From 1940 to 1945, large numbers of trucks of all categories were delivered to the U.S. Army by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. Over 160,000 of these trucks were G-506 light four-wheel-drive trucks—which became the standard 1 1/2-ton, 4x4 truck for both the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps during the war. In addition, many more thousands were delivered to Allied forces as part of the Lend-Lease program, including nearly 50,000 delivered to the Soviet Union. Tough, well-built and more agile than the deuce and a half, the Chevy 1½ ton played a part in every theater of operations during the war. Its durability and mechanical reliability made it ideal for a wide range of missions. Not for nothing did Chevy advertise the trucks during the war as “Vehicles of Victory.”

More than 75 years after it was designed, the small Chevrolet truck is still a favorite with collectors. This fully illustrated book details the different series of trucks and their many uses within the U.S. Army including cargo trucks, panel delivery trucks for the Signal Corps, dump trucks for engineers, telephone trucks, tractors, and bomb service trucks for the air force. It also covers their part in the Lend-Lease program, and their continued use after the war.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Different Series
3. Cargo Trucks
4. Panel Delivery Trucks
5. Cargo Dump Trucks
6. Tractor Trucks
7. M6 Bomb Service
8. Telephone Trucks
9. Chassis with Cab
10. Cabs over Engine
11. Low Silhouettes
12. The 1-ton Trailer
13. On Campaign
14. A planned Obsolescence?
15. Lend-Lease
16. After the War
17. The Chevy’s Posterity
Appendices