GMC delivered its first “Ducks” to the U.S. Army in 1943. A unique central tire inflation system allowed the driver to adjust tire pressure from his seat. Higher pressure made the craft navigable on pavement; lower pressure provided better flotation and traction on soft ground, such as beaches.
Completed military “Ducks” and trucks built by GMC await deployment. In 1944, GMC received the Army-Navy “E” Award for Excellence in the war effort. The U.S. Army considered the GMC 2½-ton 6x6s the best trucks in service, and the GMC Duck the most outstanding of new ordnance weapons
GMC built these military “Ducks” at its Truck & Coach Division plant in Pontiac, Mich. After the war, surviving vehicles were used for military training and others landed in the tourism industry.
During WWII, GMC showcased its amphibious military “Ducks” in popular magazines of the day, and encouraged patriotic readers to “invest in victory” and buy war bonds and stamps. From 1942 to 1945, sales of vehicles to civilians all but ended as manufacturing resources were redirected toward the war effort.
GMC and the military: A distinguished history
GMC’s relationship with the U.S. military dates to World War I, as trucks began replacing horses and mules to transport troops, serve as ambulances and provide other tactical support. In 1916, the GMC Model 16 was chosen for the Class AA standard ¾-ton truck by the U.S. Army for the duration of the war.
By 1936, GMC was developing multi-drive axle military vehicles. During World War II, GMC fulfilled 59 U.S. War Department contracts, as well as those from Great Britain, France and other Allies, worth $1.5 billion. GMC built 583,925 multi-drive military vehicles, including 528,829 6×6 trucks, 21,147 amphibious 2½-ton DUKW353 “Duck” trucks(based on modified GMC CCKW trucks, and 32 armored cars.
GMC delivered its first “Ducks” – finished on a repurposed bus assembly line – to the U.S. Army in 1943. A unique central tire inflation system allowed the driver to adjust tire pressure from his seat. Higher pressure made the craft navigable on pavement; lower pressure provided better flotation and traction on soft ground, such as beaches. The last Ducks were produced in 1945; surviving units were used for military training and in the tourism industry.
In 1944, GMC received the Army-Navy “E” Award for Excellence in the war effort. The U.S. Army considered the GMC 2½-ton 6x6s the best trucks in service, and the GMC Duck the most outstanding of new ordnance weapons.
GMC’s military support continued beyond the world wars. In 1963, GMC built specially designed tractors for the U.S. Air Force to transport Minuteman guided missiles. In 1991 and 1992 during the Persian Gulf War, GMC light trucks were delivered to the joint military forces of Saudi Arabia. They included heavy-duty pickups converted to troop/cargo carriers and 900 heavy-duty chassis cabs with ambulance bodies.
