This 1943 Dodge WC62 Command Truck Is a 6X6 WW2 Relic That Still Runs and Drives

Perhaps the less celebrated of the three, Studebaker produced the US6. Largely similar to the CCKW, the US6 was mainly exported under the Lend-Lease policy. Chevrolet also produced a similar truck, albeit in 1.5-ton/4x4 form. I'm talking about the G506, which spawned almost 20 different versions.

Then there's the Dodge WC series, a line that included both light four-wheel-drive trucks and medium 6x6 utility vehicles. With about 380,000 units built from 1940 to 1945, the WC series made up the majority of 4x4 trucks supplied to the US military during World War 2. The incredibly versatile series spawned 38 different versions ranging from half-ton reconnaissance jeeps to 1.5-ton cargo trucks.

The WC series also included the WC54, arguably the most iconic ambulance used in WW2. Produced in about 30,000 units, it served as the US Army's primary dedicated ambulance, but the US Army Medical Corps also used it in the Korean War (1950-1953). But I'm here to talk about a different vehicle: the WC62.

One of only two 1.5-ton 6x6 trucks, the WC62 was based on a lengthened WC51 weapons carrier with an extra axle. It was put into production when the US Army enlarged its rifle squads from eight to 12, which rendered the 3/4-ton truck too small for personnel duty. It was built alongside the WC63, which was identical to the WC62 but equipped with a winch.

Dodge produced 43,224 such trucks, and 6,344 were provided to WW2 Allies in France, Great Britain, and Brazil. WC62 output included 23,092 units from 1943 to 1945. Dodge also made a series of 4x4 1.5-ton trucks, including variants sent through Lend-Lease programs to the Soviet Union and Iran.

While most WC62s were cargo and personnel carriers with canvas-covered beds, some left the factory as command vehicles. They're passenger trucks with three rows of seats providing room for up to six people. As you might have already guessed, they were mainly used to transport high-ranking officers.

There's no info on how many WC62 command cars were built, but this version has to be among the rarest of the WC series. And amazingly enough, one survived in one piece, and it's spending its retirement years somewhere in Alaska. It's part of a collection I've documented before and which also includes a few Studebaker US6s, a 1942 Chevrolet G506 panel truck, and a 1942 Dodge WC54 ambulance.

Rust-free and still running and driving after 80 years since it left the assembly line, this 1943 WC62 command car is a sight to behold. So go ahead and check it out in the video below.