US6x4 tractor with open cab

[Trucker]

You know that Studebaker built in 1942-43 only 4902 US6 (U3) and 5104 US6x4 (U7) cargo truck with open cab. But in 1943 TM 10-1565 there is a photo of Studebaker US6x4 (U6) tractor truck with soft top. This is prototype or fake?

[Skip Lackie]

You have more data than I do, so all I can offer is a guess (and not a very educated guess at that). My guess is that it was a model that Studebaker MIGHT have built, had they continued with the construction of the soft top trucks. But the construction of soft top trucks was transferred to other companies, and Stude only built the closed-top trucks with the C9 cab after that. It would not be unusual for the Army to produce a manual describing all possible combinations of a common product like a truck. So my guess is that it's probably a prototype or one-of-a-kind truck that was produced for photo and Army-acceptance purposes, but never produced in quantity.

[Trucker]

I assume that it is this picture is installation.