The T17 Staghound was the first major US armored car that was put into production but despite the large number built, the grand majority would be provided to British and Commonwealth forces as Lend-Lease during the war. The Staghound was developed in both 6 x 6 and 4 x 4 versions, both of which featured all-welded construction and an cast turret that mounted a 37-mm M6 gun, the same used on the M3 light tank. Engine and automatic transmission were located in the rear and the vehicle offered both two- and four-wheel drive. The Staghound was not designed with a chassis, given that the armored hull was capable of having automotive components directly attached to it. Other advanced features included the radio being equipped in the two-man turret, this being a British design requirement to ease the commander's workload. Despite its advanced nature, the T17 was rejected by the US Army, which preferred the smaller and lighter M8 that was then in development. Instead, it was used extensively by British and Commonwealth armes as a replacement for the older Daimler armored cars, its first use being in Italy from 1943 and serving until the end of the war. After the war, surviving T17 were were sold off to to around two dozen countries (including a number of NATO partners) where they were used even as late as the Lebanese Civil War in the 1980s.

Two versions of the vehicle were initially built, these being the T17 6 x 6 version as well as the T17E1 4 x 4 version; the former was rejected by both the US and British armies (though the few built were used by US Military Police), the latter was adopted by the British Army which designated it Staghound Mk. I. The Mk. II was a 3-in howitzer conversion, while the Mk. III had a more powerful 6-pdr gun or (later) a 75-mm gun. Some had their turrets removed for use as command vehicles. The T17E2 was an anti-aircraft vehicle with twin Browning machine guns. A post-war Swiss variant was the Radpanzer Staghound with a 47-mm PaK 41 gun.