A couple of years ago a number of model companies launched models of the famous Austin K2/Y ambulance. I’ve had numerous requests for details on the livery of these vehicles so thought I’d put a post together for any modellers who which to put one together in American Ambulance colours!
The American Ambulance operated 25 Austin’s in total which were spread around the country. These were registered: GGU 518 (Amb.115) – GGU 536 (Amb.133) and GYE 844 (Amb.135) – GYE 849 (Amb.140). A number of these appear to have been sponsored for by direct American donations however there is no record of who donated each one.
We have a number of photos of one these vehicles that were taken in 1944 at a V1 bomb site that are in the Imperial War Museum archives which allow us to get a good look at the livery of the vehicle. This vehicle, GGU 519 – Amb.116 was donated to Liverpool maternity hospital after the war however it is assumed spent time serving in London. The vehicle was donated to the American Ambulance by a garments factory collective in New York however I can’t remember the exact inscription on the side of the vehicle.
The above photo shows the livery of the vehicle. It was in the same grey as all of the other American Ambulance vehicles, along the bottom of the bodywork was a red stripe, this extended around over the back doors and back around the other side. On the side behind the cab was space for the vehicle number, Amb.116 in this case, which would have been painted in red and then space for an inscription regarding the donor below that in white.
Above shows what we believe to be the only survivor of a sign off the side of an Austin K2/Y which I was lucky enough to purchase late last year (full post on this later in the year). This shows the colours of the vehicle and the sign that would have been on each side of the vehicle under the window.
Finally, on the front of the vehicle you had a sign above the windscreen. This was white in background with red writing reading “Ambulance”.
As standard for the Home Front, bumpers and steps were painted white to help in the blackouts and the headlights were covered.
The American Ambulance Great Britain Project 
Hi, thanks for your excellent site. With reference to the inscription on the side of the ambulance, it reads as follows: “presented by the tenants and friends of the Garment Center Buildings, New York City”.
Hope this is of some use? The information came from the caption of the photograph on the IWM site
regards
John
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