[3] In the early 1940s the US Army was pursuing a number of heavy, medium and light armored car designs and, in an effort to reduce the number of competing programs, in October 1942 Headquarters Army Ground Forces commissioned the Special Armored Vehicle Board (known as the "Palmer Board" after its head Brigadier General W. B. Palmer) to impose some standardization.

After tests in winter of 1942–43, the Palmer Board recommended the termination of all programs except the concurrent Ford T22, which in T22E2 form entered service as the M8 Greyhound.

[1][4] The Board recommended a utility car version of the T22 (M20) and allowed the completion of the 250 T17 already being produced.

Despite this, the US Army authorized Ford to complete 250 vehicles as a stopgap until production of the M8 commenced.

[4] The T17 armored car was a turreted 6x6 vehicle with a crew of five: driver, co-driver, gunner, loader and commander.