Four Ford Vehicles that rolled into combat with America’s troops

June 6, 2019 marked the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, France, and we here at McLarty Daniel Ford of Bentonville found ourselves awed by the coverage of the event, with thousands of military families, re-enactors, active duty military, world leaders and the few remaining D-Day combat veterans — all in their 90s now — turning out for the event.

We’re proud of our veterans, and especially proud of the vets on staff here at McLarty Daniel Ford. Another thing we’re proud of is the long list of ways the Ford Motor Company has helped America’s soldiers over the years, including engineering and building dozens of different Ford military vehicles. Seen below, check out our list of our four favorite military vehicles produced by Ford since World War I. And when you’re ready to continue or start building your own history with Ford, stop in today at McLarty Daniel Ford of Bentonville, or check out our full lineup right now online.

1912-1918 Ford Model T Ambulance: World War I was an entirely different kind of war, built on industrialization and engineering and packed with resulting horrors because of it, from the flying bomber to the tank, mustard gas to the machine gun. Long before America entered the war, Ford Model T trucks, renowned for their ruggedness, simplicity and easy repairs, were being pressed into service as ambulances and troop carriers. Weighing only 1,300 pounds, the light weight of the Model T truck allowed it to glide over muddy roads that would sink a heavier vehicle, and it could even be lifted and carried over obstacles by as few as a dozen men. By the end of the war, over 4,000 Ford Model T Ambulances had seen duty in Europe.

Ford Model M1918 Two-Man Tank: Once America entered World War I in April 1917, the might of the United States’ industrial capacity soon turned to building vehicles for the war effort. That included the young Ford Motor Company, which received a contract from the U.S. Government to design and build a small, two-man tank. Ford came up with the Ford 3-Ton M1918 Tank. Armed with a single M1919 Browning Machine Gun, the tank was powered by twin Model T Ford engines delivering 45 horsepower and a maximum speed of 8 miles per hour. Just 14 feet long, the M1918 barely had enough room inside for a driver and a gunner, who contended with smoky, hot, torturous conditions. Though the original Army contract called for the construction of 15,000 M1918 Tanks, the war ended before Ford could really gear up production, and only 15 were completed.

1942-43 Ford GPA Amphibious Jeep: Rivers, lakes, oceans and even fast-flowing streams are always a considerable obstacle for troops on the move, and after seeing the success of small Ford and Willys Jeeps in combat during World War II, the Army wanted a quick combat runabout that didn’t have to stop at the water’s edge. The result was the Ford GPA Amphibious Jeep. Called a “Seep” by soldiers, the GPA was an ungainly looking vehicle on land, with a wheelbase of just 84 inches, a boat like hull, and an engine-powered prop and rudder in the rear to help it navigate deep water. Slower than the standard Jeep thanks to a weight of 3,500 pounds, the GPA also sat low in the water, making it difficult to use in choppy seas. Nevertheless, over 12,500 Ford GPAs were built and shipped to both the Pacific and Europe.

Ford M151 “Quarter-Ton” 4×4: Though Korea and Vietnam represented a very different kind of warfare than the combat seen in World War II, the U.S. Military needed a successor to the Willys Jeeps that had seen duty in Europe and the Pacific. In 1951, Ford Motor Company was awarded the contract to design and build the vehicle, and the result was the M151. Just 85 inches long, with a “tub” design similar to the Willys Jeeps from WW2, the M151 utilized an integrated frame that eliminated welded frame members. Underneath, it employed independent suspension and coil springs, for high-speed maneuverability and stability even over rugged terrain. The grille, however, was a departure from the Willys look, with six horizontal slots. Tens of thousands of M151s saw duty in Vietnam. Eventually built by Ford, Kaiser and AM General, over 100,000 M151s were produced between 1959 and the end of production in 1988.