M37 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Truck Family (G-741)

M37 Dodge prototypes were delivered to the Army early in 1950, and the first production vehicles in December that year. The Chrysler/Dodge internal designation was T245 which also identifies the engine. During 1951 through 1954 vehicles of the M37 series were produced and delivered monthly, totalling over 63,000 by mid-1954. By 1957, cumulative changes to the design resulted in the designation M37B1 (and T245A) for deliveries starting in 1958. From 1958 through 1968, about 47,600 M37B1 series vehicles were produced. In addition, a Canadian version (M37CDN) was produced from 1951-1955, an additional 4500+ vehicles.

The M-37 was succeeded by trucks derived from commercial vehicles, including the Kaiser M-715 and Dodge M-880. Eventually almost all of the U.S. military light duty trucks were replaced by the HMMWV.

The M-37 family trucks were produced with and without a winch, and with multiple body styles including:

There were other prototypes and limited production models in small numbers, such as:

M152 Panel Utility Truck
XM708 Dump Truck
XM711 Wrecker
XM142 Bomb Service Truck
XM195 Field Utility Truck (T247)
M283 Long Wheel Base (LWB) Cargo Truck
USAF R-2 Crash Truck (M56 with ACF-Brill body)
US Navy MB-2 Fire and Rescue Truck (M56 with Gichner body)

Doyle's Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles exhibits these and other M37 based models. Detailed production information is covered by Zentmyer (see below).

Many M-37s still survive and are on the road as civilians, restored, or still in military service in odd corners of the globe.

Information Sources for the Dodge M-37 Truck Family

You can find an extensive list of Technical Manuals, Technical Bulletins, MWOs and other documentation for the Dodge M-37 Truck Family on the linked page. A table of dimensions and specifications is on the same page.

In addition to the techical manuals, an important source for detailed information on the history of the M37 is the volume TM 9-1840C M37 Series Production Story by John H. Zentmyer, July 1987. This little manual, in the format of a military TM, is available from Adirondack Dodge Parts or Boyce Equipment. Doyle's Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles has an excellent M37 section with many photos.

M-37 Dodge Truck Family

The 3/4 ton rated M-37 family of trucks were built by Dodge as the first M-series 3/4 ton truck, the successor to the G-502 WC 3/4 ton family of trucks used in WW II and Korea. The M37 is a custom military design developed starting in 1948 and produced is several groups and models from 1950 to 1968. The M37 series was used by all the U.S. services from the early 1950s through the 1980s and exported widely around the world. Although a little sluggish, this is one of the toughest and most reliable trucks ever built.

1953 M37 owned by Madison Hughes, CAF Highland Lakes Squadron Air Show, Burnet, TX, 12 April 2008. Photo courtesy Bob Pettit.