What is this?

[sami]

I doubt it's a Unimog for several reasons. One, it doesn't look like any Unimog i've ever seen; Two, no portal axles.

It does have right hand drive, and seems to be built like a tank. I'm guessing its circa 50-60's era. I find the lack of factory headlights or marker lights interesting as well.

The reason i'm asking the 'Mog crowd, is you guys would probably know more about this style of big, aged truck than most.

Any ideas what this guy is?

 

[Root Moose]

Bedford?

 

[sami]

Found out it's an extremely rare rig that was built in the US by FWDC (Four Wheel Drive Company), and shipped to Europe in the Lend-Lease Act during WWII.. Part of this act required that all the trucks sent over from the US were to be destroyed after the wars end. This is one of an extremely small number still around.

The Lend-Lease Act was one of the named reasons that Hitler decided to go to war against the USA.

The Russian GAZ trucks look extremely similar to this guy. Reason being, that after the war Russia used the US truck as a model for their GAZ trucks.

 

[muskyman]

those were everywhere when I was a kid in wisconsin. you will still see a few pristene ones from time to time.

the funny thing is that those almost all shared a common base cab, some flat front and others with big long noses and extended frames to push snow blades.

check out this old FWD snow plow, if you look at the windshield doors and cab vent on the roof you will see they are the same.

 

[muskyman]

looks like that actual truck is for sale for $3500

http://www.desertclassics.com/FWD44x4X4.html

 

[Christian]

those were everywhere when I was a kid in wisconsin. you will still see a few pristene ones from time to time.

the funny thing is that those almost all shared a common base cab, some flat front and others with big long noses and extended frames to push snow blades.

check out this old FWD snow plow, if you look at the windshield doors and cab vent on the roof you will see they are the same.

Sorry, but I don't see that they share the cab. Look at the relationship between front window height vs. width. the whole cab is narrower on the one you posted which is logic since the forward control in the original post has the wheels tucked in under the cab and the one you posted has them in outboard fenders. I can see some similarities, but it's not the same...

 

[muskyman]

Sorry, but I don't see that they share the cab. Look at the relationship between front window height vs. width. the whole cab is narrower on the one you posted which is logic since the forward control in the original post has the wheels tucked in under the cab and the one you posted has them in outboard fenders. I can see some similarities, but it's not the same...

well no they are not exactly the same...the doors on the one open forward the others open rearward...yada yada yada

there are lot of subtle things that are different, but my point was that at the heart of it FWD used the same base cab in lots of different trucks.

the Iola auto/truck show in wisconsin has always had a number of them show up over the years so when you see a half dozen of them side by side its much easier to see.

 

[gs dave]

same color?

Sorry, but I don't see that they share the cab. Look at the relationship between front window height vs. width. the whole cab is narrower on the one you posted which is logic since the forward control in the original post has the wheels tucked in under the cab and the one you posted has them in outboard fenders. I can see some similarities, but it's not the same...

 

[sami]

I'm glad someone else noticed the suicide doors