A legendary brand for many reasons, Jeep will always have a historic connection to American history and World War II military vehicles.
With a need for World War II utility vehicles, the U.S. Army put out a call in 1940 to 135 automakers to come up with something that was rugged and capable, the results of that call being what would eventually become the Jeep that we all know and love today.
Through generations, the general purpose GP or Jeep has come a long way from the first models, with the Willys MB being the most recognizable of the military vehicles produced.
Yet through it all, they have still retained the utility and reliability that got the U.S. Army through World War II and beyond.
How Was the First Jeep Made?
The first Jeep was a collaboration between three companies - Willys, Ford, and Bantam - a design that was put together in only 75 days in the urgency to produce military vehicles that could meet the needs of the Army as U.S. involvement in World War II became evident.
By November of 1941, the first two Willys “Quad” prototypes featuring a 4X4 system were produced, paving the way for the Willys MA in 1941.
The Quad was too heavy to meet Army specifications and it lacked a few other features, all of which the WIllys-Overland company by then managed to get into the design of the MA, which became the first production Jeep with 1555 units being made.
Along Came Improvements – and the Willys MB Jeep
With further improvement on the MA design, the World War II utility vehicle Willys MB jeep was the most notable WWII Jeep that came into production.
There were 16,000 units made for the U.S. Army at a purchase prices of $738.74.
With its better design and greater utility, the Willys MB became an integral part of the war and many solderers’ best friend in the fighting.
Known by that point as Jeeps, the Willys MB was a critical military vehicle in the war, being described by one General as being America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.
The vehicle was tough, reliable, and consistently over-performed, making it some soldiers’ most important item other than his rifle.
And The Jeep Keeps Rolling On
Quickly replacing horses and motorcycles with sidecars in the military, the design of the Willys MB Jeep World War II utility vehicle was continuously improved as the years went on, further building on the Jeep’s success.
It wasn’t long afterward in 1945 that Jeeps became available for civilians to purchase as the first CJ models were released, just slightly different than the military vehicles still being produced.
Though today’s Jeeps have evolved considerably since their days as World War II military vehicles, they still carry the same capability and purpose as the very first Willys did!