Willys MB

This article is about the World War II 1⁄4-ton jeeps. For the U.S. motor manufacturing brand, see Jeep.
For other uses, see Jeep (disambiguation).

Willys MB
Ford GPW
Truck, 1⁄4‑ton, 4×4, command reconnaissance
Type1⁄4 ton[nb 1] 4×4 utility truck
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1941-present
Used byUnited States and its allies of World War II
WarsWorld War II
Korean War
Various post 1945 conflicts
Production history
DesignerMultiple parties and persons:
American Bantam Co.
Harold Crist et al.[1][2] [nb 2]
Karl Probst (subcontractor)
Ford Motor Co.
Dale Roeder (Pygmy design team leader / chief engineer)[5]
Willys-Overland Motors
Delmar "Barney" Roos
U.S. Army
Many – firstly from Camp Holabird
Designed1940 through early 1942
Manufacturer
Produced1941–1945
No. built
  • WWII total: More than 647,925 *,
  • including early production units
VariantsFord GPA "Seep": 12,778
Specifications (MB and GPW same[8])
Mass2,453 lb (1,113 kg) curb weight (with engine fluids and full fuel)
2,337 lb (1,060 kg) dry weight
Length132 in (3.35 m)
Width62 in (1.57 m)
Heightoverall, top up: 69+3⁄4 in (1.77 m)
reducible to 52 in (1.32 m)
Crew3 to 4
Main
armament
Designed to mount .30 or .50 caliber machine guns swiveling on a post between front seatbacks
Engine134 cu in (2.2 L) Inline 4 Willys L134 "Go Devil"
60 hp (45 kW; 61 PS) gross / 54 hp (40 kW; 55 PS) net[6][7]
Power/weight49 hp/ST (40.3 kW/t)
Payload capacity1,200 lb (540 kg) on-road;
800 lb (360 kg) cross-country
Transmission3-speed × 2-range transfer case
SuspensionLive axles on leaf springs front and rear
Ground clearance8+3⁄4 in (22 cm)
Fuel capacity15 US gal (12 imp gal; 57 L)
Operational
range
300 mi (480 km)
Maximum speed 65 mph (105 km/h)[nb 4]

The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army truck, 1⁄4‑ton, 4×4, command reconnaissance,[9][10] commonly known as the Willys Jeep,[nb 5] Jeep, or jeep,[12] and sometimes referred to by its Standard Army vehicle supply nr. G-503,[nb 6] were highly successful American off-road capable, light military utility vehicles. Well over 600,000 were built to a single standardized design, for the United States and the Allied forces in World War II, from 1941 until 1945. This also made it (by its light weight) the world's first mass-produced four-wheel-drive car, built in six-figure numbers.[nb 7]

The 1⁄4-ton jeep became the primary light, wheeled, multi-role vehicle of the United States military and its allies, with President Eisenhower once calling it "one of three decisive weapons the U.S. had during WWII."[13] With some 640,000 units built,[nb 8] the 1⁄4‑ton jeeps constituted a quarter of the total military support motor vehicles that the U.S. produced during the war,[nb 9] and almost two-thirds of the 988,000 light 4WD vehicles produced, when counted together with the Dodge WC series. Large numbers of jeeps were provided to U.S. allies, including the Soviet Union at the time. Aside from large amounts of 11⁄2- and 21⁄2‑ton trucks, and 25,000 3⁄4‑ton Dodges, some 50,000 1⁄4‑ton jeeps were shipped to help Russia during WWII, against Nazi Germany's total production of just over 50,000 Kübelwagens, the jeep's primary counterpart.[16]

Historian Charles K. Hyde wrote: "In many respects, the jeep became the iconic vehicle of World War II, with an almost mythological reputation of toughness, durability, and versatility."[14] It became the workhorse of the American military, replacing horses, other draft animals, and motorcycles in every role, from messaging and cavalry units to supply trains. In addition, improvised field modifications made the jeep capable of just about any other function soldiers could think of.[17] Military jeeps were adopted by countries all over the world, so much so that they became the most widely used and recognizable military vehicle in history.[18]

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe in World War II, wrote in his memoirs that most senior officers regarded it as one of the five pieces of equipment most vital to success in Africa and Europe.[nb 10] General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the US Army during the war, called the vehicle "America's greatest contribution to modern warfare."[20][21][22] In 1991, the MB Jeep was designated an "International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark" by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.[7]

After WWII, the original jeep continued to serve, in the Korean War and other conflicts, until it was updated in the form of the M38 Willys MC and M38A1 Willys MD (in 1949 and 1952 respectively), and received a complete redesign by Ford in the form of the 1960-introduced M151 jeep. Its influence, however, was much greater than that—manufacturers around the world began building jeeps and similar designs, either under license or not—at first primarily for military purposes, but later also for the civilian market. Willys turned the MB into the civilian Jeep CJ-2A in 1945, making the world's first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive. The "Jeep" name was trademarked, and grew into a successful, and highly valued brand.

The success of the jeep inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and SUVs, making "four-wheel drive" a household term, and numerous incarnations of military light utility vehicles. In 2010, the American Enterprise Institute called the jeep "one of the most influential designs in automotive history." Its "sardine tin on wheels" silhouette and slotted grille are perhaps even more instantly recognizable than the VW Beetle or the Mini, and it has evolved into the currently produced Jeep Wrangler still largely resembling the original jeep design.[22]

A 1941 Bantam achieving total lift-off, loaded with 3-man crew, and towing a 37mm anti-tank gun. "Flying Jeep" photos like this one inspired posters and perhaps the 'Leaping Lena' nickname.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference FTCsaysBantam43 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Penn382_2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Doyle, David (13 November 2019) [19 Oct 2016]. "MV Spotlight: G-843 'Mighty Mite'". Military Vehicles Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2023 – via Military Trader. .. Harold Crist, Ralph Turner, Frank McMillan, and Chet Hemphling. These four men had been instrumental in the creation of the jeep for American Bantam prior to WWII.
  4. ^ White, Lloyd (Spring 2000). "The Development of the M422". Army Motors. No. 91. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CarrollLate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Wan, Mark (2014). "Willys-Overland Jeep (1941)". autozine.org. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1991).
  8. ^ a b TM9-803 (1944) pp 10–14
  9. ^ U.S. Ordnance Standard Nomenclature List – G-503 (Willys MB / Ford GPW). War Department. pp. 11–15 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ARnD78.1-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "J.N. Willys pronounced his name 'Willis,' local Jeep historian says". Toledo Blade. The Blade. 2 February 2002. Retrieved 10 July 2021. "I talked to many people, now deceased, including his private secretary, and all said emphatically that he pronounced it `Willis,' said Ron Szymanski, local Jeep historian. "I can attest to the fact that Willys' relatives all say `Willis.'"
  12. ^ TM 9-2800 – Standard Military Motor Vehicles. U.S. War Department. 1 September 1943. pp. 136–137.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference CCJprofile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Hyde2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Thomson & Mayo (2003), p. 296.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference LLamounts3B was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Elphick, James (5 May 2017). "7 Tools that Helped America win WW II". wearethemighty.com. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference TNIjeep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Eisenhower, Dwight D. (1948). Crusade in Europe. Doubleday / Heinemann. pp. 163–164. ISBN 9780801856686. OCLC 394251.
  20. ^ Foster, Patrick R. (2014). Jeep: The History of America's Greatest Vehicle. Motorbooks International. pp. 11–13. ISBN 9780760345856. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  21. ^ "The Jeep: An American Icon". National Museum of the United States Army. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  22. ^ a b Bennett, Ralph Kinney (9 April 2010). "The Elegant Jeep". American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 10 January 2021.