Well before the onset of World War II, it was clear that the USA needed to update its military.
The Quartermaster Corps (Q.C.), responsible at the time for providing the military with non-combat vehicles, moved to standardize truck designs, and by 1939, as the war in Europe exploded, the Army had settled on five payload-based general-purpose truck classes: ​¹⁄₂-ton, 1​¹⁄₂-ton, ​2 ¹⁄₂-, 4- and ​7 ¹⁄₂-ton.
By June 1940 the Q.C. had tested and approved its first three standard commercial based, all-wheel drive trucks: the 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 Dodge, the GMC ​2 ¹⁄₂-ton 6x6 and a Mack 6-ton 6x6.
With regards to Dodge however, the U.S. military reconsidered its preferences for the build-up for the war almost immediately after this.

Whereas in 1936, a Marmon-Herrington converted Ford had become the Army's first half-ton 4-wheel drive, and the Army had initially standardized Dodge's 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 truck — following Dodge's push for building ​¹⁄₂-tonners, after mid 1940 it was decided they preferred Dodge to build light-duty four-wheel drives, contracting for a series of half-ton trucks, while GM / Chevrolet was instead going to become the standard supplier for 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks.
So, when in the summer of 1940 the largest government truck contract awarded went to Chrysler's Dodge / Fargo Division, for more than 14,000 (mostly) 4x4 trucks, this was in the midst of the transition, and thus included both orders for ​¹⁄₂-ton and 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks, as GM / Chevy still needed to tool up for the 1​¹⁄₂-tonners.

Dodge had started developing designs for a 4x4 half-ton in 1939, and began production in earnest in 1940 — both 4x4 half-tons, as well as 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 and 4x2 trucks.
On all 1940 trucks, front sheetmetal was mostly identical to the commercial VC and VF models of that year, with the addition of a big brush guard mounted in front of the grille and headlights.
Except for the addition of 4-wheel drive, and custom bodies on the ​¹⁄₂-ton command cars, the trucks followed the 1939 procurement doctrine, to "use commercial trucks with only a few modifications such as brush guards and towing pintles to fit them for military use."

The first of the ​¹⁄₂-ton, 4x4, VC series military trucks were based on Dodge's 1939 civilian, one-ton rated model TC-series.
 The military VC models retained the civilian engine and wheelbase, but gained four-wheel drive, and a new internal technical code: T-202.
Manufacturing of the Dodge VC models (SNL number G-505) began in 1940, making these the Army's first standard production half-ton 4WD trucks.
The soldiers also called the light command reconnaissance vehicles "jeeps", — before that term migrated to the quarter-tons, starting in 1941.


A total of 4,640 VC models were built across six variants – mostly pick-ups and reconnaissance cars.
These 1/2-ton VC trucks proved successful, but were immediately further developed and succeeded by the G-505, 1/2-ton WC models in 1941.
Although obsolete, the VC trucks remained in use until the end of the war.

In 1940, Dodge also built 6,472 four-wheel drive 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks, under two U.S. contracts – one awarded to Dodge, and one to Fargo.
The models VF-401 to VF-407 (or engine/tech type T-203 by Dodge – and G-621 by the Army), were a continuation of their experimental pre-war predecessors, the RF-40(-X) and TF-40(-X) (or T-200 / T-201), still riding on a chassis of the same 143 in (3.63 m) wheelbase.
Production consisted of just over 6,000 closed cab, open bed cargo trucks, plus just under 400 dump-trucks.

Like on the ​¹⁄₂-ton VC-series, the 1940 VF-400 1​¹⁄₂-ton models simply used civilian front sheet-metal, based on the 1939 commercial model TE-30 cab, with a brush-guard fitted in front of the grille and headlights — but with a Dodge developed front driving axle, directional, cross-country tires, and a military cargo body.
 Importantly, one thousand of the VF-400 series cargo trucks were equipped with a power take-off, gear-driven Braden model MU 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) capacity winch — a feature that was carried over on many of the subsequent ​¹⁄₂-ton and 1​¹⁄₂-ton WC series m
Well before the onset of World War II, it was clear that the USA needed to update its military. The Quartermaster Corps (Q.C.), responsible at the time for providing the military with non-combat vehicles, moved to standardize truck designs, and by 1939, as the war in Europe exploded, the Army had settled on five payload-based general-purpose truck classes: ​¹⁄₂-ton, 1​¹⁄₂-ton, ​2 ¹⁄₂-, 4- and ​7 ¹⁄₂-ton. By June 1940 the Q.C. had tested and approved its first three standard commercial based, all-wheel drive trucks: the 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 Dodge, the GMC ​2 ¹⁄₂-ton 6x6 and a Mack 6-ton 6x6. With regards to Dodge however, the U.S. military reconsidered its preferences for the build-up for the war almost immediately after this. 
Whereas in 1936, a Marmon-Herrington converted Ford had become the Army's first half-ton 4-wheel drive, and the Army had initially standardized Dodge's 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 truck — following Dodge's push for building ​¹⁄₂-tonners, after mid 1940 it was decided they preferred Dodge to build light-duty four-wheel drives, contracting for a series of half-ton trucks, while GM / Chevrolet was instead going to become the standard supplier for 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks. So, when in the summer of 1940 the largest government truck contract awarded went to Chrysler's Dodge / Fargo Division, for more than 14,000 (mostly) 4x4 trucks, this was in the midst of the transition, and thus included both orders for ​¹⁄₂-ton and 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks, as GM / Chevy still needed to tool up for the 1​¹⁄₂-tonners.
Dodge had started developing designs for a 4x4 half-ton in 1939, and began production in earnest in 1940 — both 4x4 half-tons, as well as 1​¹⁄₂-ton 4x4 and 4x2 trucks. On all 1940 trucks, front sheetmetal was mostly identical to the commercial VC and VF models of that year, with the addition of a big brush guard mounted in front of the grille and headlights. Except for the addition of 4-wheel drive, and custom bodies on the ​¹⁄₂-ton command cars, the trucks followed the 1939 procurement doctrine, to "use commercial trucks with only a few modifications such as brush guards and towing pintles to fit them for military use." 
The first of the ​¹⁄₂-ton, 4x4, VC series military trucks were based on Dodge's 1939 civilian, one-ton rated model TC-series.  The military VC models retained the civilian engine and wheelbase, but gained four-wheel drive, and a new internal technical code: T-202. Manufacturing of the Dodge VC models (SNL number G-505) began in 1940, making these the Army's first standard production half-ton 4WD trucks. The soldiers also called the light command reconnaissance vehicles "jeeps", — before that term migrated to the quarter-tons, starting in 1941.

A total of 4,640 VC models were built across six variants – mostly pick-ups and reconnaissance cars. These 1/2-ton VC trucks proved successful, but were immediately further developed and succeeded by the G-505, 1/2-ton WC models in 1941. Although obsolete, the VC trucks remained in use until the end of the war.
In 1940, Dodge also built 6,472 four-wheel drive 1​¹⁄₂-ton trucks, under two U.S. contracts – one awarded to Dodge, and one to Fargo. The models VF-401 to VF-407 (or engine/tech type T-203 by Dodge – and G-621 by the Army), were a continuation of their experimental pre-war predecessors, the RF-40(-X) and TF-40(-X) (or T-200 / T-201), still riding on a chassis of the same 143 in (3.63 m) wheelbase. Production consisted of just over 6,000 closed cab, open bed cargo trucks, plus just under 400 dump-trucks. 
Like on the ​¹⁄₂-ton VC-series, the 1940 VF-400 1​¹⁄₂-ton models simply used civilian front sheet-metal, based on the 1939 commercial model TE-30 cab, with a brush-guard fitted in front of the grille and headlights — but with a Dodge developed front driving axle, directional, cross-country tires, and a military cargo body.  Importantly, one thousand of the VF-400 series cargo trucks were equipped with a power take-off, gear-driven Braden model MU 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) capacity winch — a feature that was carried over on many of the subsequent ​¹⁄₂-ton and 1​¹⁄₂-ton WC series m
Dodge WC series