In 1940 the Army revised its range of standard, payload-based, general-purpose truck classes: a ​¹⁄₄-ton chassis requirement was added; the ​¹⁄₂-ton was to be replaced by a ​³⁄₄-ton, and additional heavy categories were specified.
The Quartermaster General wanted to start direct negotiations with Dodge, GM and Mack for certain models immediately, but not until after February 1941 could the Quartermaster Corps choose manufacturers directly, based on their engineering and production capabilities.
One deciding factor had to do with availability of certain critical components, like transfer cases and especially constant-velocity joints, not used much on commercial trucks, but all-wheel drive vehicles all needed these; plus additionally, they would use two or three times the amount of driven axles, meaning more gears to cut for all the differentials.
Produced up to the war by a few specialized firms with limited capacity, from spring 1942 Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet joined in fabricating these in mass quantity, with Dodge's experience in making quality, precision parts dating back from the earliest beginnings of the company.

While very successful, the ​¹⁄₂-ton WC trucks had to be supplanted by ​³⁄₄-ton trucks.
In late 1941, Dodge introduced a redesigned WC‑series 4×4 trucks uprated to ​³⁄₄-ton and their SNL code changed to G-502.
The ​³⁄₄-ton featured a lower profile truck bed that could seat eight troops, plus under seat stowage compartments; while service-parts remained 80 percent interchangeable with the existing ​¹⁄₂-ton series.
Maintaining 80% service parts interchangeability with the ​¹⁄₂-ton models was of great value.
The ​³⁄₄-ton models could swiftly be deployed, and the ​¹⁄₂-ton, G-505 WC‑trucks remained in use to the end of World War II.

Throughout the war, Dodge was the U.S. Army's sole producer of ​³⁄₄-ton trucks, and built a total of 255,193 of these across all variants from April 1942 to August 1945.

Standard vehicles in the ​³⁄₄-ton 4×4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, WC-56 /-57 /-58 (Radio) Command Reconnaissance, WC-53 Carry‑all, and the WC-54 Ambulance.
In the cargo/troop and command trucks, the WC-52 and WC-57 are identical to the WC-51 and WC-56, but with a longer frame, extending to carry the protruding front bumper with front-mounted winch.

The ​³⁄₄-ton 4x4 WC truck was also stretched into a 1​¹⁄₂‑ton 6x6 troops and weapons carrier for larger 12-troop rifle squads (the G-507).
In 1940 the Army revised its range of standard, payload-based, general-purpose truck classes: a ​¹⁄₄-ton chassis requirement was added; the ​¹⁄₂-ton was to be replaced by a ​³⁄₄-ton, and additional heavy categories were specified. The Quartermaster General wanted to start direct negotiations with Dodge, GM and Mack for certain models immediately, but not until after February 1941 could the Quartermaster Corps choose manufacturers directly, based on their engineering and production capabilities. One deciding factor had to do with availability of certain critical components, like transfer cases and especially constant-velocity joints, not used much on commercial trucks, but all-wheel drive vehicles all needed these; plus additionally, they would use two or three times the amount of driven axles, meaning more gears to cut for all the differentials. Produced up to the war by a few specialized firms with limited capacity, from spring 1942 Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet joined in fabricating these in mass quantity, with Dodge's experience in making quality, precision parts dating back from the earliest beginnings of the company.
While very successful, the ​¹⁄₂-ton WC trucks had to be supplanted by ​³⁄₄-ton trucks. In late 1941, Dodge introduced a redesigned WC‑series 4×4 trucks uprated to ​³⁄₄-ton and their SNL code changed to G-502. The ​³⁄₄-ton featured a lower profile truck bed that could seat eight troops, plus under seat stowage compartments; while service-parts remained 80 percent interchangeable with the existing ​¹⁄₂-ton series. Maintaining 80% service parts interchangeability with the ​¹⁄₂-ton models was of great value. The ​³⁄₄-ton models could swiftly be deployed, and the ​¹⁄₂-ton, G-505 WC‑trucks remained in use to the end of World War II.
Throughout the war, Dodge was the U.S. Army's sole producer of ​³⁄₄-ton trucks, and built a total of 255,193 of these across all variants from April 1942 to August 1945.
Standard vehicles in the ​³⁄₄-ton 4×4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, WC-56 /-57 /-58 (Radio) Command Reconnaissance, WC-53 Carry‑all, and the WC-54 Ambulance. In the cargo/troop and command trucks, the WC-52 and WC-57 are identical to the WC-51 and WC-56, but with a longer frame, extending to carry the protruding front bumper with front-mounted winch.
The ​³⁄₄-ton 4x4 WC truck was also stretched into a 1​¹⁄₂‑ton 6x6 troops and weapons carrier for larger 12-troop rifle squads (the G-507).
Dodge WC series