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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Wilensky Auto Parts’ Ford GPs

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

UPDATE: The press photo at bottom appeared in the January 24,  1944, issue of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune (seen below). It seems that Harvey Wilensky must have also won a bid for jeeps about the same time as Hyman Berg did.

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Originally Posted November 16, 2013: This photo shows a lineup of surplus Ford GPs for sale. The selling price: $750 at Wilensky Auto Parts in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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WWII Photo Collection on eBay

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

The starting bid for the collection of 677 photos starts at $1000. It does include a few images of jeeps, including a Ford GPA Seep, an MB, and a Ford GP named “Marie”.

View all the information on eBay

“An awesome circa WWII original photograph album with approximately (677) photos. (567) on album pages that can be removed and (110) other photos. Mostly WWII US Army/Military from an album that came apart. They include some great images with lots of examples below. The 1939 Rose Bowl Football Game (soldiers must have attended) USC University of Southern California vs Duke Bluedevils, Tanks and Crew, Black Officers and soldiers, Uniforms, Helmets, Jeep Willy, Trucks, guns, vehicles, Baseball 86th R.C.A., Boxing, pin up girl in bathing suit, airplanes, blimp, Pasedena, California, Radio City, Mess, Medical, 25th Armored Engineer Battalion, Hollywood Canteen, Toyko Express, Beer, Cigars, girls, ladies, getting married wedding pic, USA flag, UCLA pennant, large Santa Claus, milk crates, shovels, family, etc. An awesome group of 1940’s photographs.”

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December 1941 Pop Sci Article on Bantam BRC-40 T2E1s

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

UPDATE: Originally published on February 02, 2014, the pop sci links no longer work, so I’ve now added the complete scan of the article.

This Bantam BRC-40 T2 article was published in December of 1941 in Popular Science (and possibly Mechanix Magazine) under “Tanks CAN Be Destroyed”. In it the author explores different machinery that can stop a tank. You can see variations from what could be the same photo shoot in this Bantam T2 & T2-E1 post.

1941-12-popular-science-tanks-can-be-destroyed-bantam1-lores 1941-12-popular-science-tanks-can-be-destroyed-bantam2-lores 1941-12-popular-science-tanks-can-be-destroyed-bantam3-lores 1941-12-popular-science-tanks-can-be-destroyed-bantam4-lores

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1942 Article and Pics About Maj. Gen. Jacob Devers

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

Major General Jacob Devers made multiple appearances in newspapers across the country. On February 05, 1942, he announced at Fort Knox that the armored forces could begin personalizing their peeps, jeeps, tanks, and other equipment with names, though they could not be objectionable names. The order does not indicate approval to put names on the windshields, but apparently that became allowed at some point.

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On October 17, 1942 (Appeal Democrat out of Marysville, California) the Major General was photographed with other senior leaders discussing issues while sitting in a jeep:

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Originally Posted March 13, 2018: Interesting discussion on peep vs. jeep within the caption. The caption claims it has been misnamed “peep”, but then claims it has been erroneously called a “jeep” and that a “jeep” is a larger vehicle (Command Car, though in this case it is a Willys MA). As we’ve discussed earlier, there was a great debate about the proper term for the vehicle.

“WWII Maj. Gen. Jacob Devers in Willys MB Jeep Original Press Photo”

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1941 Article Highlights Bantam’s Complaints

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

This August 07, 1941, article in the News-Herald out of Franklin, Pennsylvania, underscores that Harry S. Truman was going to “blow the lid” off the “lobbying” actives of the OPM as a result of American Bantam being “frozen out” of a jeep contract. Truman showed them, lol.

Clipping from The News-Herald - Newspapers.com

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1941 Article: 1300 Miles in a Jeep

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

It sounds like this report and soldier had a very uncomfortable ride in the “roman rack”. I am a bit surprised that the jeep garnered so many laughs. Note the BRC-40 in the top pic. The article appeared in The Morning Call, out of Paterson, New Jersey, November 22, 1941.

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1941 Photos — Those Incredible Jeeps Can Float!

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

UPDATE: Here’s another floating jeep article that seems appropriate to add to this post. It appeared in the March 17, 1941, issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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These two photos appeared in the August 10, 1941, issue of the Salt Lake Tribune. The jeep pictured is a Ford GP.  There should be one or more press photos on eWillys, but I will have to combine them when I have more time.

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4 Photos of Willys MA and 1st Armored Division on eBay

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

No dates provided on this series of four photos that feature a Willys MA. This basic description describes them all:

Offered is an original WWII time period photograph. It belonged Lt. Salvador Joseph Cuttitta who was enlisted with the 6th Armored Infantry and trained with 1st Armored Division. He was then transferred to serve with the 5th Armored Division. There is some tape on the corners as seen. Picture measures approximately 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ inches.

  1. Photo 1 of Willys MA:
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  2. Photo 2 of Willys MA:
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  3. Photo 3 of Willys MA:
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  4. Photo 4 of Willys MA:
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