Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs Research Archives

Prior to the finalization of the MB Jeep, The American Bantam, Ford, and Willys all created pilot and prototype jeeps in an attempt to win Army contracts. Bantam built the very first jeep, the Bantam BRC. They also built the BRC-60 and BRC-40. Ford built the Pygmy, the Budd, and the GP. Willys built the Willys Quad and the Willys MA. Checker appears to have built one based on Bantam parts. Finally, are rumors of a jeep by York-Hoover, but I’ve never nailed down actual pictures. See this post: http://www.ewillys.com/2010/03/14/york-hoover-all-terrain-prototype/

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2016 Jeep Parade in Plzen, Czech Republic

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Joe found this video through the Willys am Tegernsee website of a parade in Plzen, Czech Republic. In case you missed it, there is a movement in the country to change the name to Czechia.

You can find others if you Google “youtube Convoy of Liberty Plzen” for 2016 and previous years.

At the 1:45 mark is this Willys MA:

2016-plzen-czech-republic-willys-ma

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Bantam BRC Copy in Vietnam?

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: John pointed out that the early GAZ was modeled after the first Bantam. This may well be a restored early GAZ.

Roberto forwarded a link to a celebration in Vietnam that included jeeps. I was checking out the CJ-3Bs and M-606s when I spotted a jeep that looked curiously like a copy of the original Bantam BRC. It’s doesn’t seem to be a perfect copy, but still looks pretty neat. I’ve blown up the pics, so they are a little blurry.

Original post: http://www.tienphong.vn/nhip-song-thu-do/chu-re-lai-xe-jeep-dua-co-dau-dao-pho-ha-noi-947495.tpo

bantam-copy-vietnam1 bantam-copy-vietnam2

 

Original Bantam BRC from a similar angle.

1940_bantam_brc3

 

Early GAZ

early-gaz-r-1

 

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1945 In The Service of America – Ford Motor Company Book

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Books, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Josh shared some photos of pages from this Ford Motor Company twenty-page book titled In The Service of America. The book contains photos of jeeps, seeps, and other contributions Ford made to the war effort. We believe the book was published in 1945.

1945-in-service-of-america-book1 1945-in-service-of-america-book2 1945-in-service-of-america-book3 1945-in-service-of-america-book4

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1943 Photo of a Willys MA

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Tim shared this photo. He noted, “The photo was taken on Alderson Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, outside my mothers and my aunt’s home, with ROTC Cadets From Carnegie Tech (Now Carnegie Mellon). It was her first Jeep ride. My mother is the laughing blonde and the brunette is my aunt.”

1943-timphoto-willys-ma-pennsylvania

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1944 Photo of Marion Isbell’s GP on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Marion Isbell’s Ford GP was part of a photo shoot on his farm in Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. The top one is currently for sale on eBay. The rest were sold earlier. A little hard to believe all photos were taken on the same day, January 20, 1994.

1. For sale on eBay: View all the information on eBay

“You are bidding on an original press photo of Lake Geneva WI Man M Isbell Using WWII Jeep on His Farm. Photo has some slight waving left & right edges. If the listing shows thin red and/or green lines, they are the result of a bad scan & the lines are NOT on the actual scan. Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 1/20/1944.”

1944-01-20-chicago-ford-gp-1 1944-01-20-chicago-ford-gp-2

2. **SOLD** Was on eBay in Oct 2014.

Here’s a photo of a Ford GP pulling a manure spreader on Marion Isbell’s farm in Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. “1944 US Army Jeep Pulls Manure Spreader Alongside Horse & Wagon”

1944-01-20-ford-gp-farm1

1944-01-20-ford-gp-farm2

 

3. **SOLD** Was on eBay December of 2014.

“1944 Press Photo Former Army Jeep Used for Ice Harvesting Lake Geneva Wisconsin”

1944-01-20-fordgp-lake1

1944-01-20-fordgp-lake2

4. **SOLD** Was on eBay  in November 2014.

“You are bidding on an original press photo of Lake Geneva WI Farmer Using Vintage WWII Jeep For Work. Photo has waving due to too much glue being used to apply the information sheet onto the back of the photo Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 1/20/1944.”

1944-02-11-fordgp-lakegeneva-wi1

1944-02-11-fordgp-lakegeneva-wi2

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