[1][2] Lexicographer Eric Partridge believed the term soft-skinned vehicle first appeared in military parlance in the early 1940s.
[1][2][4] They can be purpose-designed models specifically built for military service, militarised versions of commercial vehicle models or standard commercial civilian vehicles pressed into military service.
[4] Historically in times of war, a number of military units have converted soft-skinned vehicles into armoured fighting vehicles.
[6] One of the first units to do so was the British Royal Naval Air Service.
[6] During the First World War the Royal Naval Air Service's Armoured Car Section converted a number of cars and trucks into armoured cars and armoured lorries by adding vehicle armour and various armaments.