A one-of-a-kind ‘jeep’ named Squeekie was built from photos by William Mason in 1942. In 1943, this press photo was taken, then circulated around the country, two of which can be seen below.

Mason worked at Oakland’s Independent Iron Works, Inc. I wasn’t able to uncover too much about Mason, other than he filed a patent for an arc welding machine, on behalf of his employer in October of 1956.

This photo was shared on a vintage photograph Facebook Group by Bob Cunningham. He included the following text, though I’m unaware of where the text originated (maybe based on an original press photo caption?):

Per the Facebook post: “In 1942, William Mason, an iron works superintendent in Oakland, California, used newspaper photographs to create “Squeekie,” his version of the Army’s new wonder car, the “jeep.” Although Mason built the 2-horsepower car for his son, Billy, his wife often used it for ’round-the-town grocery shopping during the days of gas rationing, since it got a thrifty 35 miles per gallon and rolled on unrationed, small sized implement tires. The little “jeep” was once stolen and abandoned in a farmer’s field, and the U.S. Army was notified that one of their prototypes had been found. At the time, most civilians had never seen an actual “jeep,” so the mistake was understandable.”

Here are two newspaper photos and captions:

Published March 13, 1943, in the Oakland Tribune.

Published March 18, 1943, in the La Crosse Tribune, out of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Cropped version of the bottom photo.

This photograph was published in the April 29, 1946, issue of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It’s located in the University of Texas at Arlington’s digital archive library.

https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery-beta/img/20033476

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. Brooklyn Heights School jeep “test run”. (1946). Retrieved from https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery-beta/img/20033476

“Twenty neighborhood children took a “test run” in a jeep to be used for a carnival at Brooklyn Heights School. Driving the jeep is Jack Scott, and sitting beside him is Howard Victry, president of the school Dad’s Club. The children and Mr. Victry are facing the camera and Mr. Victry’s hand is raised. Published in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Morning Edition April 29, 1946.”

UPDATE: This photo of an MT Tug (aka “Super Jeep”) with the Ford GP grille was published March 16, 1942, in the Roseville Press out of California. Richard C. Fitch also designed this Victory Car.

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Update Posted on March 2, 2017: Here’s another MT Tug Press Photo. See one sold on eBay in 2014 at the bottom of the post.

“1942- Very rare example of a 6×6 Ford MT Tug “Super Jeep” designed by Captain Richard Fitch of the 2nd Regiment Mechanized Cavalry Reserve. The MT Tug was built in 1941 experimentally for units of the U.S. Army’s Tank Destroyer Command as a light fast vehicle capable of mounting the 37mm anti tank gun..unfortunately series production of this Jeep was not eventually authorized as the gun needed two people to operate it, and the vehicle with gun fitted, could only carry two men so the driver had to act as gunner, which did not make the vehicle a good idea ”

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