Powell Gas Producer

Petrol rationing was introduced into Australia in July 1940. It was severe, restricting private motorists to about 40 miles per week

This was well before the days when Australia's Bass Strait oil fields were even thought of, and all fuel was imported.

These units burned wood, coal or briquettes to produce a gas which could be burned in place of petrol and thus power the engines.

Ford Australia worked with the University of Melbourne, the Vacuum Oil Co (later to become Mobil), Shell Oil Company, and the Powell Gas Producer Co to develop an efficient gas producer which would not gum up the engine with tar or cause excessive wear because of too many dust particles.

The result was a highly efficient version of the Powell Gas Producer (built in Perth), so Ford began mass production for fitting to new vehicles and for after market fitting to existing vehicles. Too bad they aren't on the "extras" list of new cars today. There were a number of gas producer manufacturers in Australia, Electrolux being one of them.