An Austin K2Y restored to get an ice cold beer in Alex!

An earlier article (published on the website in 2018) concerned my wife and I watching a movie called Ice Cold in Alex in which a starring role was played by an Austin K2Y, along with John Mills, Anthony Quale and Sylvia Syms. To read the article click here. Recently, I was contacted by a gentleman who saw the article and sent me some photos of his brother’s restored Austin K2Y, which was inspired by the movie and matches up a bit with it’s orginal history.

Here are those photos and a big thank you to Rupert for providing them to us.

1207004 Darkes forest NSW c1942. 2AACC from the AWM no PO1373-003

1207004 Cootamundra 2009.

Austin K2y (1941) WD no. A1207004,(1941-42) AMF No.(ARN) 1207004. 2AACC NSW 1942-48. Perth 2014

note small hole(9mm) just forward of the lubrication chart.Painted over in Ice Cold in Alex.

Two of the 16 m/c gun bullets marks(one above the other) that are still visible - a 9mm in the passenger side.

This Ambulance served in the Middle and Far East 1941-42, 1942-48 with the 2nd Australian Ambulance Car Company, then off to the snowy mountain project. Coming out of the factory on or around ANZAC day 1941, the restoration was a compromise around its history and the film Ice Cold in Alex and road use.

The film was a great help with the body details although the Austin K2Y in the Film was, a 1939-40 model, that had been rebuilt to later specification (1943/44), and all the mods for the film.