A Truck Stuck in the 1946 Wayback Machine

By 1940, military planners all but knew that the United States was eventually going to end up embroiled in World War II. Specifications were drawn up for military-specific truck configurations, and Dodge was at the forefront.

Contracts were let initially for a series of half-ton trucks based on the new-for-1940 Dodge civilian trucks with several cab and body configurations, including an SUV-like Carryall wagon. These VC-Series trucks held great promise, and they soon evolved into the WC-Series of military half-ton and lower-profile, three-quarter-ton WC-51 through WC-64 series trucks by December 7, 1941.

The three-quarter-ton trucks distinguished themselves as perhaps the best overall truck of WWII—as they were tougher than the Jeep and even the 1.5-ton Chevrolet—and more maneuverable than the latter to boot.