During the Second World War, Dodge Kew was part of the London Aircraft Production Group, building fuselage sections for Handley Page Halifax bombers. The pre-war and wartime truck range was replaced by the Dodge 100 "Kew" truck (1949–1957), nicknamed the "parrot nose" due to the sculpted lines of its bonnet. Subsequent normal-control Dodges built at Kew were the 200 series (1957–1963) and the 400 series (1963–1965). The 400 series was a version of the American D series medium-duty models. Also built at Kew were the cab-over 300 series (1957–1965) and its successor the 500 series/K-series (1964–1978) tilt-cab. In 1964 Chrysler acquired its first stake in the British Rootes Group and it was decided to consolidate all truck production at Rootes' factory in Dunstable. British assembly of the 400 series was discontinued due to declining sales of normal-control trucks, and production of the 500 series was transferred to Dunstable in 1967.