South China Iron Works built rally vehicle and details about the company, 1950 newspaper article

IDJ has sent this newspaper article about a vehicle built by the South China Iron Works for a rally held in Hong Kong in 1950. We have quite a lot of information regarding this company, all linked below. IDJ notes, “Unfortunately, the micro-film image of the vehicle that heads the article is too obscured to make much out of it. It appears to be just a chassis, engine & wheels.”

HF: I thought it was worthwhile typing out some of the information included in the article about the SCIW.

“The Diesel-engined chassis has been built by the South China Iron Works Limited, which before the Pacific War was producing Diesel engines at its factory in Tsun [sic Tsuen?] Wan. New Territories.

Hundreds of Diesel engines were cast and completely machined at the Tsun Wan factory before 1941. The factory also constructed the chassis. A number of these locally-built vehicles were shipped before the Pacific War to China via Burma. Some are still on the roads in China today doing excellent service, according to reports received by the company.

The vehicle participating in today’s Motorcar Rally is the first to be completed since the end of the war. During the Japanese occupation period, the Japanese removed most of the machinery to Japan.

The machinery was, fortunately, located after the war and returned to the factory. But many essential parts were missing.

While waiting for these vital parts, the bigger party of the factory was requisitioned for military accommodation, and it was not until recently that the company was given back its premises.

The factory is now resuming production. Cast steel parts and heavy duty alloy cylinder blocks are manufactured in an electric furnace. In its production, the company uses refined iron from Scotland, nickel from Canada, manganese from India, lead from Australia, aluminium from England and copper from South Africa.

The factory is equipped to produce Diesel engines for buses, lorries, station wagons and for marine propulsion and industrial drive.”

Source:

Hong Kong Sunday Herald 6th August 1950.

This article was first posted on 14th October 2020.

Related Indhhk articles:

1. The South China Iron Works – post WW2 producer of covered motor tricycles, trucks and motorbikes
2. The Story of the South China Iron Works as told by Chang Don Chien 張敦潛
3. Dr H P Wu – Managing Director / President – South China Iron Works
4. South China Iron Works – company staff in the 1950/60s
5. Chang Don Chien 張敦潛, chief engineer South China Iron Works, 1948-1968
6. The South China Iron Works during World War Two
7. South China Iron Works – violent communist/nationalist clashes 1956