The M35 2-1/2-ton cargo truck is a long-lived 2-1/2-ton 6x6 cargo truck initially used by the United States Army and subsequently utilized by many nations around the world. Over time it evolved into a family of specialized vehicles. It inherited the nickname "Deuce and a Half" from an older 2-1/2-ton truck, the World War II GMC CCKW.

The M35 started as a 1949 REO Motor Car Company design for a 2-1/2-ton 6x6 off-road truck. This original 6-wheel M34 version was quickly superseded by the 10-wheel M35 design. While the basic M35 cargo truck is rated to carry 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) off-road or 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) on roads, they have been known to haul twice as much as rated. Trucks in this weight class are considered medium duty by the military and the Department of Transportation.

The M35 family was introduced in 1950 to replace the GMC CCKW and M135 family cargo trucks that constituted the backbone of U.S. military transport since their introduction in World War II. The M35 would not completely replace the M135 family until the middle of the 1960s. However, the M35 would quickly become the dominant truck in its class in the U.S. military, serving with all the services in various capacities. For a short period the M35 was called "The Eager Beaver" by the U.S. Army due to its fording ability. But the name was never popular and forgotten in a few years.

The M35 series was to be replaced by the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle. However, many United States National Guard and Reserve units continued to use them as the new family of vehicles was phased in. The M35 series was used by the United States in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The M35 Truck was not used by the United States Marine Corps and currently issued M35 to the U.S. Army Service.

In order to replace the vintage fleet of 1950's era M135 the Canadian Army adopted license built versions of the M35 (and M36 variant) in 1982, built in Canada by Bombardier. As of 2014, the trucks, designated MLVW (Medium Logistics Vehicle, Wheeled) were still in service. Canadian vehicles featured an automatic transmission, six wheels instead of ten (using single wheels on the tandem rear axles instead of dual wheels), and an ether-start for winter operations. Canada had been investigating a replacement under the Medium Support Vehicle System Project, and a vehicle has been selected. The MLVW's were initially not deployed with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan because of their lack of armor protection. An armor kit was subsequently developed leading to a limited deployment of the vehicles.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a US M35 2-1/2-ton cargo truck in a tri-color camouflage scheme. Comes with a roof-mounted machine gun over the passenger compartment. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 3-3/4-inches
Width: 1-1/4-inches

Release Date: July 2018

Historical Account: "The Eager Beaver" - The original basic gasoline-powered truck variants were first the M34, and then the M35. A long wheel-base variant, designated the M36, was also developed (featuring a 16-foot (4.9 m) cargo bed). Variants with a C suffix (such as M35A2C or M36A2C) featured a straight drop-side cargo bed. The M44 and M45 were simply the chassis designation for the 2-1/2-ton series, and this cab/chassis would serve as the basis for many more specialized variants.

In the 1980s, Bombardier produced a M35 variant for the Canadian Forces' medium logistic vehicle, wheeled platform. This featured an Allison MT-643 automatic transmission, and a Detroit Diesel engine displacing 500 cubic inches (8.2 L). The original 11.00X20 Bias ply tires on split ring type rims were later changed fleet-wide to Michelin radials on bolt-together rims in 2002, due to safety concerns over the split rims.

During the Vietnam War, the US M35 2-1/2-ton cargo trucks saw ever increasing ambushes so US soldiers began to become very inventive. Some added sand bags and quarter inch steel plating to the floor of the vehicle to protect it against land mines. Some soldiers modified the vehicles, turning them into gun trucks, some times referred to as War Wagons. These carried M60 belt-fed machine guns and/or grenade launchers. The most feared version employed a turret ring atop the forward passenger compartment that was affixed with a M2 Browning 0.50 cal machine gun.