1918 Liberty Military

Vehicle
1918 Liberty Military
425 cid, I-4, 52 bhp

Rate the Vehicle:

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

The military’s first use of trucks came during the Mexican Expedition when General “Blackjack” Pershing chased Poncho Villa into Mexico.

The military had two problems using the trucks. First they had no “MOS” in the military for truck drivers and were forced to hire teamsters to drive the trucks. The second problem was various manufacturers made the trucks they had, as no single manufacturer was able to supply enough trucks for the military. This resulted in the inability to scavenge parts for one truck to keep another running.

After this campaign it was decided to create an “MOS” for truck driver in the military and to create a single design for a military truck that any manufacturer could assemble, yet the parts would be interchangeable.

The Liberty, the result of this design, was manufactured by various car and truck companies in the early 1900’s including Kessel Kar, Continental, and Hinkley (the one pictured here).

Highlights

  • Designed by the Motor Transport section of the Quartermaster Corps, this became the first “standardized” military vehicle
  • As many as 15 different companies built these “Liberty” trucks to military design specifications, building 9,500 total units