Canadian soldiers during the battle for Groningen

Canadian soldiers under sniper fire

Ford "All Terrain" Armored Car

In 1934, Ford and General Motors were each invited to build an experimental armored car to undergo testing by the Permanent Force. The deal involved the government paying for the materials and chassis’ while the companies paid for the design work and assembly. In the end the government paid $2,500.00 compared to Ford and G.M. which paid $9,000.00 each to build their respective cars.

The Ford differed from the Chevrolet in that it had dual wheels on the second and third axles, an eight-cylinder gasoline engine, and the armor plating was welded rather than riveted and bolted. Both armored cars had a maximum speed of 30 mph and the Ford was able to do 8 mph in reverse. Plans called for arming the vehicles with the Vickers Mk. VI medium machine gun but these were delayed as the feed mechanisms were on the wrong side, having been originally designed by the British for right hand drive vehicles. The cars underwent testing at Petawawa, Ontario with the Royal Canadian Dragoons where it was found that both performed satisfactorily. The ten wheel Ford performed the best in off-road tests and the six wheel Chevrolet excelled on roads. Orders for further cars failed to materialize due to budgetary limitations and the Ford experimental car was shipped to Winnipeg for use by the Lord Strathcona’s Horse. The Chevrolet remained with the RCD. Other than the handful of Carden-Loyd carriers obtained in the early 1930’s, these two armored cars were the only armored vehicle procurements by the Canadian Permanent Force until the acquisition of a number of British Mk. VI B Light Tanks in 1938.

Ford "All Terrain" Armored Car

Calgary Highlanders in the Netherlands, October 1944, during the battle to clear the German's out of the Scheldt Estuary and open the ports at Antwerp to Allied shipping. Photograph by Canadian CFPU photographer Ken Bell.