Sunday, July 1, 2012

FWD means Four Wheel Drive Auto Company... they seem to have invented the modern 4x4, and had a standing challenge of $1000 to any car that could follow along for 10 minutes in rough terrain, they never lost, and called the test car the Battelship

 after demonstration of the above four wheel drive ability, the US Army bought it's first 4x4 in 1911
 above is the famous Battleship which never lost the $1000 dollar challenge, it had a 452 cu in engine
above is the Army's first test model, and here is caked in Georgia mud, becuase they gave it a 1500 mile torture test through the winter. It was last seen in San Diego being used by the Signal Corps. At the time, the Army had 100,000 head of horses standing by at Miramar (home of Top Gun until 1997, now a USMC airplane and helicopter base)

FWD bought Seagrave in 1963, and the Seagrave name carries on building fire department trucks. They have a museum, called the Pioneer Park Museum that houses the Battleship. photos and info from http://www.fourwheeler.com/featuredvehicles/129_1206_june_2012_backward_glances/index.html

the Nancy Hank is the last factory demonstrator vehicle, the one they kept and is in their museum

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