 The exterior was mainly made from painted canvas.One veteran of the North African Campaign stated he once managed to carry 27 wounded, with passengers seated on the wings, bonnet, rear steps, and in extra stretchers suspended by rifles across the rear walkway; he was mentioned in dispatches for this feat.A total of 13,102 Austin K2/Y ambulances (the front mudguards ended at the 'doors') were built at the company's Longbridge plant almost continuously from 1940 until the war ended.