1941-945 Studebaker 2.5 ton truck US 6

[Alexsrebrianski]

1941-945 Studebaker 2.5 ton truck

I am looking to buy 1941-945 Studebaker 2.5 ton truck 4x6 either restored or suitable for restoration. Can somebody help me where I can find one?

[M15 Trucker]

There are a bunch of them abandoned along the Alcan Hwy in Canada and Alaska. If you can move it or get it started it's yours. There is one guy up in Alaska that has a dozen of the running. Watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWLrPBuYCxU

[jeds55]

One Studebaker Remembered

Shot these at the end of The Alaska Highway...

[Studebaker Wheel]

No shortage of those trucks. Here is an entire lot full.

[rockne10]

No shortage of those trucks. Here is an entire lot full.

Richard, my order for fifteen or twenty is forthcoming!

[Trucker]

No shortage of those trucks. Here is an entire lot full.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]41934[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]41935[/ATTACH]

This trucks for Alcan Project? How many they were and who the customer?

[Skip Lackie]

This trucks for Alcan Project? How many they were and who the customer?

[Skip Lackie]

1941-945 Studebaker 2.5 ton truck

I am looking to buy 1941-945 Studebaker 2.5 ton truck 4x6 either restored or suitable for restoration. Can somebody help me where I can find one?

I believe the US6 shown driving around at the Lancaster meet was for sale a year or so ago. I believe it was a 6x6 version. Unfortunately, I don't know the owner's name. Maybe someone else can tell us whether it sold or not.

[Trucker]

Skip,
On photos and films which was made from constructions of AlasKa Highway in 1942 may see many US6, US6x4 and US6x4 tractor trucks. But photo of US6x4 (U8) was made in 1943 and this truck doesn't bear serial number. Interesting question: how many there was US6 in US army?

[Skip Lackie]

Skip,
On photos and films which was made from constructions of AlasKa Highway in 1942 may see many US6, US6x4 and US6x4 tractor trucks. But photo of US6x4 (U8) was made in 1943 and this truck doesn't bear serial number. Interesting question: how many there was US6 in US army?

I don't know offhand how many Studebaker US6 trucks were actually assigned to the US Army. In 1999 and 2000, Clell Ballard wrote an excellent four-part article about the US6 trucks in Turning Wheels. It is possible that they include info on the distribution of US6 trucks -- but I don't have access to my issues right now. Maybe someone else does -- if not, I will see what I can come up next week.

[Trucker]

I read them. The most complete information about US6. But in these articles there is only a general statistics of production.

[Skip Lackie]

We may never know. If Clell Ballard did not include detailed info in his articles, it's probably because the data are not available. The Studebaker US6 trucks were purchased from the company by the Bureau of Ordnance of the US Army. Congress appropriated the money to buy the equipment to be provided to other nations under the Lend-Lease Act, but the Roosevelt Administration actually made the decisions (after consultations with the receiving nations) about what was to be shipped to which allied nation. I'm pretty sure that it was the Army itself that decided (for the reasons discussed above) to assign most of the Studebaker US6 trucks to the Soviet Union, Great Britain, Australia, and the Army Corps of Engineers. So I think it's likely that the info you seek will only be found in the Army's procurement records from the World War II period.

It's possible that the the Studebaker Museum would be able to provide more info, but I suspect that their records will only show how many trucks were shipped to various Army supply depots -- and not their ultimate destination. I'd be glad to be corrected if someone has any better ideas.

[Gunslinger]

I have read (can't remember where) that General William Knudsen who was head of the office of production management during WWII and had previously been President of General Motors, made the decision to send most of Studebaker production of truck to the Soviet Union and reserve the GMC produced 6X6 trucks for American military use to make sure most American GI's only knew GM trucks in an effort to promote GM after the war.

True or not I've no idea. I've never seen any evidence to support that but at least one source made the claim.

[Trucker]

Interesting version. But GMC CCKW appeared earlier, than US6.

[rockne10]

I just saw "Tremors II" on TV with Michael Gross as Bert. Okay...hokey movie but, was his deuce-and-a-half a Studebaker?