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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Heading South to the FC Round Up

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

Ann and I are packing our bags and preparing for our trip down to the FC Round Up tomorrow (Monday morning).  We will be leaving Pasco around 6am and stopping in Boise to drop off some books (hopefully sell some at the coffee shop where I wrote a good portion of the book), grab some fries at the Boise Fry Company and some sourdough at the Boise COOP, and then head further south for Salt Lake where we will spend Monday night.  Tuesday we will be heading through Utah and stopping somewhere near the Grand Canyon.  We’ll be in Mesa Wednesday evening.

If you are along our path through I-84/I-15 let me know and we’ll see if we can swing by for a quick visit.

We just completed a few new t-shirts.  It’s the Bantam design I’ve been playing with for a year.  We bought some random shirts and tried the design with different colors.  The picture below is pretty crappy, so use your imagination.

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Some Ford GP videos at Criticalpast.com

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

Mark’s brother spotted some jeep videos at Criticalpast.com.

I’ve never seen this rollover:  http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675030113_army-jeep_test-driving_Ford-model-jeep_jeep-flips-over

Here is another video.  I’ve seen just a small clip of this much longer version.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675059288_jeep_Australian-soldier_upturned-jeep_rough-terrain_scout-car

Here’s  a good video of a Ford GP going up and down a hill:

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675030018_Ford-Jeep_rough-terrain_Edsel-Ford_army-officer_modified-jeep-tires

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2 Women standing in front of a Ford GP

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

UPDATE:  John decided to take on the challenge of restoring this photo.  He did a fabulous job.

I found this on the Genealogy Guys Podcast site.  I can almost, but not quite, make out the serial number on the hood.

Here is the Before Pic:

http://genealogyguys.com/the-genealogy-guys-podcast-215-2011-january-25

Here is the After Pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/104219391648738472802/ILovePhotoShop#5722193307032376162

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Merlin’s Bantam BRC Paperweight

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

Merlin shared the unusual find with me today.  There is picture of another one at the CJ-3B Page.

“This is a Bantam BRC Syrocowood paperweight.  As far as we know these were given out by Bantam to officers testing the Bantam Jeeps.  I found this one sitting in a local antique shop!”

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After seeing this post, Josh forwarded me a picture of his syrocowood Bantam paperweight that includes an image of his tank syrocowood too.  He wrote, “I’ve been collecting those bantam paperweights for years.  They are syrocowood and should have a little sticker gold and black on the bottom that says ‘Made in the USA SYROCOWOOD SYRACUSE NY’.   Here’s one of a pen holder I have, also I a few tanks; one of the tanks a pipe holder.”

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Photographs from the LA Times

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

Bruce spotted these photographs from April 20, 1942 by George Watson.  These jeeps are practicing under the supervision of Major General George S. Patton.  These photos are part of the Watson Family Photo Archive.  In them you can see some Willys MAs, MBs and Ford GPs.  http://framework.latimes.com/2012/01/27/desert-training-with-gen-george-patton/#/0  

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1941 Ford GP Contone, Switzerland eBay

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

In May 2011, this jeep appeared with several other jeeps as part of a large eBay auction.  Now, it is being auctioned by itself.

“Jeep Ford GP Prototipe to restore

Date of Delivery: 11.18.41
Serial:16585
I will sell the jeep with a second Engine in working conditions, a Original NOS Coil, A NOS Waterpump, a NOS Oilfilter,a New Reproduction Muffler, originals BO Markers.
Originals Data Plates and Swiss Custom Dokuments
You will receive what you see at the Pictures.
Tha Car has be picked up 5 Days after Auction ended, we can help to load on a trailer.
I will sell the Jeep Worldwide.
Please deposit 500 US$ on Paypal account after Auction close and the Saldo by Pick Up the car.
The Location of the Car is Europe, Switzerland.”

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320832092866+&viewitem=

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Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Al

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

UPDATE:  Brandon visited this museum recently and files the following notes, “The museum’s collection includes Ford GP #1, Bantam BRC-40, Willys MA, GPA, slat grille MB, GPW, and M38.”

The Veteran’s Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, houses three early jeep prototypes.

From the Website, “The Museum displays more than 30 historical military vehicles from World War I to the present, as well as tableaus, artifacts, and other memorabilia dating back to the Revolutionary War.  Supporting organizations include the 19th Alabama Infantry, which sponsors exhibits from 18th and 19th Century conflicts, and the 8th Air Force Historical Society, which sponsors a Bomb Group briefing room.  Both of these organizations support ‘living history’ presentations at the Museum.”

Pics of the museum at G503

Pics from 42fordgpw.com

There appears to be a Bantam BRC 40 in the back, a Ford GP to the far left of the photo, a Willys MA just to the left and another Ford Pygmy to the right.  I haven’t found any other info that describes what the museum has.  Anybody been to this museum?

Here is a closeup of the Ford Pygmy from the museum site.

 

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The Three Bantams: BRC, BRC-60 and BRC-40

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

I guess I should have posted this at the beginning of the Festival, but I was pleasantly distracted all weekend. So, here is a post about the three Bantam generations. As the oral testimony shared by Gerald affirms, there were three different models of vehicles built by Bantam.  Here is more history about the Bantam vehicles.

The Original Bantam: Below are images of the original Bantam Bantam Reconnaissance Car. Here are some images from Life Magazine from Camp Holabird.  Here is a video of Duncan’s well done original BRC Replica (which also includes a BRC-40).


The Bantam BRC-60: This is the 2nd generation BRC-60.  The easiest way to identify the differences between the BRC and the BRC-60 is to look at the fenders, note the Original BRC fenders are round, and the entry point, which is a smoother slope on the BRC-40 as opposed to the bump in the original BRC.


The Bantam BRC-40: This is the 3rd generation BRC-40.  The easiest way to identify the difference between the BRC-60 and the BRC-40 is the grille.  Note how flat the grille is compared to the rounded grille of the BRC-60. The windshield is dramatically different, as the BRC-40’s appears much stronger.  Of course, there are other differences, but those are a quick way to distinguish between the two. Here is a BRC-40 that was for sale.

I guess I shouldn’t forget the Bantam ‘Checker’: Learn more about this at Bill Spear’s website.

Finally, just to show there seems to be an exception to every rule, Gerald forwarded this image.  I believe the front of this is a Bantam BRC-60, but the door area resembles the original Bantam.  The windshield has a higher ‘bridge’ across the bottom; which doesn’t resemble either the BRC or the BRC-60 in the pics above.   I believe this was a Russian Lend/Lease vehicle, but perhaps someone else could be more specific about it.

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