One of three decisive weapons the U.S. had during WWII
It was almost a case of being in the right place at the right time. America had just been pulled into WWII. Our boys needed a vehicle lighter than the 3/4 ton Dodge trucks used then. The idea of the jeep originated with the infantry, which needed a low-profile, powerful vehicle with four-wheel drive. It was turned over to commercial companies mainly Bantam, Willys, and Ford with the contract going to Willys.
But by October 1941, Willys could not keep up with the production demand so Ford would build them as well. Designated GPW, with the “W” referring to the “Willys” licensed design. During World War II, Willys produced 363,000 Jeeps and Ford around 280,000. Willys knew it had something with the Jeep and several times tried to copyright the name, a derivative of the vehicle’s designation “GP”. The tough, simple, Jeep Brand 4×4 became the GI’s best friend, second only to his rifle, and was utilized in every military branch. One MB was even awarded a Purple Heart and sent home. General George C. Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff during World War II, described the Jeep Brand 4×4 as “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare”. Scripps Howard WWII Reporter Ernie Pyle once said, “It did everything. It went everywhere. Was as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It constantly carried twice what it was designed for and still kept going.”
RELATED Spot: Jeeps all around in the Warbirds’ area at EAA.
Willys gave its post-war Jeeps a seven-slot grill instead of Ford’s nine-slot design. This applied to Willys’ “Civilian Jeeps”, as well as the M38 and M38A1 military models. Through a series of corporate takeovers and mergers, American Motors being one of the, AM General Corporation ended up with the rights to use the seven-slot grille you see today used in all Jeep vehicles.
What are they worth now? Not a ton of money. You could pick up one anywhere from mid-20 grand and as high as the lower $30s. Not a lot of cash for a piece of American history. Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. I know, another Jeep, but I’m a huge fan so thanks for being patient with me. Come back next week for another one of my spots from this year’s EAA AirVenture. Have a great weekend.
Savage On Wheels 
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