According to the information sheet which came with it, in 1937, with the threat of war looming, the British government asked Canada to develop a range of military multi-purpose trucks. The result was the Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) truck designed by Ford of Canada, although they were also produced by Chevrolet. When war broke out, Canada went into full production of CMP trucks, and over 400,000 of them were shipped to allied armies in battle zones around the world. Hundreds of thousands more were built or assembled in other Commonwealth countries.
CMP trucks were tough, reliable and were easy to transport. They were built with a number of different military body styles, including open trays, tankers, recovery vehicles, personnel carriers and radio trucks, in 4x4 and 6x4 drive configurations. There were also armoured versions that looked significantly different.
The CMP trucks gave outstanding service in several theatres of the war, and afterwards thousands were sold off as army surplus. They were eagerly sought after in a world starved of new vehicles, and many found new lives as civilian trucks. They were used for a range of duties, most commonly as fire engines, tow trucks and forestry trucks, where the 4-wheel drive was most useful, but they were also put into service as haulage trucks, cranes and on farms and circuses. Very common sights in France and the Netherlands, as well as in Australia (where the CMP truck was always referred to as the Chevrolet Blitz), these rugged vehicles lasted in service for up to 5 decades.
CMP trucks were tough, reliable and were easy to transport. They were built with a number of different military body styles, including open trays, tankers, recovery vehicles, personnel carriers and radio trucks, in 4x4 and 6x4 drive configurations. There were also armoured versions that looked significantly different.
The CMP trucks gave outstanding service in several theatres of the war, and afterwards thousands were sold off as army surplus. They were eagerly sought after in a world starved of new vehicles, and many found new lives as civilian trucks. They were used for a range of duties, most commonly as fire engines, tow trucks and forestry trucks, where the 4-wheel drive was most useful, but they were also put into service as haulage trucks, cranes and on farms and circuses. Very common sights in France and the Netherlands, as well as in Australia (where the CMP truck was always referred to as the Chevrolet Blitz), these rugged vehicles lasted in service for up to 5 decades.
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