So since I am on a hot streak today after seeing that Dodge Power Wagon school bus and all, I figured I would share another cool find with you in the form of this 1942 Chevrolet G506 trucks which was one of about 186,000 produced between 1940 and 1945 for the WWII effort. Interestingly it was the G506 that helped Russia immensely. The USA shipped more than 150,000 of the trucks to Russia as part of the Lend-Lease program and the Russian army’s ability to supply itself was dramatically and immediately improved upon their arrival. While it is impossible to say that Chevrolet helped the Russians win their portion of the war, these trucks honestly had a huge impact.  We’re not sure how long it took them to knock the trucks off for their own domestic production but we’re guessing it was pretty quick.

This truck is unique for a couple of reasons. The first is that less than 20,000 of the trucks actually stayed stateside, second is that it wears a cool stake bodied flatbed and the third is the most obvious as it has two wheels and tires on each corner. The look of the truck goes from being kind of old and tough to being just flat out awesome with the additional rubber. With both axles powered this is technically an eight wheel drive truck, right? Whether it is or is isn’t we’re calling it that and this is our dream so….ok you get the point.

These were mechanical pack mules, pure and simple. With an 83hp 235ci inline six engine and an 8,200lb weight empty, the trucks had a top speed of 48mph and an range of 270 miles on a full tank of fuel. As you can see from the photos there’s a big cast iron transfer case under the truck that split the power between the axles and inside the cab three sticks. One was a gearshift, one a high/low range selector and we’re thinking the other allowed engagement of just the front or rear axles? Fill us in if you have any information on that front.

This one was likely scarfed up on the surplus auction after the war and put to work on a farm or somewhere industrial. That would explain the flatbed with the stake sides and if it worked in mud, muck, or soft ground a lot it would explain the eight tires. Obviously the bed was built with the fitment of the dual rear tires in mind but most of these that we have ever seen came with dual rear tires anyway, just the doubled fronts are the anomaly here.

For obvious reasons we’re in love with this slow, uncomfortable, tractor-like truck. Can you blame us?

Check out this 1942 Chevrolet G506 that’s for sale –