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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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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”

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

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

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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.”

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U. S. Veteran’s Museum in Huntsville, Alabama

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

UPDATE: Maury found the cool video of the Pygmy. Wyatt noted that the Ford GP was formerly Mayor Fred Heine’s jeep, one that he bought and used on his farm and famous as the first jeep sold to the public.

The U.S. Veteran’s Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, has a great collection of early jeeps. I found these photos on Trip Advisor.

From left to right, looks like the Ford Pygmy, a Ford GP, a Bantam BRC-40, a Willys MA, and an Willys MB Slat grille.

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