Chrysler Corporation was created in 1925 . |
Chrysler Corporation was working on from the 1930s into the 1960s were equally cutting edge, even if many of them never saw the light of day. The Dodge family of light trucks had been a vital component in WWII, but changes in the battlefield and automotive technology had put them behind the current and projected technology curve. Chrysler began work on a replacement for the WWII W-series trucks in July of 1944, by most published reports, with a rig called the T233. The “T” number was Chrysler Truck’s internal nomenclature system, and because it was a military development, it was also given a GI “T” experimental number, in this case T-47. The goal of the project was a modular truck that could be quickly reconfigured for different roles. In just a few minutes it could transition from a 3/4-ton cargo truck to a four-seat command and reconnaissance vehicle. Presumably other “presto-chango” roles were envisioned and the chassis was largely the same as what had been used for the W-Series Dodges for the war. The next development was the T53 (Chrysler T237), which started in 1947. Three were built by 1949 and tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, doing extremely well. As the T53 was being tested, another major adaptation was developed called the T53E1. Like the T53, the T53E1 performed well and proved durable but cheap, it was not. Ultimately, it was found that a lesser rig like the M37 could do 80 percent of what the T53 was capable of and cost half as much. As a result, the T53 projects were discontinued, though many of the developments went on to be featured in other rigs. We all know torsion bar suspension played a big part in Chrysler cars for many years. The independent suspension was recycled to a degree in the 1970s when Chrysler competed for a contract in the development of another new military vehicle type, the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle). |
Âíåäîðîæíûå òðàñïîðòíûå ñðåäñòâà (Land Locomotion – Mechanical Vehicle Mobility LL-MVM) Home |