► Photothread: SS Vehicle License Plate Photo Database

[Thomas_P]

You´re right Bill! The side panels of the hood are unique.
Didn´t think about a big one (500 or 540) because to me it
seemed too small for them on the pic.

Til the next one!
Greetings
Thomas

[R Michael]

Mike:
Trying again on the Plymouth.
Thomas:
I believe it is a 540K. Werner Oswald's book has dozens of photos of all the variants and it does not look to me like a 230 but a much larger one. The main feature I see is the shape of the cooling louvres on the bonnet which are more or less unique to the 540K. The windscreen and front bumpers can vary according to his book with different cabriolets having both split and one piece windscreens and both solid and split front bumpers.. As well, it seems from his photos that only the larger cars have that very large spotlamp mounted above the bumper. The smaller series have a much smaller spotlamp it seems.
Bill

Thanks Bill for the diligent research. I do think it amazing the amount of US automobiles that were in Eroupe at that time.

Mike

[DenesBernad]

Here's an original photo from my personal collection (Buick Special 40), most probably with an SS licence plate (original print retouched):


Dénes

[Bill Murray]

Hi Mike and Denes:

I have posted this elsewhere on the net, maybe even somewhere on this forum.

In the following geographic areas, American brand cars either imported built up , assembled from kits or partially manufactured in the region represented from 50% to almost 75% of all vehicle registrations both cars and trucks.from the mid 1930s to 1940.

Scandinavia
The Baltic countries
Spain/Portugal
Central and South America
The Balkan countries
I may have missed a few here.

Other areas that had a very strong presence but generally less than 50% market penetration would include:

All of Africa
Many countries all over Asia including China
The Low Countries
Several countries in the Middle East

The next tier is where either GM or Ford, for the most part, had massive manufacturing and/or assembly plants.

England, Germany, Russia, Australia and New Zealand come to mind in this group where particularly Ford branded products were usually in the top three brands. Almost forgot Canada, the US top three was about the same there.

Where you would be least likely to find American origin or branded cars would be in France, Italy and Japan. All of these countries fiercely protected their home markets. Even here, though you still find them, especially in France.

Unfortunately, my copies of "American Exporter" and "Automotive News" of that period are packed away somewhere and I have not seen them for years so I cannot give you exact numbers but I assure you that I am correct in a general sense as I studied it quite a bit in the 1970's when I was living overseas in Sweden and Peru.

In any case, this explains a bit of why you see so many primarily civilian origin American vehicles in these forums and on various ebay sales.

Hope this helps a bit.
Bill

[ericpicc]

Thomas_P you are correct the motorcycle is a BMW R35, still wish I had my BMW R12 that was brought back to Australia after the North Africa campaign.

[Thomas_P]

And what have you done with it? Sold?
You .............!!! ;O)

Greetings
Thomas

[zundapp]

From e-bay

Regards

Sander

Sander, do you have the rest of the picture that shows the SS registered Steyr 1500? I know the left side is the edge of the print, but if I could see the rest of it I might get a clue to its location.

Reason? Well its not just a Steyr 1500, its actually a Kommandeurwagen. I am trying to find out as much as I can about them before I start the restoration of one.

Best

David

[Sander D]

Hi David

The picture that i posted, well that was the whole picture can't show you more of it .
I can't help you with the location of it .

David See your pm.

Cheers

Sander

[Blanusa]

Hi
Made an effort of learning about tactical markings and here is what I have learned so far Please feel free to correct if wrong.

SS-8925 - belongs to a Pi.Kp. just don't know unit
SS-57302 - 13./SS-Dina 3
SS-66004 - 3.(mot.)?/SS-Pz.Jäg.Abt.3

Hope this helps someone.


/Predrag

[DRm]

SS-8925 - belongs to a Pi.Kp. just don't know unit -> Das Reich
SS-57302 - 13./SS-Dina 3 -> Totenkopf
SS-66004 - 3.(mot.)?/SS-Pz.Jäg.Abt.3 -> Totenkopf

[Harro]

Two from my collection. Steve allready kindly identified the type of vehicle for me

15./LSSAH - BMW R11...

[Harro]

1. (Krad.-)/AA LSSAH - Mercedes with spare parts for the motorcycles...

[Harro]

1. (VW.-)/AA LSSAH - Schwimmwagen in Italy (1943) with Karl N. behind the wheel...

[Simon V.]

Nice Schwimmer image!

[Ivan Ž.]

7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen"

SS - _76 127 (Car (?), Croatia, Dubrovnik, 10.IX 1943)
source: History of PE, O.Kumm
SS - 170 075 (Car (?) of SS-Gruf. Phleps, January 1943)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm
SS - 170 206 (Car (?), January 1943)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm
SS - 171 514 (Truck (?) in Kraftfahrschule, Serbia, Summer 1942)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm
SS - 171 706 (Halftruck (Sdkfz 7), Bosnia, Mostar, 8.VII 1943)
source: History of PE, O.Kumm
SS - 171 741 (Halftruck (Sdkfz 7), Bosnia, Mostar, 8.VII 1943)
source: History of PE, O.Kumm
SS - 171 930 (Truck (?) of SS-Pionier-Bataillon, May 1943)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm
SS - 179 514 (Truck (?) of Schlächterei-Kompanie, Bosnia, Bileća, 16.V 1943)
source: Mountain Troops of the WSS, R.Kaltenegger
SS - 220 045 (Car (?), Croatia, Dubrovnik, 10.IX 1943)
source: eBay
SS - 401 152 (Car (?) of SS-Ostubaf. Schmidhuber, Serbia, Mountain Kopaonik, 1st half of October 1942)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm
SS - 403 147 (Car (Ford V3000), 1943)
source: Missing Lynx Forum, page 3 of this thread

SS (Armoured Car (AS-37) of SS-Brif. von Oberkamp, Croatia, mid-September 1943)
source: PE im Bild, O.Kumm



Cheers,
Ivan