By the time World War II was dawning,
the United States Department of War were seeking a standardized light
cross-country and reconnaissance vehicle and under the leadership of designer
Karl Probst, American bantam Car Company, presented Army officials with
the first of what would eventually evolve into the World War II US Army
Jeeps: the Willys MB and Ford GPW. Manufactured from 1941 to 1945, during
World War II, Willys produced 363,000 Jeeps and Ford some 280,000. The
term "jeep" was used by soldiers for any untried or untested
piece of personnel or equipment. Willys made its first 25,000 MB Jeeps
with a welded flat iron "slat" radiator grille. It was Ford
who first designed and implemented the now familiar and distinctive stamped,
slotted steel grille into its cars, which was lighter, used fewer resources,
and was less costly to produce. Engines 4-cyl. side valves, 134 CID (2199 cc),
60 hpWheelbase: 80 inches (203 cm) leaf springs, shock absorbers in all
4; full hydraulic brakes in all 4; handbrake assembly at rear of transfer
case. Even today, some 65 years later, Jeep's makers proudly retain the
historical connection to the visage of their ancestors by using a trademarked
grille featuring a standard number of vertical openings or 'slots'. |
