Autocar in World War Two / WWII

Autocar in World War Two
Ardmore, PA
1897- 1954 in Ardmore, PA
1954-1980 - PA
Currently in Hagerstown, IN

This page updated 9-13-2023.

Autocar still exists after having its name pass through several different owners due to the consolidation of U.S. truck manufacturers in the last quarter of the 20th century. Currently, the name Autocar is owned by Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, LLC, producing trucks in Hagerstown, IN.

Autocar World War Two Products: The company produced 12,168 half-tracks of various models and 14,842 trucks of various sizes and types. Autocar also converted 1,360 previously built M3 75mm half-tracks to the M3A1 configuration which was done in 1944 and 1945. These vehicles and spare parts were built with contracts totaling $289,142,000. These contracts made Autocar 85th in dollar value of World War Two production contracts.

Autocar won the Army-Navy "E" Award five times during World War Two.

Autocar won its first "E" award on August 1, 1942. This letter is on display at the Boyertown Museum of Antique Vehicles, Boyertown, PA. The museum has a dedicated Autocar display. Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

Table 1 - Autocar World War Two Trucks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945" Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	Autocar Model	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
2 1-/2-ton 4x4, Chassis, COE	U-2044	50	321					371
4-ton 6x6, Cargo SWB w/w	C-7066	8						8
4-ton 6x6, Wrecker w/w	C-7066	3						3
4-6-ton, 4x4 Tractor, COE	U-7144		414	3,281	2,795	3,090	1,524	11,104
5-ton, 6x4, Cargo	C-7064		1					1
5-ton, 4x2, Cargo	C-70	2						2
5-ton, 4x2, Dump	C-50	6						6
5-ton, 4x2, Stake and Platform	C-50	1						1
5-ton, 4x2, Tractor 142" WB	C-70T				27			27
5-6-ton, 4x4, Dump, COE	U-8144T			1				1
5-6-ton, 4x4, Tractor, COE	U-8144T		92	546	979	720	374	2,711
5-6-ton, 4x4, Van, COE	U-8144T			286	256	65		607
Total		70	828	4,114	4057	3,875	1,898	14,842

Author's Note and Disclaimer: The Detroit Office of Ordnance of the U.S. Army was the primary purchasing entity for vehicles for the U.S. Army during WWII. It also purchased vehicles for the USMC, US Navy, and for Lend-Lease. However, there were other organizations that also purchased vehicles including the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Army Signal Corps, Navy Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, and foreign countries making direct purchases.

Table 2 - Autocar World War Two Half-tracks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945" Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946.
Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
M2		424	1,325	1,243			2,992
M2A1				362	315		677
M3		672	1,001	1,992			3,665
M3A1				300			300
M3, 75mm gun		86	1,350	766			2,202
M15, multiple gun			80	600			680
M15A1, multiple gun				1,052	600		1,652
Total		1,182	3,756	6,315	915		12,168

Table 3 - Autocar Half-track M2 and M2A1 Ordnance Serial and Registration Numbers - Added 4-14-2020 Information obtained from "U.S. Half-tracks: The Development and Deployment fo the U.S. Army half-track Vehicles" by David Doyle and published in 2014. David obtained his information from 1944 Army Ordnance Records.
Date	M2	M2A1	Ordnance Serial Numbers	Registration Numbers	Comments
1941-42	537		2-538	?
1942	1		5794	4019531
1942	806		5795-6600	4018413-4019298
1942-43	1,400		6601-8000	4019532-4020931
1943	239		10001-10239	4024934-4021172
1943-44		677	10240-10916	4021173-4025849
1943	9		16321-16329	40111257-40111265	Special build for U.S. Navy. No armament.
Total	2,992	677

Table 4 - Autocar Half-track M3 and M3A1 Ordnance Serial and Registration Numbers - Added 4-14-2020 Information obtained from "U.S. Half-tracks: The Development and Deployment fo the U.S. Army half-track Vehicles" by David Doyle and published in 2014. David obtained his information from 1944 Army Ordnance Records and notes in his book that M3/M3A1 information does not match up with these type half-tracks still in existence. This may be the reason there are discrepancies between the results in this table and Table 2.
Date	M3	M3A1	Ordnance Serial Numbers	Registration Numbers	Comments
1941	520		2-521	400400-400919
1941-42	641		1263-1903	410141-401781
1942	312		6160-6471	4019219-4019530
1942	4		34930-34933	?
1942		1,000	21831-22830	40109110-40110109
1943		1,289	26941-28229	4065202-4066490
Total	1,477	2,289	The total of 1,477 M3s and 2,289 M3A1s =3,766. This does not match up with the totals in Table 2. Sometime trying to match up production numbers from almost 80 years ago can be a challenge.
1944		113	40128-40240	The Registration numbers were carried over from the M3 numbers.	Rebuilt into M3A1 from M3.
1944		1,247	47636-48882	The Registration numbers were carried over from the M3 numbers.	Rebuilt into M3A1 from M3.
Total		1,369

Table 5 - Autocar 75mm GMC M3 Production - Added 12-6-2017
	Aug 41	Sep 41	Feb 42	Mar 42	Apr 42	May 42	Jun 42	Jul 42	Aug 42	Sep 42
Number Produced	61	25	1	150	269	274	175	49	112	139

	Oct 42	Nov 42	Dec 42	Jan 43	Feb 43	Mar 43	Apr 43	Totals
Number Produced	119	53	9	291	150	250	75	2,202

Table 6 - Autocar M15 and M15A1 Half-track Production This information is courtesy of Joe DeMarco.
Date	T28E1	M15	M15A1	Ordnance Serial Numbers	Registration Numbers
July 1942	20			1 - 20	4053380 - 4053399
Aug 1942	60			21 - 80	4053400 -4053459
Feb 1943		227		81 - 307	4083287 - 4083513
Mar 1943		272		308 - 579	4083514 - 4083785
April 1943		101		580 - 680	4083786 - 4083886
Total	80	600
Oct 1943			100	682 - 781	40149399 - 40149498
Nov 1943			500	782 - 1281	40149499 -40149998
Dec 1943			452	1282 - 1733	40149999 - 40150450
Jan 1944			420	1734 - 2153	40150451 - 40150870
Feb 1944			180	2154 - 2333	40150871 - 40151050
Total	80	600	1,652

Note: The serial numbers skip one number between the M15 and M15A1.

This is a 1904 Autocar Runabout as seen at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI. Autocar exited the car business in 1911 to specialize in commercial vehicles and trucks. Autocar pioneered the use in the United States of more than a one cylinder engine along with the use of a driveshaft rather than chain drive. This had a two cylinder engine producing 10 hp. Author's Photo.

This 1926 Autocar dump truck is on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This 1953 Autocar DC-75 shows how truck design was vastly different than it was 27 years earlier in 1926. The 1953 DC-75 looks very much like contemporary trucks. This vehicle is also on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This 1944 Autocar U-7144-T 4-ton truck was photographed at the 2017 World War Two Weekend in Reading PA. It was one of 11,104 built during World War Two. Author's photo added 6-7-2017.

Author's photo added 6-7-2017.

Author's photo added 5-6-2017.

The following six photos are of Autocar U-7144 serial number 11926 being restored at the Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh, WI.

\
Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

The instrument panel and instruments are original to the truck. Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

The truck has a build date of 12-6-1944. Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

Autocar Vehicles on Display at the National Museum of the Military Vehicles in Dubois, WY: The museum has the largest collection of World War Two Autocar trucks in the United States with five Autocars on display. The collection includes a C90T, three U-7144Ts, and one U-8144T.

This 1940 Autocar C90T is on outside covered display and is U.S. Navy markings. The area it is located in is known as the Veterans Pavilion. Note that the Autocar nameplate is mounted on the radiator grill. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Also in the Veterans Pavilion is this 1941 Autocar U-7144T with a tanker trailer attached. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

It is difficult to read all the information on the data plate. However, the serial number can be identified as U7144TA172 and has a delivery date of 12-10-1941, three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This vehicle also has an Autocar name plate mounted to the front of the vehicle. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Inside the museum, there is another Autocar U-7144Ts on display in the truck gallery. A visitor to the museum will see this 1942 hard covered cab tractor truck. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This vehicle was delivered 31 days after the one shown previously that is located in the Veterans Pavilion. It was delivered on 1-10-1942 with serial number U-7144TA530. This indicates that Autocar built 358 units in that time period or twelve trucks per day if the company was working a seven day work week. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This truck also has the company's name plate on the front grill. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

A third U-7144T is part of a collection of vehicles located outside along the Wind River. This is a soft top with no nameplate on the grill nor data plate in the cab. This and the next photo were taken under cloud cover late on an August afternoon. Note the shade of olive drab paint on the truck under these lighting conditions. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This photo was taken early the next morning not long after the sun came up over the mountains. The early morning sunshine gives the truck a completely different look. Lighting makes all the difference in what an object's color looks like. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

This very rare Autocar Model U-8144T is also along the Wind River. This photo was taken in the afternoon a few minutes after the U-7144T. The sun had come back out, giving the vehicle a tan appearance. In my visits to museums and vehicle collections since starting this website, this is the only U-8144T that I have found. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

The data plate shows a serial number of U811TA10060. The date of delivery appears to be 7-31-1944. The year is not clearly legible. Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Author's photo added 9-13-2023.

Half-Tracks:

This Autocar-built M15 was on display at the 2019 Conneaut, OH D-Day Re-enactment. It is owned by Mark Poley and Friends of Rome, OH. It is the third M15 built by Autocar. The build date was February 1943 and carries Registration Number 4083289. Author's photo added 4-9-2020.

Author's photo added 4-9-2020.

This original data plate shows both an Autocar serial number of M15-03 and an Ordnance serial number of 83. Author's photo added 4-9-2020.

This Autocar M3 gun carriage is on display at the newly opened American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA. Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

Author's photo added 6-18-2019.

This Autocar-built 75mm GMC is part of the collection of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Moore, GA. It was photographed in the early morning under the covered outside storage. Author's photo added 10-2-2018.

This 75mm GMC is awaiting its turn in the restoration shop. Author's photo added 10-2-2018.

Author's photo added 10-2-2018.

This view shows some of the track that is stored in the vehicle and the 75mm gun breach. Author's photo added 10-2-2018.

Author's photo added 10-2-2018.

This pristine restoration was photographed at the 2013 Dayton Airshow. Author's Photo.

Author's Photo.

A 1941Autocar M3 half-track as seen at the 2014 MVPA Convention in Louisville, KY. Author's Photo added 8-5-2014.

Author's Photo added 8-5-2014.

This Autocar M15A1 is on display at the US Army Basic Combat Training Museum at Fort Jackson, SC. Author's photo added 4-7-2015.

This photo shows the M1A2 37mm anti-aircraft gun mounted above the M2 .50 Browning machine guns. Author's photo added 4-7-2015.

Below is a World War Two period Autocar magazine advertisement that shows the M15 in action.