Autocar » Type XXI Armored Car

Autocar Company made for Canadian Army special armored cars on Type XXI truck chassis. They were standard commercial chassis with solid tyres armoured with 9.5 mm plate supplied by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The armour gave all-round protection but was unusual in that it not only offered no head cover for the driver, but had no vision port in the front plate. However, the cars were not intended to go into action as fighting vehicles but to act as carriers for the two machine-guns normally provided in each car. These machine-guns were originally air-cooled, American-made Colts Model 1895, but later, with the Canadian Corps in France, from August 9th 1916 0.303-in. Vickers water-cooled machine-guns (on a swivel mount allowing them 360 degree rotation) were used instead. These guns could also be off-loaded and used on normal ground tripods.