History Ward LaFrance was originally an American manufacturer of fire trucks and equipment founded by Addison Ward LaFrance in 1916 in Elmira Heights, New York. Despite its name, Addison Ward LaFrance was American. Like most “LaFrance”, a fairly common name in the United States, Addison Ward LaFrance was probably of French origin…
The Griffet company that was based in Marseilles, South of France, filed its first patent for an electric crane in 1942. Gradually its range has expanded and they have designed and marketed 36 different models to its demise in the early 80s. Their main customers were the railway yards and the Army for which…
History The first prototype was designed on the basis of GMC AFKWX (Cab Over Engine). It is is a threesome that presided over its development: Rod Stephens Jr. of the firm Sparkman & Stephens Inc. who was designer of yachts, Dennis Puleston, an English navigator who resided in the US and Frank…
History The M29 Weasel is a tracked vehicle built by Studebaker in the South Bend plant (Indiana). Between the summer 1943 and the summer 1945, 15,000 units have been manufactured. The idea for the Weasel came from the work of British inventor Geoffrey Pyke in support of his proposals to…
History During the war the companies responsible for manufacturing the half-track personnel carriers (White, Autocar, and Diamond T) could not ensure the required production rate. A fourth firm was approached: IHC, International Harvester Company. IHC will build the M5, based on the M3, but with some significant differences. The fenders are made…
History Designed by the manufacturer Diamond T as the Half-track M2, it could carry up to 10 soldiers. Served by a crew of three men, it had a gasoline engine, a 4-speed gearbox and a 4.5 t front winch. The thickness of the armor plates varied between 6.3 and 12.7…
History This prototype vehicle was studied by SEDEMS : Société d’Etude et de Développement de Matériels Spéciaux. It is actually part of the RVI group (Renault Vehicules Industriels). It has been developed according to the specifications drafted by the ETAS (Etablissement Technique d’Angers) : beginning of the studies in 1980 and termination…
History The US getting prepared for their entry into the war against the Germans, American observers highlighted the need to develop a recovery tractor to clear the tanks and other heavy vehicles immobilized on the battlefield. After many trials, it was decided to design a prototype truck from a 6×6 of the mining firm Knuckey…
History One of many versions of the Sherman tank, the M4A4 was manufactured by Chrysler Corp. and originally equipped with the “Multibank” engine, the reference of the tank changed post War in the French Army for M4A4 T (T for “transformé”) because it was motorized with a 9-cylinder Continental R-975 C4 radial…
History The US getting prepared for their entry into the war against the Germans, American observers highlighted the need to develop a recovery tractor to clear the tanks and other heavy vehicles immobilized on the battlefield. After many trials, it was decided to design a prototype truck from a 6×6 of the…
History Built in 1938 by the White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the basis of a commercial frame, the prototype led to a fist order for 64 units. The Army decided to adopt an improved version, designated M3A1. The new version had a longer and wider hull. In front…
History In July 1941, the US Ordnance Department launched a call for tenders regarding a 6 wheel armored car, able to replace the antique M6 Farco. Three companies competed : Ford, Chrysler and Studebaker. In april 1942, Ford T22 prototype won the tender, with performances very close to those of its nearest…
History The story begins with the tests conducted by the US Army in the 1930s to evaluate the performance of the half-track concept. The first standardized series M2 and M3, the M3 with a slightly longer body, resulted from these tests. 41,000 will be produced starting in 1941 by Autocar,…
History Our Chevrolet HUP (Heavy Utility Personnel), undergoing restoration, belongs to the family of the Canadian trucks designed in Canada during WWII. 12,000 only were made, with specific features as compared to other similar vehicles (shorter drive axles, different braking system). This first HUP model had no spare wheel. They were, as a number of…
Salvaged from a junk yard in Isère, South of France, a big restoration work lies ahead ! The fact that, to the best of our knowledge, only 5 such vehicles survive in Europe motivated this ambitious move. The fact also that the truck as the crane are complete (the missing truck hood and crane…
