Dodge M37 The Dodge M37 ( G - 741 ) was a three - quarter ton four - wheel drive truck . It superseded the Dodge WC - 51 , WC - 52 and WC - 54 trucks in US service and was used extensively by the United States armed forces during the Korean war . A number of variants were produced with slightly different configurations : the M42 command truck , V41 telephone maintenance vehicle , M43 ambulance , M152 enclosed utility truck , and R2 air field fire engine . Development . The six prototypes of the vehicle were produced in early - to - mid 1950 based on the WC series Dodge vehicles used in World War II , with the first pre - production pilot vehicle rolling off the assembly line on 14 December 1950 . Many of the components on the M37 are similar or identical to the World War II vehicle and many deficiencies of the previous series were corrected in the M37 . Notably , a conventional pickup truck style bed replaced the platform on the World War II vehicle , simplifying production . The powerplant was identical to the World War II era WC vehicles line , as was most of the drivetrain . The straight - six cylinder engine was derived from a 1930s era passenger vehicle engine that was widely produced . This was in line with a long standing military procurement strategy that attempted to use commercially produced vehicle variants in military service . Many of the accessories on the M37 engine are identical to the engines from that era . There was significant drivetrain and powerplant commonality with the WDX series civilian Power Wagons . Outside of the fenders , there were sheet metal differences between all the vehicles . Production of the M37 began in earnest in January 1951 , with approximately 11 , 000 vehicles produced by the end of the year . By mid - 1954 63 , 000 of the vehicles had been produced . In 1958 a number of modifications to the design resulted in the new vehicles being designated as M37B1 . From mid - 1958 until the end of production 47 , 600 M37B1 vehicles were produced . Approximately 4 , 500 Canadian M37CDNs were also produced between 1951 and 1955 . These vehicles continued in service worldwide in the Israeli and Greek militaries . In total , between 1951 and 1968 , 115 , 000 M37s were produced . Spare parts for these vehicles are widely available and inexpensive to procure . Many deficiencies with aging design became apparent in the 1960s , including a tendency of the connecting rods to fail at high rpms due to the long cylinder stroke of the engine . As the average speed of the vehicles in the military increased , these engine failures became commonplace due to the low gear ratio of the vehicle , which was originally designed as a multipurpose vehicle capable of transporting heavy loads of ammunition . It was common in the 1970 and 1980s to encounter many of these vehicles with failed engines in government auctions . Many of the vehicles were transferred to civilian agencies and some are still in use today in rural areas . Engine upgrades were made commercially available by the Hercules company . The vehicles were out of significant military service by the late 1970s , replaced by the M715 series of military trucks . Dodge M37 Specifications . Clutch Fuel System Electrical Transmission Transfer Case Drive Shaft Axles Brakes Steering Wheelbase Weight Tire Size Highway Winch Torque Specifications