Command Car developed from the widely used M37 truck, which was produced in large numbers in the 1950s. The vehicle was intended for the organisational needs of troops in field conditions. It was not as numerous as the M37. There was no separate production of the M42 as such, instead the Dodge company made special conversion sets to turn the M37 into the M42, consisting of a new canvas awning, enhanced lighting in the rear of the vehicle under the canopy, a table for operational meetings and more powerful radio equipment. The exact number of machines converted to the M42 is unknown, however they were used alongside the M37 in many of the local conflicts of the second half of the 20th Century.