In January 1942, the U.S. Ordnance Department leased the Packard Proving Grounds to Chrysler for military vehicle testing. Renamed the Tank Arsenal Proving Ground (TAPG) on January 24, 1943, the site soon added a Tank Test Center, designed by William Kapp, with 15 testing bays, a wash bay, and a five-ton crane.

During WWII, TAPG ran 24/7, completing over 640 research projects, 970 reports, and testing 252 vehicles of 69 types. Tanks logged 570,000 miles and consumed 770,000 gallons of fuel, with suspension and track systems receiving particular focus.

By September 25, 1945, Chrysler and the military had departed, and the facility officially reverted to the Packard Proving Grounds.

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Why Packard froze cars in the Old Tank Building

M4 Sherman Tank at the Packard Proving Grounds in 1943