Bill, but I can't award a point yet.

It's not one of the Martel designs. There are some similarities, but they were the other way round to this, with the tracks at the front, and the steering wheels at the back. Having said that, Major Martel obtained his track mechanisms from the same company that converted this chassis, and whose name you have almost got, but not quite.

Morris is also right, but the name badge would have had a second word on it as well, distinguishing this from Morris's passenger cars.

LOCKED for Bill's next reply, to fill in the details.

[Bill Murray]

OK, Tom, more research is in order.
BTW, there is a lot of bad info on the net on this project, most all photos are identified as Martel Roadless.

The truck's proper full name is Morris Commercial, sorry I forgot to add that the first time.

Hope to be back soon with the other half of the answer.
Bill

[Bill Murray]

How about Roadless Traction Ltd. as the suspension/drive line supplier.
Bill

[Tom_I]

Well done, you've got it!

I don't have a lot of information about the vehicle, but it is a shortened Morris Commercial chassis from the late 1920s, modified by Roadless Traction Ltd, formed by Lt. Col. Philip Johnson after WW1.

We've had another, very different, Roadless Traction conversion on Autopuzzles before:

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=20611