The WILLYS MB (1941-1945) was one of the earliest mass-produced military vehicles in the United States. With "world-famous" Jeep, Willys MB, and Ford GPW models, it quickly became ubiquitous, making it one of the most successful military vehicles ever manufactured for the war.
The World War II jeep design resulted from a lengthy process that included both US military leaders and civilian engineers. The Jeep was named "one of the most significant designs in automotive history" by the American Enterprise Institute in 2010.
It not only became the American military's workhorse, replacing horses and other draft animals in every duty, from cavalry regiments to supply trains.
By the eve of World War II, the US Department of War had determined that a 14-ton cross-country reconnaissance vehicle was required. The United States Army's Quartermaster Corps (a logistically focused arm of the Army) desired an all-wheel-drive 4x4 Command & Reconnaissance (C&R) light vehicle.
The key stipulation was that a full pilot (prototype) vehicle be completed within 50 days of contract signing. In turn, a potentially lucrative and long-term US Army contract held the possibility of riches. This need was distributed to approximately 135 potential manufacturers, with only three responding - American-Bantam (Bantam), Willys-Overland (Willys), and Ford Motor Company (Ford).
Other attempts were made before the MB and the GPW developed by Ford to meet the Army's need for a light utility vehicle as the United States entered WWII. The American Bantam Car Company's prototype, dubbed the "Blitz Buggy," was delivered to the Army.
The "Blitz Buggy" met the specifications; nevertheless, Bantam could not demonstrate the fiscal strength or production capability required to win the contract with the War Department.
By July 1941, the War Department sought to standardize a versatile reconnaissance vehicle for mass manufacturing, and Willys-Overland was chosen to execute the contract. It possessed a powerful "Go-Devil" 4-cylinder engine with 60 horsepower, low-cut body sides, a low price of $748.74 per unit, and the ability of Willys to meet production goals.
Concerned about Willys' single-factory production capacity, the US Army encouraged Ford Motor Company to use its extensive manufacturing facilities to expand Jeep production in October 1941.
The Willys "MA" was renamed the Willys "MB" and was equipped with the powerful "Go Devil" engine with a welded flat iron "slat" radiator grille (which was later replaced by a stamped grille in March of 1942). Due to growing demand for production, Ford was hired to help Willys-Overland in October 1941 and altered the name of their model from "GP" to "GPW," with the "W" indicating the "Willys" licensed design.
In practice, the Willys MB and its knockoffs proved to be superb utility and multi-role cars. Personnel transport, freight carrier, weapons carrier, patrol, reconnaissance, security, police, crowd control, command and control, VIP transport, artillery spotter, and medical litter transport are all possible missions for them on the battlefield.
Between Willys and Ford, total Jeep production for the US military and allies reached 634,569 units. Willys-Overland built 354,569 of the type, with Ford handling the rest.
During the liberation of Lower Normandy, General Dwight D. Eisenhower rode a Willys MB jeep. Omar Bradley, the lieutenant general in the backseat, was already making a name for himself as an excellent military strategist and planner at the time.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower later stated that the Jeep was "one of the six most important" vehicles in helping the United States win the war. The GI's best friend—second only to his rifle—became the durable, basic Jeep 4x4. It is frequently referred to as "America's greatest gift to modern combat."
Ernie Pyle, a Pulitzer Prize-winning war writer and WWII reporter, wrote, "It accomplished everything. It was all over the place. The Jeep was as dependable as a dog, as powerful as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It always hauled twice as much as it was designed for and kept going." The devoted MB won a place in every GI's heart, every theater of battle, and every imaginable function.
"In many ways, the jeep became the emblematic vehicle of World War II, with an almost mythological reputation of toughness, durability, and versatility," author Charles K. Hyde wrote.
Enzo Ferrari named the Jeep "America's sole true sports automobile," which is one of the few items designed by a committee that has proven successful.
The tenacious little engine that powered the Allies to victory, the Willys L134 (nicknamed Go Devil) was a straight-4 engine that powered the Willys MB and Ford GPW Jeep. This engine powered nearly all Jeep vehicles built for the United States and its allies. The engine was later used in a variety of civilian Jeep vehicles. The four-cylinder Willys Go Devil engine became the heart of the Jeep and a part of its history.
Delmar "Barney" Roos, Willys' Chief Engineer, designed the Go Devil engine in-house. He was known as a remarkable "engine-man," having designed several innovative engines. The Go Devil engine (60 hp) was the most powerful of the three prototype vehicles evaluated for production by the US Army. The Go-Devil was manufactured in the United States until 1965, and it was also constructed under license in France, Japan, and Argentina.
The M1919 Browning is a.30 caliber medium machine gun that saw widespread usage in the twentieth century, particularly during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 was used by the United States and many other countries as light infantry, coaxial, mounted aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine guns.
The M1919 was an air-cooled variant of World War I's top US machine gun, the water-cooled M1917 designed by John M. Browning. The M1919 machine gun was differentiated by its reduced size and, in most versions, a holed jacket around the barrel.
The gun was initially intended to be a water-cooled machine gun. When the decision was made to lighten the gun and make it air-cooled, its design as a closed-bolt weapon produced a potentially dangerous issue. If the weapon was scorching from repeated shooting, a ready-to-fire cartridge could be sitting in a red-hot barrel, causing the fuel in the cartridge to heat up to the point where it would ignite and fire the cartridge on its own.
The Radio BC-620-A was a portable, low-power frequency-modulated radio receiver and transmitter with about five miles. The radio set could be used from a fixed location, such as the ground or another fixed support. It gets its energy from dry batteries.
The characteristic seven-slot grille found on all Jeep models is one of the most identifiable elements of the Jeep brand. The first 25,000 MB Jeeps were built with a welded flat iron "slat" radiator grille.
Ford first conceived and executed the now-famous and distinctive stamped, vertical-slot steel grille in their lighter Jeep vehicles utilized fewer resources and were less expensive to manufacture. This, along with many other design innovations by Ford, was accepted by Willys and incorporated into the standard World War II Jeep by April 1942.
Willys sought to develop the Willys MB for the civilian market after the war. Willys deleted two of the nine slots to give their post-war jeeps a seven-slot grille rather than the original Ford nine-slot design to have their grille design trademarked.
The flat hood of the Jeep was utilized as a commander's map table, a chaplain's field altar, the GIs' poker table, and even for field surgery.
The seats were uncomfortable, causing "Jeep riders' disease" and tight in the back, but many soldiers enjoyed driving the nimble Jeep, praising its powerful engine. It was as close to a sports vehicle as most GIs had ever driven, with its lightweight, low-cut body sides, bucket seats, and manual floor-shifter.
Many American allies obtained the series, and many are remain in private hands today. While today's luxurious civilian street Jeeps live on (in brand name only), the "jeep" of World War II was another beast with rugged, sturdy, and reliable traits that many-a-service-member may have lived or died by.
The name "Jeep" was registered as an official Willys-Overland property in 1950, protecting its usage as a generic label.
Historians disagree on how the US Army's quarter-ton reconnaissance car became known as the "jeep," let alone how the term originated in the first place. It has been challenging to validate explanations. The word "Jeep" was undoubtedly in use before WWII, denoting various things, and many designations and nicknames denoted early Jeeps.
Eugene the Jeep first appeared in E. C. Segar's Popeye cartoons in spring 1936. Eugene the Jeep, Popeye's "jungle pet," was tiny, able to walk through walls and go between dimensions, and could go everywhere and solve seemingly impossible tasks. Eugene the Jeep's capacity to go everywhere led to many industrial and four-wheel drive vehicles dubbed "Jeep" in the late 1930s.
Military leaders and soldiers involved in the procurement and testing of the multi-purpose vehicle may have referred to it as a Jeep, a WWI slang term. It's possible that civilian contractors, engineers, and testers associated it with Popeye's "Eugene the Jeep" persona.
From 1941 to 1942, a "continuous flood of newspaper and cinematic coverage," as well as Willys' advertising asserting that it had invented and developed the Jeep, established the moniker "Jeep" in the civilian imagination.
Auto Vino rare and exotic automobile storage is proud to preserve and protect the heritage of American Military Motorcars in a museum-like setting to display stunning examples of Art-on-Wheels for individuals who have a passion for rare, exotic, and fast cars, as well as those who don't.
The car shown here is privately owned and is not for sale.
Delmar "Barney" Roos, Willys' Chief Engineer, designed the Go Devil engine in-house. He was known as a remarkable "engine-man," having designed several innovative engines. The Go Devil engine (60 hp) was the most powerful of the three prototype vehicles evaluated for production by the US Army. The Go-Devil was manufactured in the United States until 1965, and it was also constructed under license in France, Japan, and Argentina.
The M1919 Browning is a.30 caliber medium machine gun that saw widespread usage in the twentieth century, particularly during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 was used by the United States and many other countries as light infantry, coaxial, mounted aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine guns.
The M1919 was an air-cooled variant of World War I's top US machine gun, the water-cooled M1917 designed by John M. Browning. The M1919 machine gun was differentiated by its reduced size and, in most versions, a holed jacket around the barrel.
The gun was initially intended to be a water-cooled machine gun. When the decision was made to lighten the gun and make it air-cooled, its design as a closed-bolt weapon produced a potentially dangerous issue. If the weapon was scorching from repeated shooting, a ready-to-fire cartridge could be sitting in a red-hot barrel, causing the fuel in the cartridge to heat up to the point where it would ignite and fire the cartridge on its own.