63502 1/35 US M19 Tank Transporter with Soft Top Cab

Designed as a heavy prime mover for tank transporting, the Diamond T 980 was the product of the Diamond T Company in Chicago. In 1940 the British Purchasing Commission, looking to equip the British Army with a vehicle capable of transporting larger and heavier tanks, approached a number of American truck manufacturers to assess their models. The Diamond T Company had a long history of building rugged, military vehicles for the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps and had recently produced a prototype heavy vehicle for the US Army which, with a few slight modifications met British requirements and an initial order for 200 was very quickly filled.

The result was the Diamond T 980 (later 981), a vehicle which proved to be one of the most successful and memorable in its class. Powered by a 14.5 litre Hercules diesel engine, developing 201 bhp, it proved capable of the task of moving the heaviest tanks then in service.