This Chevrolet 4109 belonging to Stefaan Van Vooren sports the livery of the US Navy
The militarised version of this oneand- a-half truck was the G7100. It incorporated all-wheel drive, twospeed transfer box, GM ‘Banjo’ axles and hydraulic brakes with servo power assistance.
It became the US Army’s standard 4x4 vehicle in its weight class, but there is no doubt its design was derived from the civilian 4100 Series of Chevrolet trucks first appearing as a 4x2 in the 1940s – of which the one pictured is a late example.
America’s automakers stopped building cars during World War Two, but truck production continued. All General Motorsbuilt pick-ups produced during the war years were, by and large, 1941-1942 models; there wasn’t the luxury of time to redesign, and function mattered more than styling.
Keeping production numbers up was paramount and in that it succeeded. Some sources suggest that a total of 281,570 Chevrolet name-plated trucks were built, consisting of some 55,000 half-ton 4x2 trucks; a hundred or so three-quarter ton 4x2 trucks; 52,000 one-and-a-half 4x2 trucks; and 170,000 one-and-a-half 4x4 trucks.
During World War Two, Chevrolet had ten assembly plants building one-and-a-half ton trucks. Ea…
