Berliet VUC

The Berliet VUC was a prototype military vehicle designed by the French maker Berliet between the two world wars, in answer to the French Army's 1930 to 1931 programme for cross-country vehicles. Berliet offered three variants on the one VUC chassis: the VUCL armoured reconnaissance car, the VUCM armoured command and liaison car, and the unarmoured VUCT signals car. The Army ordered four prototypes, two VUCL, one VUCM and one VUCT, and trials at Vincennes in December 1931 found the type M and type L cars too tall and heavy for the programme, although their road holding was rated very good, and the VUCM was also too slow for the 60 km/h required. The three types were nevertheless admitted to troop trials in early 1932. The VUCL went on to active service with units sent to Morocco and was still serving as an instructional vehicle in North Africa in 1941. All were four wheel drive machines with two idler wheels at the centre and a wheelbase of 3.15 metres, driven by a four cylinder engine of 3,969 cubic centimetres.