Manufacturer: Ford Motor Co. of Canada, Windsor, Ontario

Production Year: 1944

Engine: Ford, liquid-cooled, 95-hp eight-cylinder

Transmission: Four-speed: four forward, one reverse

Length: 14-feet, 4-inches

Width: 7-feet, 1-inch

Height: 6-feet, 8-inches (4-feet, 9-inches without bonnet)

Weight: Approximately 5-1/2-tons (loaded)

Armor: Front hull: 3/8-inch, hull sides and rear: 1/4-inch

Armament: NONE on this example - Designed to be fitted with a .303 caliber Bren light machine gun

Maximum Road Speed: 30-mph

Crew: Up to eight

Markings: Canadian Army, 21st Army Group, B Company - 7th Vehicle

The Windsor was developed in 1943 as a request to improve on the basic Carrier designs in production in Britain and Canada. The Ford Company of Canada, with considerable backing from the Canadian Department of Munitions and Supply, began production in 1944. Despite the fact that the Windsor shared 90-percent of its components with the Loyd Carrier (a British built design with many Ford of Canada manufactured components); the Windsor’s design was based on the Universal Carrier. The Windsor was, however, larger and more powerful. The suspension featured four bogie wheels as compared to three on the Universal Carrier. The Ford engine was rated at 95-hp versus 85-hp on the Universal model. Initially, the Windsor was intended to replace the Loyd Carrier as an anti-tank gun towing vehicle, but, early trials were so successful that consideration was given to deploy the Windsor in the weapons carrier role of the Universal design. However, shortly after production began, mechanical problems soon disclosed themselves. Consequently, Windsors were only used operationally in limited numbers as towing vehicles for 6-pdr anti-tank guns.