CKD Javelins in Australia

[Andrew Henshall]

Sixty (60) CKD (Completely Knocked Down) Javelins were assembled in Australia, and occasionally one of these rare models comes up for sale.

These Javelins do not have the usual E2PD20118D (for example) chassis numbers, but instead are numbered: E2PEJKD102 (for example), with "JKD" standing for "Jowett Knocked Down". Other examples I know of are: E2PEJKD111, E2PEJKD122, and E3JKD211. These CKD Javelins were a little different to the UK cars, having Deluxe bumpers without number plate holders, Standard seats (catch type seat adjustment rather than wind forward), no arm rests, and yet the seats were finished in leather.

I've been wondering where the CKD Javelins were assembled. I know that they came into Australia in 1952-53, and believe that they were assembled in a factory in Clayton (a suburb of Melbourne). I'm pretty sure it was the Martin & King Motor Body Builder's premises, but maybe I am mistaken. Does anyone know exactly where they were assembled?

Following on from assembly of Javelins after the demise of Jowett Cars Ltd, Martin & King commenced assembly of CKD VW beetles in 1954 under contract to the local distributor Regent Motors. I believe that the Martin & King premises was subsequently purchased by VW who then built a new assembly plant on the site in 1960 for assembly of Type 1, Type 2 & Type 3 VWs. In the early 60s the plant also assembled Volvo & various Datsun models, alongside VWs. The assembly plant was purchased by Nissan Australia in 1976, and later was sold to Holden Special Vehicles.

I believe that CKD Javelins were also assembled in New Zealand, but don't know how many or exactly where.

Were there any other countries that assembled CKD Javelins?

Cheers,

Andrew

[PJGD]

Andrew,
I do not have answers to your specific questions, however you will note in the contemporary excerpts that I extracted from Commercial Motor archives (in my Gallery here: here

[Keith Clements]

A direct link to the pdf is here.
Note that you still need to have logged on to JowettGallery to read this.

[robert lintott]

In the 2008 register several such Javelins are listed .JKD 247, JKD 275, E3PE JK 215, and E3 PE JK 343. Eden Lindsay may have details Bob Lintott

[Andrew Henshall]

Hi Bob,

Are you referring to the 2008 JCC Register? I assume that each of the CKD Javelins you mentioned is owned by JCC members located outside the UK (why would there be any CKD vehicle in the UK), so I'm interested in which country each vehicle resides in.

Andrew

[robert lintott]

Yes , I have a copy of the 2008 register . It does not say where they are , Eden Lindsay , the Registrar may know . 247 is registered GSK 691 dated 05 so may be in this country . 275 is AN5385, 215 has the same number , which must be an error? 343 is CF 991 where is that ? best wishes Bob

[Chris Gibson]

Andrew,
You asked where else were Jowetts assembled from CKD kits.
The Republic of Ireland (Eire at that time) had Javelins, and possibly a few Bradfords, assembled by Ryan Bros in Ringsend, Dublin.
My father's Javelin was built in 1951 and delivered to the dealer, The Dublin Motor Company, Pearce St, Dublin in December. The original factory identity was retained E1/PC/12123 (registered in Dublin ZE 9752)
The plant was a scruffy shed where individual cars were assembled, there was no line. I don't remember whether the bodies were shipped as bits from Briggs in Doncaster or came as part assemblies. Judging by the paintwork the cars were painted there.
Best wishes, Chris

[robert lintott]

There may have been a distinction between CKD and local assembly , it was all driven by import duties and Tax regulations for which there were wide differences between countries of origin and receipt . Many of these differences, but not all, have gone under the GATT which was just underway in that era. It could be that cars in Eire were assembled locally not CKD , the latter being a more complex assembly process. This might explain why the Javelin mentioned above had a factory number rather than CKD.

In that particular case the number ZE 9752 was probably issued in Jan or Feb 1952 , the series ended in Feb 52 . The car would have been" made" in the UK factory in 1951 . However in the 2008 register other Javelins with similar E1 PD 12xxx numbers were UK registered in the first 3 months of 1951, a year earlier so there must have been some delay in the process. The earliest UK registered Javelin in 1952 --in our register-- was E1 PD 19285, in Cambridge, dated 08/01 /52 , approx . 7000 cars later ! Bob

[Chris Gibson]

Thanks Robert,
It did take a long time to appear, I don't know when the order was placed, and I expect Ryans didn't order the car from the factory before they had a firm commitment.
I know my father paid several visits to them during the assembly, and I went with him once (aged 9).
For tax reasons all Irish cars were assembled in Ireland then except for some luxury models and one of each model to copy! We got a Jupiter from Bradford that way (E3/SC/941) originally registered JKW 400 by Jowetts until it became ZU 120 in Ireland (now owned by Donal Killian, who was a member of JCC)
What's this got to do with Australia!
Chris

[TimKelly]

There are some references to the Martin & King assembled Jowetts available through searching via TROVE. See http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/47368561 .
In loooking at colours, I discovered that they came in to Australia finished in primer only, which explains the original overspray in the boot on the back cardboard of the rear seat.

The Following Extract is from the VW club in ZEITSCHRIFT - August 2007 - Page 26
"First CKD packs arrived in 1954, which were
assembled by Martin & King at Clayton, Vic, under
contract to the local distributors, Regent Motors. At
around the same time, Martin & King was taken over
by Clyde Industries of Granville, NSW, as Martin &
King’s other lines of railway rolling stock and
Fruehauf trailers fitted so well into Clyde’s core
business strategy. The VW assembly operation
effectively followed on after the conclusion of
assembly of the Jowett Javelin".

TK