Specialized, low-production Canadian vehicles such as the Lynx, Fox, Otter and
C15TA are indeed rare now, as much for the fact that many were given to
foreign nations reconstituting their armies after the war. That list would
include Denmark, Greece, Palestine and Indonesia, and probably many more. Few
stayed in Canada at all, and fewer survive today because the armoured vehicles
had no practical use immediately after the war (except as high-quality scrap
steel).
The situation with CMP soft-skins is a little different, but not much, albeit
for different reasons. Yes, the bulk of production was shipped overseas and
rarely, if ever, returned to Canada, but many also stayed here for
administrative reasons (the Zombies needed trucks too). Many of those were
sold off to private concerns after the war, and being robust, reliable
vehicles, were subsequently converted to special purpose trucks or work
platforms, and run until they were of no more use. Most often that conversion
started with disposing of the original box and fittings, and adding
specialized gear in its place. When the vehicles had outlived their useful
lives, they were relegated to a corner of the farm or local scrapyard, where
we, the wide-eyed collectors of the 1990's, strive to recover as much as we
can. Some surprisingly good vehicles can still be had, but they're not common.
Most can be restored, with some good reskinning. Boxes and box fittings can
sometimes be a problem, but are out there. Luckily, mechanicals are no
problem. Tyres... forget it, mostly. Use US non-directionals.
Rather than making a book out of this, if you or anyone on the list is
seriously interested in a specific class of CMP vehicle, email me, by all
means. Some are more common than others. I can't guarantee to find you what
you're looking for, but I can answer your questions and maybe set you on the
right track.
Regards, Geoff
> You said it was nearly impossible to get these. How easy is it to get the
> plain C15A or other short-wheelbase CMP vehicles? Are there many floating
> around out there? Were they all shipped off or should there still be some
> here in Canada ?
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