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Here's a link that James Hennessey sent to me. This is a section from that site called Military Factory. This section features infantry weapons, tanks, aircraft and miscellaneous items for the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union during WWII.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/worldwar2/weapons.asp

:pdt40:

Here's a description for OUR beloved jeep, as taken from that site:

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In 1939 the U.S. Army invited between 135 and 165 companies to submit proposals within 75 days for a new military vehicle to replace its aging fleet of motorcycles and Ford Model T trucks. Only three companies responded: Ford Motor Company, Willys-Overland, and American Bantam Car Company. The initial contract went to Bantam, but their vehicle proved to be a failure under rigorous testing.

New prototypes were then ordered from the other two companies. Willys ultimately won the contract in July 1941. Ford agreed to build from Willys' plans and Bantam built trailers for the Willys vehicle.

The Ford entrant in the design competition was called the "GP," which in Ford parlance stood for "Government 80 inch wheelbase Reconnaissance Car." (Willys called their design the "MB.") When slurred, "GP" led to the name "jeep," which stuck to the small four-wheel-drive vehicle even though the Willys design actually won the competition and Ford ended up building the Willys design. Some sources mention the meaning of GP to stand for 'General Purpose', a term designated as a specification for the Army-based requirement.

The Willys Jeep was powered by a four-cylinder engine that could run at 4,000rpm for straight hours of operation. The transmission was a three-speed manual, with a four-wheel-drive transfer case with high and low gears. The vehicle also featured a fold-up cloth roof.

The Jeep could run on-road at 60mph, climb a 40-degree slope, achieve a turning radius of 30 feet, and tilt up to 50 degrees to either side without the vehicle tipping over. It could even run under water with special attachments for air intake and exhaust.

Following the World War Two, public demand was so high that Willys continued producing the Jeep in tremendous numbers, re-designated as the "CJ-2A" ("CJ" for "Civilian Jeep"). The vehicle was produced for the Army in continually improved versions until 1981, when it was replaced by the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (aka - the "Hummer").

Over 350,000 Jeeps were built to fight in World War II. The Willys assembly line turned out one Jeep every 90 seconds. The Jeep would go on to see combat duty in the Korean War as well as the Vietnam War in all degrees of conduct.

Official Jeep designations during the war were Willys MA, Ford GP, Willys MB and Ford GPW. The Willys company would go on to produce over 363,000 whilst the Ford Motor Company produced over 280,000 jeep-types during the war.

Marion: I feel that the site shown, is incorrect on : quote: The initial contract went to Bantam, but their vehicle proved to be a failure under rigorous testing.". From what I read in several places, the Batam went through the test great. BUT, Bantam did not have the finance available, or the production line capeability for large amounts

of production, so Bantams blueprints were given to Ford and Willys. However Bantam did produce some on the

Govt. contract. Also, I find it hard to believe a G.I. Jeep could drive "for hours at a 4,000 engine rpm". I know that someone on our site here is "into" the WW 2 Jeeps and could check into this. Actually, I had two (at different times) surplus G.I. Jeeps in the early 1950's and loved them. I am not "nit picking" but just giving my opinion of who is the real "father" of the Jeep.

Joe, here's this link, and what they have to say about the origins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep

The first jeep prototype (the Bantam BRC) was built for the Department of the Army by American Bantam in Butler, Pennsylvania, followed by two other competing prototypes produced by Ford and Willys-Overland. The American Bantam Car Company actually built and designed the vehicle that first met the Army's criteria, but its engine did not meet the Army's torque requirements. Plus, the Army felt that the company was too small to supply the number needed and it allowed Willys and Ford to make second attempts on their designs after seeing Bantam's vehicle in action. Some people believe that Ford and Willys also had access to Bantam's technical paperwork.

Quantities (1500) of each of the three models were then extensively field tested. During the bidding process for 16,000 "jeeps", Willys-Overland offered the lowest bid and won the initial contract. Willys thus designed what would become the standardized jeep, designating it a model MB military vehicle and building it at their plant in Toledo, Ohio.

Like American Bantam, Willys-Overland was a small company and, likewise, the military was concerned about their ability to produce large quantities of jeeps. The military was also concerned that Willys-Overland had only one manufacturing facility: something that would make the supply of jeeps more susceptible to sabotage or production stoppages.

Based on these two concerns, the U.S. government required that jeeps also be built by the Ford Motor Company, who designated the vehicle as model GPW (G = governmental vehicle, P showed the wheelbase, and W = the Willys design). Willys and Ford, under the direction of Charles E. Sorensen (Vice-President of Ford during World War II), produced more than 600,000 jeeps.

The jeep was widely copied around the world, including in France by Hotchkiss et Cie (after 1954, Hotchkiss manufactured Jeeps under licence from Willys), and by Nekaf in the Netherlands. There were several versions created, including a railway jeep and an amphibious jeep. As part of the war effort, Jeeps were also supplied to the Soviet Red Army during World War II.

In the United States military, the jeep has been supplanted by a number of vehicles (e.g. Ford's M151 MUTT) of which the latest is the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or "Humvee").

I will keep looking. Anyone else who has anything to add, please jump in and assist the two of us. Thanks in advance.

Here's an English site Joe:

http://www.willys-mb.co.uk/

Yet another:

http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Jeeps/WorldWarIIJeeps.html

I haven't read these all the way through yet, but just glancing as I go to see if they have any pertinent info for all of us.

Here's a photo of Al getting into his beloved Betsy and that HAT!

Al's beloved Betsy is also in this FAMOUS photo of the meeting up of the forces at Anzio. Yup that General Mark Clark. Unfortunately Betsy only got part of her nose in the lower right hand corner, but being a woman, she was determined to make her presence known.

Here's a photo of Al getting into his beloved Betsy and that HAT!

Al's beloved Betsy is also in this FAMOUS photo of the meeting up of the forces at Anzio. Yup that General Mark Clark. Unfortunately Betsy only got part of her nose in the lower right hand corner, but being a woman, she was determined to make her presence known.

alkincer; Did you get a chance to meet General Clark here?

Dogdaddy