(Pics) The GMC Truck announcement show

Wow, how cool!  Knowing how far back this goes, I'd say (being model Rail-Roader ) those are in H.O. scale.

Mike, while I've attended numerous auto shows over the years, I never thought about the planning that goes into the way manufacturers display their new cars and trucks.  I would guess that the "60" refers to 1960, and the truck models in the display were just used as examples of how the new 1960 trucks would be placed in the venue.  Thanks for sharing these pictures!

Thanks ! Yes, they could be something like H.O. scale which I think would be about 1/87 scale. I am not sure whether the model trucks used were aftermarket vehicles or were actual truck replicas built in general for this particular model. They seem to be of different type GMC trucks, I think.

Thanks, Pete ! I know very extensive models of a display were produced for both pitching the exhibit company's ideas and for an example of the actual display used itself.

It seems like a far bigger model than the displays used at an auto show and perhaps more like a big display used at a company introduction for dealers and other important company people.

I also wondered about the "60" displayed on the wall but with (I think) GMC trucks having 4 headlights after 1958, that these may be earlier..... although they may be generic GMC trucks, in which case 1960 would be ok.

what an extraordinary and wonderful piece Mike.

They certainly are interesting photographs to come across ! Many years later I actually did do medium format photographs of a GMC exhibit model that was done by the company that my Dad's firm morphed into. It was a big scale replica of a full-size GMC exhibit meant for their auto and announcement  shows.

I still have some Matchbox vehicles that were used for a model of another of my Dad's clients, Jeep. (I think back then it might have been Kaiser Jeep before Chryslers involvement ?) There were also British Vauxhall station wagons which may have been sold and handled in America by Jeep at that time.

Thanks Mike for the interesting layout. Many of the answers to the questions raised, I suspect will never be known.

Posted by: @mikedetorrice

Thanks ! Yes, they could be something like H.O. scale which I think would be about 1/87 scale. I am not sure whether the model trucks used were aftermarket vehicles or were actual truck replicas built in general for this particular model. They seem to be of different type GMC trucks, I think.

Hi Mike Correct HO gauge is 1:87th scale. HO means half O gauge. O gauge in the UK is 1:43.5th scale, usually rounded to 1:43rd, but in the USA it is 1:48th scale. 

Posted by: @mikedetorrice

They certainly are interesting photographs to come across ! Many years later I actually did do medium format photographs of a GMC exhibit model that was done by the company that my Dad's firm morphed into. It was a big scale replica of a full-size GMC exhibit meant for their auto and announcement  shows.

I still have some Matchbox vehicles that were used for a model of another of my Dad's clients, Jeep. (I think back then it might have been Kaiser Jeep before Chryslers involvement ?) There were also British Vauxhall station wagons which may have been sold and handled in America by Jeep at that time.

@mikedetorrice Mike, Matchbox did indeed produce a Vauxhall Victor Estate (Station Wagon) car. It was 1:71st scale so would fit into the British OO gauge, 1:76th scale, model railway system. Numbered 38 released in 1963 and withdrawn in 1968. Featuring windows, detailed interior and an opening rear tailgate.

Thanks, Chris, for the information on the model automobiles and gauges used ! I do recall one of the Vauxhalls had been quickly repainted to work with a model layout of a car and truck display model. It did have an opening tail-gate in the back, I think I remember, too.

Vauxhall's were sold in the USA in the late 50s by Pontiac dealers, mostly Vauxhall Victor sedans and wagons.   GMC also used some Pontiac V8 engines in their trucks and some trucks had optional Hydromatic four speed gearboxes.  So there was a GMC Pontiac connection.

Posted by: @john-quilter

Vauxhall's were sold in the USA in the late 50s by Pontiac dealers, mostly Vauxhall Victor sedans and wagons.   GMC also used some Pontiac V8 engines in their trucks and some trucks had optional Hydromatic four speed gearboxes.  So there was a GMC Pontiac connection.

Vauxhalls of various sizes were sold in Canada by the Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealerships post war and this marque was very popular and prevalent in British Columbia, Canada back in the day.  One small variation I recall was the smallest  Vauxhall offered here in the 60s, the Vauxhall Viva.  It was also minimally cosmetically changed (grille, tail lights, badging) and sold through Chevrolet dealers as the Envoy Epic (Interesting to see the triple tail light feature done for the Chevrolet version).  I assume this was to placate the Chevy dealer complaints of being "left out" as this little Vauxhall was actually quite a good seller, at least in my area of Victoria and in Vancouver.  I doubt they would have faired that well in the colder winter areas of Canada though.  I understand that the same name distinction was done in England but I'm not sure of the dealership issues that might have prompted it.  This car underwent some design changes in the late 60s-early 70s but by that time QC was terrible so the car rightfully faded in popularity and was decimated by the Japanese wave of quality compact cars.

1970s