[nuyt]

That French legend intrigues me.

I find it hard to believe that in early 1939 fleeing Republican forces brought in a number of modern 4x4 GMCs to the French Army.
But there might be another truth in that Spanish connection legend. Just speculating here, of course.
The French Army had ordered thousands and thousands of US trucks right? Dodges, Whites and GMCs. Who was going to produce all that? That factory in France with 450 workers? Direct shippings from the US? Or was that recovering factory in Barcelon given a role after 1939 and did they produce some trucks as well for both the Spanish market (extremely small and basically military in the recovering dictatorial country) as well as the French? Did a small number of the "French contract"come through Spain (and/or Lisbon). It must have been hard to give that factory breathing again and a role in the French production could have saved it.
Then came the war and German occupation of part of France.
Now, what I would like to know is what had happened to the French contract after june 1940? As a lawyer I would say: nothing, business as usual. Why? Well, the contract was with the French govt and a US corporation. The Vichy govt, was (how odd this may seem) LEGALLY still the only govt of France. The rebel was De Gaulle (history would prove him right though). It was the French parliament that had signed the armistice with germany with a large majority and they had appointed hte legendary and authorative Marshall Petain, hero of Verdun, as their president.
Meanwhile the US were still neutral untill dec 1941 and I cant see any reason for them to forbid or cancel the orders earlier than that. Did the French do this themselves?
France was allowed to have an army of no more than 100.00 men with few heavy weapons and would not need all those trucks.
So they became available and many were delivered to Britain for instance.
Now, I am just guessing here. Is this how it went?
Nuyt