Willys-Overland Jeep

The Idea of a universal military vehicle surfaced in 1939. The Jeep (from the initials GP, General Purpose) soon surfaced. US military wanted a replacement for the aging motorcycles with side cars used in World War 1, and the Model T Ford had proved itself too fragile for the job.

The Willys Military Model MB Jeep, or, as the army called it, “Truck, quarter-ton, four, and command reconnaissance”, was mechanically simple. The 4 cylinder engine could run at 4000 rpm for 100 hours without a break, and without challenging the three speed manual transmission. Oil and air filters were easily accessible, as we the simple fold back cloth roof. The head lamps were on swinging levers, so that they could be pointed at the engine for repair work at right. It could tilt fifty degrees left or right, drive up a forty degree slope, and pull other vehicles through mud. Jeeps even served as ambulances, card tables and alter on occasion.

The sheer numbers of Jeeps in production, there were forty being made every hour, made sure that they became forever linked with the US army. After the war, there was a lot of demand. Serviceman all wanted Jeeps of their own, and the US department of Agriculture wanted them for hundreds of different purposes. Willys responded with CJ-2A. CJ reputation for Civilians Jeep, and you possibly would find them all over the place, mostly where other vehicles could not get to. It in fact could do the whole thing expect bake a cake.