The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles  
Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson
Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox  
Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar  
Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers: 
Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard  
Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

 Surviving World War Two LCVPs   Surviving Post-World War Two Wooden LCVPs   Surviving Post-World War Two Fiberglass LCVPs   Surviving French Post-World War Two LCVPs   Replica LCVPs
Surviving LCVPs - Higgins Boats
A Comprehensive Survey of Existing Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel / Higgins Boats

This page updated 3-22-2023.

An American Auto Industry in World War Two Special Edition


The LCVP was used around the globe during World War Two and operated by various American military units.  In this case U.S. Navy Seabees are ferrying troops from General George Patton's Third Army across the Rhine River in March 1945.

It was never my original intention to research and attempt to determine how many and where the original LCVPs are still located.  Originally, I was just interested in whether the LCVPs I found had engines built by the American Auto Industry, such as the Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71.  I then realized that while there were many sources of information of where other World War Two vehicles such as Sherman tanks still existed and were located, little existed on the LCVP.  What existed in several cases did not seem all that accurate or well investigated.   I therefore started my own research, when it became obvious that this subject had not really been fully addressed.

In November 2018, I published my page "Surviving World War Two Landing Craft and Ship Photos," which contained photos of known World War Two landing craft that I had visited.  That page also contained a listing of "Known original LCVPs still in existence."  To me, the term 'original LCVP' equates to one of the 23,397 LCVPs built by any one of seven different companies during World War Two.  Almost immediately, I realized the "Surviving World War Two Landing Craft and Ship Photos" page was trying to cover too many types of landing craft, and not doing it nearly as well as I had wanted.  Also, I began to realize that the LCVP story was not as straight forward as I had originally thought.  It was complicated.  As I began to research what limited resources are available on the LCVP, I became aware that information provided on the internet, and consequently on my webpage, was inaccurate.  Therefore, I have now broken out the LCVP information from the rest of the World War Two landing craft and created this new page.

My research over the past year and a half has led me to the conclusion that there are eight World War Two-era LCVPs that can presently be verified.  This is down from the twenty I originally thought.  At the same time, I realized that several LCVPs that have been identified as original World War Two boats were actually built in the 1950's.  There are also a number of LCVPs on display or operating in France.  My research indicates that the French built these LCVPs after World War Two.  Finally, in the 1960s, there was a group of fiberglass LCVPs that were built for the U.S. Navy.  I have gathered as much information as I have been able to find to identify the remaining LCVPs of all four types.  Below is what I have learned about surviving LCVPs.

  • Original World War Two Wooden 36-foot LCVPs -  Records show that there were 23,397 of these built by seven different companies during the war.  It should be noted that these were wooden boats that were expendable.  Being of wooden construction, they would not last very long after the end of the war.  If they were not sunk or damaged during the war, wood rot, insects, and worms would not allow them to last for a long time.  This is why the U.S. Navy started building new ones in the 1950s. 

  • Post-World War Two wooden 36-foot LCVPs - The U.S. Navy ordered 1,465 of these from 1953 to 1958 to replace the original LCVPs that were ending their useful life. 

  • Post-World War Two Fiberglass 36-foot LCVPs - The U.S. Navy ordered 452 of these from 1965 to 1969.  Several of these are still operating and being used for World War Two re-enactments. 

  • Post-World War Two French-built Wooden 36-foot LCVPs -  A researcher colleague of mine told me that the ones in French museums and privately owned in France were built by the French after World War Two.  My research confirms this.  These show several distinct differences from the wooden LCVPs built in the United States.

  • Post-World War Two French-built Steel 36-foot LCVPs (EA) - There were approximately 60 of these built beginning in 1950 for use in the French Indochina war.  These were designated as EAs for Assault Boats.  These heavier steel EAs used the Gray-Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine, making them slower and more sluggish to operate than the American version.  They apparently were built in Indochina.  At present, none are known to still exist.

  • Replicas - These are also included for information purposes.

  • Unknown - This is classification for reported LCVPs, but without enough documentation nor photos to verify their existence or type.

The information on this and the related pages contains, to the best of my ability, the data that is available.  As new or more accurate information is found, I shall update this webpage.

Table 1 - Differences between World War Two LCVPs and 1950s Wooden LCVPs
Attribute Original WWII LCVP 1950s Wooden LCVP
Fuel tanks Two 110 gallon 14 gauge fabricated tanks. Four 55 gallon barrels.
Propeller shaft, skeg, and rudder support Either a one or two piece casting connected to the hull, propeller shaft, and skeg. Two piece supports.  One connected hull to propeller shaft.  The other connected the hull to the skeg with a V-bracket.
Location of winch Inside the hull. On top of the gunwale.
Routing of ramp cable Inside the boat and under the floor.  Outside the boat.  For the starboard side the cable is routed from the rear of the winch around the back of the crew area and then along the outside of the starboard side.
Location of ramp cable attached to ramp The connection of the cable to the ramp is outside the boat. The connection of the cable to the ramp is inside the boat. 
.30 caliber machine gun tubs Yes. No.

 

Table 2 - Known Surviving World War Two LCVPs
There are eight of this type.
These are to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.
Owner and Location Comments - For more information and photos, go to my page:  Surviving WWII LCVPs
Private Owner, CA This is Higgins-built C-31987 which was recovered from Lake Shasta, CA in late 2021.  The historical record indicates that C- 31987 is a World War Two combat veteran that served at Tarawa.  The owner plans to loan the craft to a museum which will undertake restoration of this historic LCVP.
Private Owners, OH
On Temporary Loan to the Miami Valley Veterans Museum in Troy, OH - July 2021-July 2023
This is Higgins-built C-70032 and has the molded transom that only Higgins built on a limited number of boats. 
Roberts Armory, Rochelle, IL This is Higgins-built C-32238. 
Private Owner, Sacramento Delta, CA This is Higgins-built C-72530 and has the molded transom and a Chrysler Crown six-cylinder marine engine serial number 21756.  It is now a houseboat.
American Heritage Museum, Hudson, MA This was found in France and identified as an original World War Two LCVP.  After restoration, it was purchased by the First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.  It was then traded to the American Heritage Museum in exchange for a Sherman tank.
U.S. Navy Museum, Washington, DC There are only two photos of this LCVP that I can find.  From the photos, the ramp hoisting system is of the World War Two type.  One source indicates this boat was found in California with many parts being provided by an LCVP that was found sunken in Baltimore Harbor, MD.  Restoration work was done by the Naval Historical Detachment in Boston, MA. 
D-Day Museum, Portsmouth, UK

A YouTube video from the D-Day Museum gives information on the acquisition, restoration, and display of this LCVP.  What is interesting is that this boat has the kinked side like the LCVP at National Museum of the U.S. Army and the replica at the National Museum of the WWII.  There appears to have been a small number of boats built during World War Two with the kinked side.  This may have been the original design, which was then changed to the flat sides for ease of manufacture and the attachment of the armor plate.

The restoration does not include the ramp winch or cables.  The use of chain attached to the ramp is incorrect.  This should be a wire cable.

United States Army Center for Military History, Fort Belvoir, VA Overlord Research, LLC, of Charleston, WV found this LVCP on the Island of Wight. It was identified to be of World War Two vintage.  Restoration was done by Hughes Marine Service. 

I visited the museum on June 29, 2021 and verified this as a World War Two-era LCVP.  It appears to be a Higgins-built boat with a Hall-Scott/Hudson Motor Car Company Invader engine.

Challenge LCVP - Higgins Boat, Normandy, France This was found on a mudflat in Ster Fanquec, France in 1996.  In 2008, it was restored and currently operates along the Normandy coast in reenactments.  It is an operating LCVP.

 

Table 3 - Known Surviving Wooden Post-World War Two LCVPs
There are ten of this type.
These are to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.
Owner and Location Comments - For more information and photos, go to my page:  Surviving Post-WWII LCVPs
Private Owner, VA This is C-103470 built in 1956.  This was previously at Old Fort, OH. 
U.S. Army Transportation Museum, Fort Eustis, VA This is an excellent example of a post-World War Two LCVP.  The boat was transferred to the museum from Fort Benning, GA.
Private Owner, VA This LCVP is hull number C-26903, which corresponds to a 1954 boat built by Shelburne Shipyard in VT.  Before being purchased in August 2020 by the new owner, it was previously in Washington.  It is only the hull and will take some serious restoration and acquisition of parts.
Indiana Military Museum, Vincennes, IN This arrived at the museum with many parts missing and in bad shape.  The museum has done an excellent job in restoring it to look like a World War Two LCVP.  However, the skeg and propeller hardware indicate this is a 1950s LCVP.
Mott Military Museum, Grove Port, OH This is the best restoration of a post-World War Two LCVP that exists.
Museum of American Armor, Long Island, NY Formerly at the International Museum of World War Two in Natick, MA.
National Museum of Pacific War, Fredericksburg, TX In November 2014 the museum received two LCVPs from an unknown source.  One was restored and is currently on display at the museum's Pacific Combat Zone.  A YouTube video of the LCVP indicates it is a post-World War Two boat.
National Museum of Pacific War, Fredericksburg, TX The second boat arrived with most of the port side missing and was used as a parts boat for the display unit.  A photo of the boat indicates it is post-World War Two.
World War II Veterans History Project This was formerly at the  Museum of the American G.I., College Station, TX.  I had been told some years back that there was a LCVP at the Museum of the American G.I., but I could never obtain any confirmation.  An Orlando Sentinel newspaper article on April 23, 2020 told of a LCVP that came from College Station, TX  and was now in the possession of the World War II Veterans History Project for restoration.  It appears the Museum of the American G.I. has donated or sold the LCVP to the Veterans History Project. 
American Military Museum (Tankland), El Monte, CA This is marked PA 21-17.  It is one of four LCVPs the museum has.  The other three are fiberglass.  Added 11-30-2020.DDJ

 

Table 4 - Known Surviving Fiberglass Post-World War Two LCVPs
There are at least 31 of this type.  There may be more I have not yet identified.
These are to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.
Owner and Location Comments - For more information and photos, go to my page:  Surviving Fiberglass LCVPs
Military Veterans Museum, Oshkosh, WI This is 36VP642 and is on display.  Added 10-19-2020.
American Military Museum (Tankland), South El Monte, CA This is 36VP65100 and is marked LST 1191-4.  It is one of four LCVPs the museum has.  One is a post-World War Two wooden boat and the other two are fiberglass.  Added 11-30-2020.DDJ
Anchorage Yacht Basin, Melbourne, FL This is 36VP6619 and is in storage.
Unknown Owner - Photographed at Conneaut, OH This is 36VP6633 and is an operating LCVP.
Museum of Forgotten Warriors, Marysville, CA This is 36VP6656 and is on outside display.
The Regional Military Museum, Houma, LA This is 36VP6657.
Unknown Owner - Nottingham area, UK This is 36VP6689 and is an operating LCVP.  Added 10-19-2020.
Russell Military Museum, Zion, IL This is 36VP6731 and is on outside display.
Unknown Owner - Photographed at Conneaut, OH This is 36P6735 and is an operating LCVP.
Unknown Owner - Photographed at Conneaut, OH This is 36VP6763 and is an operating LCVP.
Unknown Owner, Last Known Location - Ewell, Smith Island, MD This is 36VP6970 and is an operating LCVP.  This was sold after 2017.  New owner and location unknown.
D-Day Ohio, Conneaut, OH This is an operating LCVP.
LST-325, Evansville, IN Boat #1.  This is an operating LCVP.
LST-325, Evansville, IN Boat #2.  This is an operating LCVP.  As of May 2021, this boat is on display at the Evansville Wartime Museum.  It is on loan from LST-325.
LST-325, Evansville, IN Boat #3.  This is an operating LCVP.
Estrella Warbirds Museum, Paso Robles, CA This is on outside display.
Louisiana Military Museum, Abbeville, LA This is on inside display.
 Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, Everett, WA This is on inside display.
National Museum of Military Vehicles, Dubois, WY This has been restored to resemble a 1943 wooden LCVP.   It is on display in the World War Two section of the museum. 
National Museum of Military Vehicles, Dubois, WY This is 36VP6643 and is part of a diorama in the Korean War display area.  It depicts an LCVP from LST-859 landing up against the seawall at Inchon. 
Unknown Owner - United Kingdom This is assumed to be located in the United Kingdom where it has been used in several World war Two movies.
Northern Recon Group, CA This is an operating LCVP.
King Edward Point on South Georgia Island This has been reported as a World War Two LCVP.  In looking at two photos I have found of the LCVP, I believe it is actually a 1960s fiberglass LCVP.  One photo shows the aft section having a rounded transom as the fiberglass LCVPs have.  Also, if it were of wooden construction, I think it would be in far worse shape than it looks.  Better photos would be most helpful on this issue.  A photo showing if the hoisting cable is inside or outside of the boat at the ramp would be extremely helpful in solving this issue.
Key West, FL Boat #1.  This was sold out of Key West junkyard in December 2014.  It may be one of the ones above.
Key West, FL Boat #2.  This is a working boat in the area.
Key West, FL Boat #3.  This is area but not currently used.
American Military Museum (Tankland), South El Monte, CA This is marked PA 208-10.  It is one of four LCVPs the museum has.  One is a post-World War Two wooden boat and the other two are fiberglass.  Added 11-30-2020.  DDJ
American Military Museum (Tankland), South El Monte, CA This has no visible markings.  It is one of four LCVPs the museum has.  One is a post-World War Two wooden boat and the other two are fiberglass.  Added 11-30-2020.  DDJ
Snohomish, WA This LCVP was "discovered" by John Rottiers in July 2022.  There is an effort being made for the owner to donate the LCVP to a marine museum in Oregon which would make it operational.  Added 7-30-2022.  DDJ
Private Owner, VA This was previously owned by an unknown owner, also in Virginia. 
Private Owner, VA This came from a lake in Georgia. 

 

Table 5 - Known Surviving Wooden French Post-World War Two LCVPs
There are eleven of this type.
These are to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.
Owner and Location Comments - For more information and photos, go to my page:  French LCVPs
Private Owner, Normandy This LCVP is on a trailer for mobile exhibition. 
Maisy Battery, Grand-Maisy, Normandy This LVCP was found in a farm field in France.  Currently it is on outdoor display in the elements at the parking lot for the Maisy Battery near Utah Beach.
Saint-Raphael A memorial to the landing of the U.S. 36 Division on Camel Beach in Southern France during Operation Dragoon.
Normandy Victory Museum, Catz, near Carentan This is an outside display,  The LCVP is in rough shape.
Utah Beach Museum This is an inside display.
Omaha Beach Memorial Museum Inside display with a U.S. Navy jeep on the ramp.
DDay Omaha Museum at Vierville-sur-Mer, Normandy Outside display.
Jeep D-Day 44 Stop at Vierville-sur-Mer, Normandy Outside display.
Overlord Museum at Colleville Inside display
South Pacific WWII Museum, Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu This is the most interesting of the French LCVPs, in that it is now at this museum on this South Pacific small island in the Coral Sea.  It arrived there in 2015.  When I first looked at the photos, I knew right away it was from France.  It just pops out at you once you look at several of these LCVPs.  The markings on it are similar to the French LCVP at Normandy Victory Museum.  Even more interestingly, the museum website describes this as a replica of the original U.S. Navy LCVPs.   
Musee Maritime de Nouvelle-Caledonie This LCVP has the same numerical markings as the one noted above.  It also arrived at the museum about the same time as the one above.

 

Table 6 - Known LCVP Replicas
There are five of this type.
These are to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.

Owner and Location Comments - For more information and photos, go to my page:  Replica LCVPs
National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA This is a wood replica located in the main lobby.
Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial, Columbus, NE This is a steel replica.
Utah Beach Memorial Museum, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France This is a steel replica
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels, Belgium There is a report of a replica LCVP being in the Museum.
Camp Gordon Johnston Museum, Carrabelle Beach, FL This is a 1/2 scale wooden replica.

 

Table 7 - Unknown LCVPs
There are none at this time.
This is to the best of my knowledge and subject to change.