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The M-series truck was a
Like most truck lines, the Studebaker M Series trucks could be had in any number of body styles. Only pickup beds were offered on the M5, M15, & M15A versions from the factory; however, through several custom body manufacturers, any number of configurations could be had on all versions. A maybe little known fact is that the back and front fenders are interchangeable.
While the M16 version used the larger ''Commander'' 226 ci. engine, through the use of a different fire wall on these cabs, all the other front sheet metal stayed the same. However, a spacer was used in the front fenders to accommodate the larger front wheel track of the M16.
First put into production in November 1940, it saw extensive action during the Second World War, specifically in the
data
, retrieved on March 10, 2007
pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
designed in the late 1930s by the Studebaker Corporation
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
.
Production
The M-series Studebaker trucks came in several versions both pre and post WW II. The M-5 was a 1/2 ton PU. The M15 was the 3/4 ton version. The M15A was the one & -ton version. The M5, M15, and M15A all came with the ''Champion'' 169 ci. engine, only. The M16 1-1/2 & 2 ton versions came with the more powerful ''Commander'' 226 ci. engine. TheStudebaker US6
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
version was produced during the war to government specifications; using a different nose and engine configuration, in both a 4x6 & 6x6 versions of a -ton truck. In early 1945, Studebaker was given permission to produce some M Series trucks for civilian use. These early post war civilian trucks used the Studebaker US6
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
cab with the government style swing out windshield.
Like most truck lines, the Studebaker M Series trucks could be had in any number of body styles. Only pickup beds were offered on the M5, M15, & M15A versions from the factory; however, through several custom body manufacturers, any number of configurations could be had on all versions. A maybe little known fact is that the back and front fenders are interchangeable.
While the M16 version used the larger ''Commander'' 226 ci. engine, through the use of a different fire wall on these cabs, all the other front sheet metal stayed the same. However, a spacer was used in the front fenders to accommodate the larger front wheel track of the M16.
First put into production in November 1940, it saw extensive action during the Second World War, specifically in the South East Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
n theatre against Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. In particular, these Studebaker US6
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
version of the M-series Studebaker trucks were used in the construction of the Burma road. A large number of these trucks also served in the Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n forces as part of aid given to the country by the U.S.
Design and specifications
The M series sported a more aerodynamic shape than most trucks of the time, with easily recognisable "wind wing" vents on the driver and passenger windows, a feature not found on any other make of American truck duringWorld War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. When Studebaker introduced the M-series pickup truck in 1941, the company used the Coupe Express name in advertising for a time; no M-series trucks were ever officially designated as the Coupe Express, though (not to be confused with the previous Studebaker Coupe Express
The Studebaker Coupe Express was a passenger car based pickup truck, produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, between 1937 and 1939. Unlike other concurrent pick-up trucks, the coupe express mated Studebaker's passenger car ...
of 1937–1939).Studebaker trucdata
, retrieved on March 10, 2007
Notes
M-series truck {{truck-stub