WWII Duck Boat - DUKW Amphibious Vehicle

McDonald Duck Boat

The McDonald Duck Boat has made the trip from California to Saginaw Michigan.  We are very excited to have this historic vehicle here in Saginaw for the community to see.  This was a very important piece of equipment in WWII and is arguably the most successful amphibious vehicle ever.

The Ultimate Golf Destination

From the famous LittleField Collection

About The Duck Boat

Journey to Saginaw 

The DUKW, also know as the "Duck" is a six wheel drive amphibious vehicle based on the famous "duece-and-a-half" chassis.   Many people had a hand in designing the DUKW.  The final production design was perfected by a few engineers at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac, Michigan. The production model was built by GMC, which was still called Yellow Truck & Coach at the beginning of the war.

The DUKW was the first vehicle in the world to allow adjusting of tire pressure from the driver area.  Cruising speeds of 50mph on ground and just over 6mph on water were achievable in the DUKW.  Arguably the most successful amphibious vehicle every, the DUKW had a very decorated service life in WWII.

The 1943 Duck Boat was part of the famous LittleField Collection, which was one of the largest military vehicle collections in the world.  The Duck Boat was last located in California and made the 2,400 mile journey to Michigan over a period of 5 days.  All went well on the drive and we're excited to have it home. If you missed the episode of Shipping Wars on A & E TV you can view it here. 

The Duck Boat will be used in local parades, fundraisers, and other civic events in hopes that several members of the local communities will have a chance to see the vehicle.  This truly is a remarkable vehicle with a decorated history.  Many people who served in our Armed Forces, from our local communities, were aboard or driving Duck Boats in WWII.  We felt this was a really important piece of history for our area.