The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Maple Leaf Trucks

Any Maple Leaf aficionados here? I know just about enough to be dangerous. Canadian-only built? Australian GMHolden built? Any good information sources on the internet, that I haven’t found. I did find an Australian based site and forum that seems to be mostly about WWII military vehicles.
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13122


Do you suppose there is much likelihood that many/any are now in the USA? Maybe in some of the border states? I just want to learn something new.

Thanks

Hy Frank50, and guys, I don't want to call myself an expert, but I do have four Maple Leaf trucks, a 1937 2 1/2 ton, a 1943 3 ton, a 1946 3 ton and a 1950 3 ton. They were manufactured by GM Canada. I'm not sure if they still wore Maple Leaf badges if they were exported new from Canada. After GMC developed its full precision bearinged engine in 1939, all 3 ton Maple Leaf trucks were equipped with that type of engine, even though the trucks were "Chevrolet Maple Leaf trucks"

Thanks

I presume you mean the 228-302 six cyl. GMC engines?

Ed

Hy EdPruss and guys, yes that is correct the 228 through 302 series of GMC inline six cylinder engines powered the 3 ton Chevrolet Maple Leaf trucks. All of the 3 ton Maple Leaf trucks I own are powered by 248 engines, hope that clarifies.

What was the last year Maple Leaf trucks were produced/sold?
Thanks again.

Hy guys, the question of what was the last year of the Maple Leaf designation is a difficult one for me to answer with any certainty. Maple Leaf trucks were two different capacities, a 2 1/2ton designated a 16 series and a 3 ton designated a 17 series in the parts book. I have a 1950 3 ton Chevrolet Maple Leaf which has the Maple Leaf rectangular badge on both sides of the hood, I also have a 1951 Chevrolet 17 series truck which does not appear to have ever had the Maple Leaf badging. I have assumed for years that the Maple Leaf designation stopped in 1950 as I could find no evidence that it continued past that point, but I have not searched for any evidence to the contrary.

Thanks 3B. I looked in the Gallery for M L trucks and found this lengthy post from 2008 with lots of great info and some pictures. From this I read that there were Maple Leaf and Chevrolet & Maple Leaf trucks built from 1930 thru 1950, inclusive. I gathered that M L was originally an independent brand that was bought out by GM Canada and folded into Chevrolet... If anyone knows anything more or different, please respond here.

https://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/higgins_mapleleaf.html

Thanks.

Heel low Frank:

The lengthy post from 2008 is ours.

Maple Leafs were built for 21 years. In '36 and '31, GM made the "Chevrolet and Maple Leaf" trucks: 1931 — 1½ ton with WB 131” and in 1936 — 2 ton with WB 131” or 157”. The Chev portion in those models basically meant they used parts from the Chev bins too. Maple Leafs are not an independent "brand" but a truck model GM of Canada produced.

November 20, 1907, Oshawa Ontario carriage & horse drawn sled maker Colonel Sam McLaughlin incorporated the McLaughlin Motor Car Company which went on to evolved into General Motors of Canada. Sam became a director of GM Canada in 1910 and sat on the board of directors for GM in Detroit. He sold his Chev company stock in 1918 & became President of GM Canada. GM made McLaughlin-Buick brand vehicles up until 1942. He remained chairman of the board until his death at 100 years in 1972. He's received the Order of Canada, was inducted into the horse racing & sports hall of fame, when his older brother passed, he became president of his brother's company, Canada Dry. He was involved in thoroughbred horse breeding, racing (winning the Queen's Plate three times), show jumping, cycling, yachting, and donated hundreds of millions to education, art, libraries, museums and youth camps.

Without Colonel Sam, we'd likely not have seen the fancy Maple Leaf truck models made with their leather seats, chrome accents, and nitrocellulose paint.

Doggone,

Tara
Wife and Tabulator for Rick Too Old to Part Out

There used to be a late 30s Maple Leaf flatbed at an old Garage here in North Carolina. I haven't been through the small town it was in since Interstate 40 was finished in that part of the State. I need to go that way next time I go to Wilmington, to see if it's still there. I have two sets of 47-50 Maple Leaf emblems.

Well it certainly would be interesting to know if that 30's something Leaf is still there.

There are still a few miscellaneous badges for ML kicking around. Stumble on them now and again.


We keep letting the rams mow the grass down some...making sure no more trucks magically appear. :-D

Doggone,

Tara
Wife and Tabulator for Rick Too Old to Part Out

Nice fleet !

Revisiting this older thread. Do any of you watch the King of Obsolete (Joey Barnes) on YouTube? He’s an interesting guy and posts some good stuff working on his antique trucks and equipment. He lives in Linn Lake, Manitoba.
Among his fleet of 1930’s and ‘40’s trucks is a 1938 Maple Leaf.

Heel low:

Haven't seen the U-tube video...we don't get service all that good out here.

Had a few people contact us lately about Leaf stuff too; fella with a 1936 and another with a 1937 fire engine--all here in Canada.

Working on getting the four post lift inside the shop; got the paint, need to straighten out a few bumps and hoping this winter to see it ready for spring 2025.

Got a couple more weekends and green season will be over and time to put some of the square bodies away & welcome white season on back. :-D

Doggone,

Tara
Wife and Tabulator for Rick Too Old to Part Out

Frank, if you haven't already, you should read the story of the Higgins' Maple Leaf trucks in the Gallery. A huge story on all six of them.

Thanks Peggy