Willys Jeep
| Willys MB Ford GPW |
|
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | 1/4 ton 4×4 utility truck |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Delmar G. Roos |
| Manufacturer |
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| Number built |
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| Specifications (MB and GPW same) | |
| Weight |
2,453 lb (1,113 kg) combat load 1,975 lb (896 kg) empty |
| Length | 132 1⁄4 in (3.36 m) |
| Width | 62 in (1.57 m) |
| Height | 69 3⁄4 in (1.77 m) |
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|
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| Engine | Willys Go Devil engine |
| Transmission | 3 spd. x 2 range trf. case |
| Suspension | Live axles on leaf springs |
| Fuel capacity | 15 US gal (12.5 imp gal; 56.8 L) |
|
Operational
range |
300 mi (482.8 km) |
| Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
2,453 lb (1,113 kg) combat load
The Willys MB (commonly known as a Jeep or jeep, formally as the U.S. Army Truck, 1/4 ton, 4x4) and the Ford GPW are four-wheel drive utility vehicles that were manufactured during World War II. Produced from 1941 to 1945, it evolved post-war into the civilian Jeep CJ, and inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and several generations of military light utility vehicles.
Advances in early 20th-century technology resulted in widespread mechanisation of the military during World War I. The United States Army deployed four-wheel drive trucks in that war, supplied by Four Wheel Drive Auto (FWD) and the Thomas B. Jeffery Company. By the eve of World War II the United States Department of War had determined it needed a light, cross-country reconnaissance vehicle.
Anxious to have one in time for America's entry into World War II, the U.S. Army solicited proposals from domestic automobile manufacturers for a replacement for its existing, aging light motor vehicles, mainly motorcycles and sidecars, and some Ford Model T's.Marmon-Herrington presented five 4×4 Fords in 1937, and American Bantam delivered three Austin roadsters in 1938. Recognizing the need to create standard specifications, the Army formalized its requirements on July 11, 1940, and submitted them to 135 U.S. automotive manufacturers.
By now the war was under way in Europe, so the Army's need was urgent and demanding: Bids were to be received by July 22, a span of just eleven days. Manufacturers were given 49 days to submit their first prototype and 75 days for completion of 70 test vehicles. The Army's Ordnance Technical Committee specifications were equally demanding: the vehicle would be four-wheel drive, have a crew of three on a wheelbase of no more than 75 in (1,905 mm) – that was later upped to 80 in (2,032 mm) – and track no more than 47 in (1,194 mm), feature a fold-down windshield, 660 lb (299 kg) payload and be powered by an engine capable of 85 lb·ft (115 N·m) of torque. The most daunting demand, however, was an empty weight of no more than 1,300 lb (590 kg).
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Wikipedia