We all know Studebaker produced the US6 6x6 military trucks during WWII.
In order to keep the supply train efficient, it was decided to standardize the U.S. Armywith GMC trucks (in part because of the greater production capacity) and send most of the Studebaker trucks to our Russian ally. In the same fashion, the Navy and Marines used International Harvester trucks.
I've been told the Studebaker used many of the same components as the GMC: the transfer case, drive shafts and differential were the same as the GMC. One difference was the Stude had a Borg Warner transmission rather than the Clark in the GMC...and of course the cab and engine.
Why didn't Studebaker just covert its production lines to the GMC design? After all, there was plenty of precedent with Ford building Willys-designed Jeeps and GM producing Grumman-designed Avengers as well as plenty of aircraft made by firms other than the ones that designed them.
In order to keep the supply train efficient, it was decided to standardize the U.S. Armywith GMC trucks (in part because of the greater production capacity) and send most of the Studebaker trucks to our Russian ally. In the same fashion, the Navy and Marines used International Harvester trucks.
I've been told the Studebaker used many of the same components as the GMC: the transfer case, drive shafts and differential were the same as the GMC. One difference was the Stude had a Borg Warner transmission rather than the Clark in the GMC...and of course the cab and engine.
Why didn't Studebaker just covert its production lines to the GMC design? After all, there was plenty of precedent with Ford building Willys-designed Jeeps and GM producing Grumman-designed Avengers as well as plenty of aircraft made by firms other than the ones that designed them.
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