Chrysler Canada High Mobility Utility Truck

The Chrysler Canada High Mobility Utility Truck (officially Truck, Utility, High Mobility, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4, nicknamed "Ram") was an amphibious prototype built in 1969 by Chrysler Canada in Windsor, Ontario, for the Canadian military. Only six were made.

Design

The truck has an all-aluminium body with a removable cab top, bilge pumps, disc brakes and a winch. It has no propeller or water jet and is driven through the water by its tyres alone. An owner reported a Dodge automatic gearbox fitted with racing-transmission internals, rear-wheel drive with selectable front drive, and probably independent suspension on all four wheels. One listing gives the dimensions as 180 x 89 x 95 in (about 4.6 x 2.3 x 2.4 m) and the kerb weight as 6,352 lb (about 2,880 kg). The cargo bed is roughly 7 x 8 ft.

Survivors

Several examples have come up for sale. In 2002 one was offered on eBay from British Columbia, completely rebuilt and said to reach 50 mph. Another, prototype number 3 of 6, was later advertised near Ottawa. It had covered just over 9,000 miles and came with Chrysler service bulletins and Canadian Department of National Defence manuals. In 2004 a Canadian officer told Hans Rosloot that prototype number 6 belonged to a member of his regimental museum and that another example was in the military museum at CFB Borden.