The history of these cars is inseparable from the history of the second half of the last century - the era of confrontation between East and West. Now, probably, not all young people know what was hidden behind the abbreviations of the GDR and the FRG. The lifespan of the East German trucks Robur and IFA almost exactly coincided with the history of the Berlin Wall - from its construction to its demolition ...

In those distant times, when we were educated in the old Soviet school, we were taught: the GDR lags behind the FRG quite a bit both in production and in living standards, but only because East Germany was mainly agrarian before the war, and West Germany was industrial. And we believed that for a while. But it was enough just to compare the facts a little and go deep into history to figure out: after the partition of a unified Germany, all the plants of the Auto Union concern - the most powerful car manufacturer in the Reich along with Daimler Benz - the BMW enterprise in Thuringia (cars in Munich began to be produced only in 1951) and a dozen more smaller enterprises. Among them was a plant that produced light trucks under the Phanomen and Garant brands. It was here, in Zittau, in southeastern Saxony, in the late 1950s that the Robur brand was born.

Creating new models (the previous ones were, as a rule, only slightly modified pre-war ones), the East Germans abandoned the old names. In an extreme case, they returned to the very ancient and neutral from the point of view of the memory of capitalism and the former owners of factories. So, in 1955 they remembered the name of the castle near Eisenach - "Wartburg". And the truck was named Robur - "oak". However, it is possible that the authors had in mind Jules Verne's novel Robur the Conqueror. It is also suitable, especially considering, as they used to say then, "the international situation."

In the extensive family of the VEB Robur Werke plant (VEB is a national enterprise, but what else?), An all-wheel drive vehicle of the LO / LD 1800 family was laid. The machine with a carrying capacity of 2 tons was equipped with a 3.3-liter 4-cylinder gasoline 75 hp, five-speed gearbox and transfer case with low gear. The front axle was connected forcibly. In terms of characteristics, Robur is close to the GAZ-63, but the German car with a cab over the engine looked more modern. Depending on the equipment installed on the all-wheel drive chassis, the car developed a maximum speed of 80–85 km / h.

Production of Robur was launched in 1961, when, after a threatening confrontation between American and Soviet tanks, a wall was hastily begun to be erected between the western and eastern parts of Berlin. It's time for four-wheel drive vehicles…

Older brother

In the German Democratic Republic, since 1953, they have been making another four-wheel drive truck. The heavy bonnet car with 6x6 wheel arrangement was called IFA G5. The cars were built at a plant located in KarlMarx-Stadt (Chemnitz), and structurally they had practically nothing in common with the more famous IFA W50. A six-cylinder naturally aspirated diesel engine with a volume of 9.0 liters developed a maximum power of 120 hp. The declared carrying capacity was 5150 kg (off-road - 3650 kg). In 1957, the car was slightly modernized. Maximum power power unit IFA G5-II remained the same, but the maximum torque increased from 461 to 538 Nm. Until 1964, about 10,000 copies were made.

Three letters

Most likely, not without looking back at the political events at the very beginning of the 1960s, another all-wheel drive truck was created in the GDR - a class higher than the already produced Robur. The company and, accordingly, the cars themselves were named IFA, which meant only "industrial association of car manufacturers", which, by the way, then included all the enterprises of the automotive industry. The very same factory for the production of IFA trucks was located near Berlin, in Ludwigsfeld. The first prototype was launched for testing in July 1962. The car went into production in 1965.

The four-wheel drive car with a nice cab above the engine had a base of 3200 mm. (Later, extended versions appeared.) The 5.65-liter diesel engine developed 125 hp, which is very solid for this class (carrying capacity 4500-5000 kg). Together with the engine, a five-speed gearbox with synchronizers in the second and fifth gears and a two-stage "razdatka" worked.

The creators used many original technical solutions in the IFA W50LA design. The motor and gearbox were not in a block, but separately, which facilitated the assembly and disassembly of the units. Brakes - hydropneumatic with independent circuits for the wheels of the front and rear axles. Interestingly, the parking brake had a pneumatic drive, and the compressor, which provided air to the pneumatic booster of the service brakes, was able to supply air to the trailer brakes.

The IFA's ground clearance is very serious - 300 mm. There were versions with different main pairs, single or dual slope rear wheels. Cars began to arrive at state institutions of the GDR and, of course, in the people's army. Against the background of Soviet and many foreign counterparts of those years, the IFA W50LA design looked pretty decent.

Economy in Soviet style

As usual: designs that were sufficiently progressive for their time in the socialist countries were mass-produced for decades, convincing consumers, and in general themselves, that the car is so good that it requires only light modernization. The people's states had, of course, more important things to do than a serious modernization of cars (even four-wheel drive). The consumer had no choice, so the demand was stable.

IFA Trucks and Robur were no exception - they were also released, practically unchanged, for two decades. Cars have overgrown with dozens of modifications. On-board trucks and dump trucks were made on all-wheel drive chassis, a wide variety of equipment and "booths" were installed. Many four-wheel drive trucks served as firefighters. East German cars were sold to more than two dozen countries. True, of course, mostly socialist and the so-called developing ones. They also worked in the republics of the USSR.

Robur was considered exclusive. IFA met more often. The first batch of 4000 of these machines was delivered to the USSR back in 1971. True, there were not many four-wheel drive vehicles. Drivers appreciated the German trucks for their good dynamics and brakes (the latter, however, are laborious to maintain and repair), as well as a warm cabin. The German diesel engine worked reliably, but it didn’t cause much enthusiasm among the Soviet drivers. Diesel, unlike gasoline, was not in demand among private traders, which means that the driver was deprived of additional income.

In the first quarter

Years passed, and trucks from the GDR received only minor and often completely insignificant changes. Since 1973, updated Robur has been released. IFA, which was being built in almost 50 modifications at that time, received a stabilizer lateral stability in the design of the front suspension.

In 1975, the prototypes IFA L60 and Robur O-611 were built with more spacious, but scary cabins. So a quarter of a century has passed, which now sometimes seems like an eternity ...

The last five years

Finally, in 1985, the modernized Robur LO / LD2202 family saw the light. Outwardly, it differed little from its predecessors, but it was equipped with an atmospheric air-cooled diesel engine. The motor, however, for truck was clearly weak: with a working volume of 3.9 liters, the maximum power developed only 68 hp. The car lost to the "gasoline ancestor" and the maximum torque value - 216 Nm versus 225. The only advantage was efficiency.

Two years later, the IFA L60 appeared. The cockpit, once created for the 1975 prototype, was successfully forgotten, only slightly changed the serial one, known since 1965. But the new 6-cylinder diesel with a volume of 9.16 liters developed an impressive 180 hp. The gearbox has become an eight-speed, fully synchronized. Payload increased: the maximum chassis load was 6750 kg. The center differential was rigidly blocked.

Everything seems to be nothing, but before the Wall was demolished, the construction of which almost coincided with the birth of four-wheel drive trucks in the GDR, there were only two years left ... In 1986 automotive industry The republic produced 45,305 trucks - a record in its entire history, in 1989 - 39,572, and in 1990 a rapid collapse began and an advertisement from Ludwigsfelde appeared in the newspapers about a total sale of the remaining trucks on a cheap basis. By that time, almost 572,000 IFA were made, all-wheel drive, however, much less. That is why nowadays - after a quarter of a century - such IFA and Robur have survived at all. This means that the interest of collectors is guaranteed. Not everyone, of course, will understand the passion for "socialist" trucks. But for some they are documents of an already forgotten era. What? No worse than many others ...

text: Sergey KANUNNIKOV
photo from the author's archive

Everyone knows about mountain bikes. About mountain cars - only specialists and residents of the mountains, and even then, if they do not quarrel over terminology. The truck that fell into our hands in the mountains has already skated and went down to the plain: nothing can be done, because even before us it was noticed that the gods, as they say, descended to the ground ...

In the absence of a specific classification, locals consider any truck they operate in the mountains as a mountain truck. True, miners - miners of coal, ore and other minerals - sometimes call their dump trucks mining, their technological transport, which is used in mining. But today we have gathered for a different reason - to talk about transport for traveling in the picturesque mountainous area.

This is what was once lacking for a Carpathian resident named Vasily, and it was then that he thought about something special. After all, the old "gaziks" and new "UAZs", which his neighbors drove to the mountains, were too small for him, cramped, rather weak, and in general they had somehow become familiar. There were, of course, cargo options such as "shishigi" or "one hundred and thirty-first", but they are too rude and brutal, really.

Why not build something yourself? - the thought came to mind. She came and seemed interesting. First of all, because it gave the author a luxurious opportunity - a choice. The choice of body type, seat upholstery, size, drive, number of driving wheels, and the number of wheels themselves, in principle!

So, a car for trips to the mountains must be: strong, powerful, roomy, comfortable, with big wheels, "Dead" super-reliable brakes and impenetrable suspension. I also wanted an additional not very voracious engine and at least some dynamics on the track - after all, in order to get to the right mountains, you often need to overcome a hundred or two “keme” on asphalt.

Realizing that instead of a real project, a cross between an armored personnel carrier and big SUV, decided to start with a small four-wheel drive truck. Say, any body can be put on a good frame chassis. They did not go far: they turned to the proven veteran and legend of the off-road - GAZ-66. We decided to take all the best from him - bridges, transmission and suspension, and along the way get rid of the worst - the gluttonous gasoline V8 and the cramped cabin. Of course, a holistic image of the future off-road conqueror was formed in the heads of amateur car builders in advance, but first it was created chassis - in the form that would correspond to the terms of reference.

By replacement

If we start from the "sixty-sixth", then the mountain car has several "own", not "lawn" units. First of all, this is the engine - a 5.7-liter diesel six OM 362 with a capacity of 130 hp. from. The engine along with the 5-speed gearbox is borrowed from the 5-ton Mercedes-Benz T2 van. The next (in the direction of the power flow) transmission unit is the transfer case, which is left from the GAZ. Through it, not only front axle, but also a winch, which is hidden in the back under cargo platform (there is even a service hatch in the floor!). The winch is driven by a special longitudinal shaft laid under the bottom.

The drive axles were also left from the GAZ-66, but the main pairs were changed in them, installing more "high-speed" ( ratio 6.17) - from the GAZ-53 road truck. This made it possible to increase the speed when driving on the highway, and also had a positive effect on fuel consumption in this mode. According to the owner's measurements, the car consumes 20 liters of diesel per 100 km, which is actually less than the “lawn's” petrol appetite of 26 l / 100 km. At the same time, there is still plenty of traction, which is so necessary on the off-road, to the wheels, since the torque of the diesel engine is naturally higher than that of the standard gasoline "eight": 363 Nm against the native "lawn" 284 Nm. The wheels left the standard GAZ-66, shoeing them in modern tires - the so-called "radials".

Thus, our "highlander" received altered, but in general "lawn" transmission - with permanent drive on rear axle and with a rigidly connected (without center differential) front axle. In the transfer case, through which the "front end" is connected, there is also a reduction gear - to increase the torque on the wheels when driving in a special difficult conditions... Great help in mud and deep snow - interwheel differentials with self-locking in both axles, which are received "sixty-sixth" from birth.

Also, the chassis has not fundamentally changed: the exclusive car remained indestructible dependent suspension with solid continuous axles, each of which is suspended on a pair of classic longitudinal springs, and even with a pair of telescopic shock absorbers. But still there is one very significant addition here - brakes!

Since when traveling in mountainous terrain, the importance of this system comes first, brakes from KamAZ were installed on a generally small car. Yes, yes, from a 20-ton truck, pneumatic - with all their cranes, cameras, regulators, receivers, a moisture separator, a compressor ... Yes, it is a little cumbersome, and the weight of all this property is considerable, but now the car stops rooted to the spot! Moreover, the car was given two parking brakes at once: a classic mechanical one and additionally with a pneumatic drive. It is clear that both can serve as backup in case of failure of the main system in some unsuitable situation.

When the issue was settled with the concept of the chassis, it was possible to solve the issue with the body. In addition to the comfort and spaciousness of the cabin, I wanted one more thing - space for any large tourist luggage (as it turned out later, even an enduro motorcycle could be such luggage). So, is it a pickup body?

Oddly enough, it sounds like a shishigi frame, but why not? American pickups are not in this size. Therefore, this machine still has an onboard platform, it was attached behind the "two-row" cab, welded from two GAZ-3307 cabins.

The body is covered with an interesting awning. Firstly, it is largely transparent, and secondly, not only the rear and end parts of it, but also a fragment of the roof opens up. This makes it possible to move comfortably, in height, in the body during rigging. The transparent parts of the awning allow you to observe (at least partially) both the space behind the car and the events taking place in the cargo hold - whether the luggage has come loose, or whether the passengers are buzzing. Yes, in the back of the pickup, by the way, besides the spare wheel there is a longitudinal seat for passengers. There are loops in the floor for securing the load - after all, it is clear that on rough terrain, like people, it is subject to considerable bumpiness.

The rejection of the cab-over-engine layout made it possible to organize a more spacious cabin. Inside there are five seats, including the driver's, the seats are truly comfortable, everything is finished with easy-to-clean materials. The front seats are generally from a Japanese foreign car, with electric adjustments in all directions. The torpedo, together with the cab, was borrowed from the GAZ-3307 truck, and one element of comfort - a console for a clock and a radio tape recorder - was shared by the VAZ "classic".

A couple of interesting points are worthy of mention outside. An important circumstance for off-roaders: you can walk on the cab. And on the roof where it is expeditionary trunk, and along the fenders with a hood, which are protected by aluminum overlays and reinforced with braces. This can come in handy, for example, when the depth of the forced river turns out to be greater than ... in general, in all cases when the crew does not want to wet their feet when exiting the cabin into a certain wet environment. In order not to grab a hot one during such exercises (forgive the pun!) exhaust pipe, they were taken to pretty bars.

Despite the unchildish height, getting into the cockpit is easy. Fuel tankscleverly turned into footpegs serve as a step; even lower, in the protective arches, there are cutouts for the legs in any shoe - even in fashionable sneakers, even in durable rubber boots so respected by the Carpathian inhabitants.

A wonderful thing is the flat floor of the cabin, and there is practically no threshold in the doors either, you can move easily without stumbling, which also immediately attracts you. The feeling of free space - like in a bus, for example - is added by the separate front seats. In short, the inside of the cab is as good as the outside.

The view from behind the wheel is like from the captain's bridge of another yacht: the hood almost does not block the road, and, in fact, for such a car the details of the journey are not important. A powerful kengurin capable of protecting the front end, it seems, even in the case of a tank ram, is useful in one more case. Together with a cable that beats off branches, he points me to the front dimensions of the car.

Driving this mountain transport is not as difficult as it might seem. Firstly, we remember about pneumatics in the brakes and power steering in the steering, and the clutch, of course, with a hydraulic drive. The lever of the Mercedes manual gearbox is located close to the driver, so there is no question either. The only thing that is unusual is the height of your location above the road. But very soon this psychological discomfort is replaced by the opposite feeling - a feeling of confidence and almost permissiveness.

The sensations, let's say, are completely different than in the GAZ-66 "shishige", which is in direct kinship with this mountaineer - the feeling of security and a smoother ride is much stronger. The bonnet layout and the shift of the driver's seat to the center of gravity of the car affect the same.

True, when on the way there are significant breaks in the relief or just deep hard ruts, the pitching still begins. But the power-hungry suspension is great - four springs effectively dampen all shocks.

Even in rough encounters with medium-caliber obstacles, no hard impacts are felt - the car simply gently rears the corresponding side, without changing course. By the way, the steering wheel, despite the powerful "gidrach", is by no means empty: it is possible to catch the right angle of the steering wheel in a rut even with the smallest experience. And I also liked the brakes - the deceleration is unhurried at first, the car slows down gently, allowing the driver to calculate the distance and pedal travel, but as the pedal is pushed further, the pneumatics suddenly easily and powerfully clamps the wheels: stand still! Yes, hydraulics do work differently.

Checked by the mountains

Finally, we have not said the most important thing. This car is not some kind of amateur product for entertainment sake, made "for exhibitions" and for parties among autofans. This generally homemade monster truck, nicknamed Hijak - that is, the Predator - has been no less than ten years old. Almost all this time it was used for its intended purpose, having proved its practical suitability. It would be hard to believe in it, if we did not have the opportunity to see closely the quality of the assembly, and if we did not know that we built the car for 2.5 years and spent about 40 thousand dollars on it. Quality - it doesn't come cheap. Not on the factory assembly line, not in the garages of talented craftsmen.

Expedition cars most often look like real hippos on wheels, which combine cabins powerful trucks, large residential modules and high quality interiors equipped with everything necessary for life. Portland Base 4x4 is much simpler. It was conceived, designed and built by industrial designer Mark Schoening based on the Mitsubishi Fuso.

Auto occupies a niche somewhere between offroad camper like the 4x4 Sportsmobile Sprinter and more sophisticated expedition vehicles like the EarthRoamer XV-HD. The aluminum RV is essentially a more affordable and more customizable option for an expedition truck.
It has always amazed many people that many expedition vehicles have a fully furnished cabin, which is much better than some homes.

And this is not an exaggeration, as they are just packed with amenities such as high-end music and video systems, washing machines with dryers and even wine cabinets filled with specially engraved glasses. These vehicles are designed to ride through any mud and snow, away from civilization, and not drive on perfectly flat freeways.

This naturally requires things like a built-in kitchen for cooking, sleeping places, and water tanks. Mark Schoennig thought that this would be enough, and everything else is minor amenities that only add a lot of unnecessary weight and cost to machines designed for research expeditions.

Naturally, if people who travel have "extra" money, then they should not save on luxury. After all, a comfortable interior will mean a lot to them. But not everyone has the big bucks, and the Base 4x4 is perfect for those looking for a functional adventure truck without all the expensive bells and whistles. The base for the Base 4x4 is a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter FG4x4 with a 161-horsepower four-cylinder turbo diesel.

The camper module is mounted on a three-point hinge. Eight heavy rubber insulators isolate it from the camper chassis. keep on driving forces from the body of the camper. The walls are insulated with rigid foam, and the inside is covered with fabric acoustic panels. At the back of the van there are double rear doors: small for regular use, and large for loading motorcycles and other bulky goods.

The living space of the camper is expanded with a fiberglass awning. This bright yellow "booth" upstairs contains sleeping places for one or two people. The main living area of \u200b\u200bthe 4x4 Base can accommodate three to five people.

Standard equipment includes 79.5 liter water tanks, sink, cassette toilet and outdoor shower, and electrical system from rechargeable battery and a 2000-watt inverter, soft mattresses, granite countertops and a home theater system.

The lack of luxury amenities has had a positive impact on the price - the 4x4 Base costs around $ 95,000. The more sophisticated Fuso-based expedition trucks cost much more. For example, the EarthCruiser FX 4x4 will cost $ 175,000. The basic 4x4 Base interior is not suitable for everyone, so buyers have the option to customize it themselves.

Long list offered additional options, for example, a propane system with a stove and a water heater for $ 5,000, an indoor shower for $ 1,000, a direct aisle between the driver's cab and a campsite for $ 3,000, etc. All prices are preliminary, although the company is preparing to start accepting truck orders.

It will be interesting to look at and not only.

Since the 1920s, American heavy trucks began to be assembled almost like children's cars from a designer. Axles, gearboxes, transfer cases, engines, steering, braking systems etc. were bought from specialized manufacturers of components and assemblies. And the car builders themselves most often produced frames, cabins and bodies.

Some, however, could supply a motor, axles and transfer cases of their own manufacture, while retaining the opportunity for customers to order components and assemblies from a third-party manufacturer.

The same principle was used in the production of heavy army four-wheel drive vehicles, but with one small addition. One and the same car was often produced completely different firms, which in peacetime fiercely competed with each other. As a result, despite the seeming variety of brands, models and modifications, it turned out to be quite convenient for maintenance and repair of a fleet of vehicles with a very high degree unification. Some problems were caused by the cabins inherited from civilian models. But already in 1943-1944, instead of them, simplified cabins with a canvas top began to be massively used, which allowed, among other things, to save metal.

Prototype. Corbitt 50SD6 became the basis for an extensive family
six-ton \u200b\u200btrucks, which were produced by several firms at once

LAND-LISA STARS
America's number one car for drivers Soviet Union for many years it became Studebaker US6 (1942-1945) with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons on a dirt road and 5 tons on a highway (five-cars were considered "heavy" before the war). Of the nearly 219,000 vehicles produced, 86% went under Lend-Lease to the Red Army. Moreover, many of them were equipped with BM-13 and BM-31-12 multiple launch rocket systems. And after the war, until the early 70s, many Studebakers successfully worked in the national economy. Most of them were all-wheel drive. The number of modifications with drive only to the rear wheels was negligible.

A slightly simplified copy of the Studebaker US6 was also produced by REO. True, initially they tried to interest the military in their own development of REO 23BHRS with a Waukesha engine with a capacity of 106 liters. from. and a cab from a civilian REO truck. But alas. Studer becomes the main star of Lend-Lease, and REO's finest hour comes after the war. In total, from 1943 to 1944, a little over 22,000 REO US6 were collected. Many of them also ended up in the USSR, where they were also called “Studebakers”.

Did not work out. REO proposed its design for a 2.5 ton truck.
But a car unified with Studebaker went into the series.

However, the US6 is little known in its home country. This is explained by the fact that, unlike other 2.5-ton three-axles - GMC CCKW352 / 352 and International M-5-6 - Studebaker / REO US6 from the very beginning was developed as a vehicle for arming the allies - Australia, China, the Soviet Union. Therefore, in the American army, he almost never met. It is curious that the lion's share of these cars was produced in the form of vehicle kits, from which trucks were assembled in Iran and the USSR.

Structurally, the US6 was not much different from other American all-wheel drive army trucks. The cabin was borrowed from the civilian model of the M series (1940-1949).

Since about 1943, it has been gradually replaced by a cab with a canvas top and cutouts in the sidewalls instead of doors. Most of the components and assemblies are purchased, like the Hercules JXD inline six-cylinder low-valve engine with a working volume of 5.24 liters and a capacity of 95 liters. from.

at 2800 rpm. Thanks to a low compression ratio of 5.82, it could run on low quality gasoline. The gearbox is five-speed. Brakes - hydraulic with a vacuum booster. The maximum speed on the highway reached 70 km / h.

Bad name. White 666 1943 with cab
with a soft top and a machine gun turret

Naturally, the US6 model became an example to follow in the creation of the Soviet post-war analogue - the ZiS-151 (1948). For example, the transfer case of the latter is very similar to a similar Studebaker US6 unit. The same can be said for the rear balancer suspension. However, the rear "bogie" for most of the US military three-axle trucks was created almost according to a single project. For example, outwardly it is difficult to distinguish rear suspension three-axle Studebaker and REO from the same GMC unit.

BRILLIANT TRUCK
The main four-ton (on the ground) truck of the American army is the creation of the company, which without undue modesty called itself Diamond, that is, "diamond". The first was the T967 model (1939), released in a circulation of about 360 copies. But in 1941, another car went into the big series - T968 ( flatbed truck) and its modifications T969 (tow truck) and T972 (dump truck). The car was distinguished by a relatively short wheelbase - 3855 mm, an engine of the same Hercules company (8.7 liters, 131 hp) and pneumatic brakes. She developed a speed of 60 km / h. Like other American trucks, the Diamond T was first equipped with a civilian-type cab and only from 1943 received an open cab. A little later, they began to complete it with simplified doors. In addition, long wheelbase versions (4369 mm) were produced for the installation of special bodies (for example, truck cranes) and Canadian side models with a base of 5105 mm (T975).

At hand. The Studebaker US6 instructions were made in a small format,
to fit in pockets and field bags

ONE IN FIVE
If there was some confusion with 2.5-ton all-wheel drive trucks, then with six-ton \u200b\u200bmodels everything turned out almost perfect. The first AA prototype was built by Corbitt back in 1939. After major modifications by 1940, it became the 50SD6. The military, in principle, liked the car, but they decided to bring it to perfection, using more large manufacturer - White. As a result, in 1941, the famous White 666 appeared, the three sixes in the name of which stands for "six tons, six wheels and six driving wheels." How such a combination of numbers came about in the then emphatically devout America is absolutely incomprehensible. The modified car was returned back to Corbitt, where it was produced under the same name 50SD6, and the production of "three sixes" was divided between Brockway, FWD, Ward LaFrance and White. Together they produced about 21,000 units, while FWD and Ward LaFrance built only a few hundred cars. Brockway was mainly engaged in special equipment for pontoon-bridge parks. And since 1943, the company switched only to the production of truck cranes based on "three sixes", and with a single cab.

Diamond.
The main supplier of 4 ton trucks to the US Army
became the Diamond firm. The picture shows the model T968 (1941)

One-eyed. Reo and Studebaker US6 vehicles of the same design
at first they were supplied to the allies in a single-head version
for greater savings

Structurally, the Corbitt-White joint creation was like an enlarged Diamond T967. The engine is the unchanged Hercules, first the HXC model (13.0 liters, 165 hp), and then the HXD with a volume of 14 liters and a capacity of 202 hp. from. at 2150 rpm. The gearbox is four-speed. The brakes are air brakes. But the bridges were unusual - with worm final drives. Curiously, the rear-wheel drive versions of the White 1064 were equipped with Cummins HB600 diesel engines (135 hp) and a 5-speed gearbox.

On the march.
Main samples of White products
the beginning of the war: White 666 in the foreground, then the M2 half-track armored personnel carrier,
behind him an armored personnel carrier-reconnaissance M3A1

MACK-ARTILLER
However, the almost perfect unification of the "three sixes" was spoiled by a serious alternative in the person of Mack NM (1939-1945).

Structurally, the NM was very similar to the 50SD6. And it also mostly consisted of purchased parts. Here is just a six-cylinder gasoline engine was self-made (Mack EY).

With a working volume of 11.6 liters, it developed a power of 159 liters. from. at 2100 rpm. The checkpoint was five-speed. A total of 8293 NM series trucks were assembled.

Mack NM became the basis for heavy artillery tractors NO-1-NO-7, designed to tow the 155mm M1 cannon. The differences between the models were not significant. For example, the prototype NO-1, built in one copy in 1941, featured a steel cab roof and a winch mounted high above the bumper. The rest of the cars - NO-2, NO-3, NO-6 and NO-7 - were almost identical in appearance. NO-4 and NO-5 were built for testing as a prototype for a heavy tow truck and did not go into production. In total, 2050 tractors of the NO series were produced in 1943-1945. They were distinguished by good cross-country ability (ground clearance was 355 mm) and a solid speed of 51 km / h for such a technique.

Alternative. Since 1939, Mack has been producing its own version of the 6-ton truck.
NM with its own engine.
Double slopes at the front - for increased flotation