23rd Oct, 2012 18:00
Imperial War Museum Duxford
1947 Willys Jeep
Estimated at £15,000 - £18,000
Lot details
Registration No: 138 UXM
Chassis No: 112601
Mot Expiry: Feb 2013
Think of WWII and the Jeep will be there somewhere - the two are synonymous, even though production didn't begin in earnest until 1942. The vehicle's evolution is complex, but resulted from the US army's approach to 135 American automotive manufacturers to submit designs for 'a general purpose personnel or cargo carrier especially adaptable for reconnaissance or command and designated as a ¼-ton 4x4 truck'. Willys won the resulting three-way tussle with Ford and Bantam, but by the Autumn of 1941 it was clear they could not satisfy demand, so Ford was tasked with manufacturing the vehicle in parallel. The Ford version was dubbed GPW (Government Passenger Willys) which, in contracted form, may have spawned the generic term Jeep (GP said slowly, sounds a bit like Jeep!). Weighing in at little more than a ton and equipped with a torquey L-headed 2.2-litre engine driving all four wheels via a three-speed manual box and two-speed transfer case, the tough, go anywhere Jeep did its job well, sparking a number of imitations - not least the original Land Rover. By the end of the war, close to 750,000 Jeeps had been produced. Many examples survive around the world and are regularly employed in film work, war games etc.
This splendid-looking Willys Jeep was manufactured in January 1947 and, though too late for WWII, may apparently have seen service in Vietnam. It was brought to the UK in around 2005, following which it underwent an extensive restoration by Arthur Nasey of Yorkshire. Last year it was to be seen in amongst the Spitfires at the Goodwood Revival meeting and the vendor currently considers '138 UXM' to be in "excellent" condition with regard to its engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork. The Jeep is finished in RAF colours, trimmed in Beige-coloured vinyl, and comes complete with an MOT valid until February 2013.
Registration No: 138 UXM
Chassis No: 112601
Mot Expiry: Feb 2013
Think of WWII and the Jeep will be there somewhere - the two are synonymous, even though production didn't begin in earnest until 1942. The vehicle's evolution is complex, but resulted from the US army's approach to 135 American automotive manufacturers to submit designs for 'a general purpose personnel or cargo carrier especially adaptable for reconnaissance or command and designated as a ¼-ton 4x4 truck'. Willys won the resulting three-way tussle with Ford and Bantam, but by the Autumn of 1941 it was clear they could not satisfy demand, so Ford was tasked with manufacturing the vehicle in parallel. The Ford version was dubbed GPW (Government Passenger Willys) which, in contracted form, may have spawned the generic term Jeep (GP said slowly, sounds a bit like Jeep!). Weighing in at little more than a ton and equipped with a torquey L-headed 2.2-litre engine driving all four wheels via a three-speed manual box and two-speed transfer case, the tough, go anywhere Jeep did its job well, sparking a number of imitations - not least the original Land Rover. By the end of the war, close to 750,000 Jeeps had been produced. Many examples survive around the world and are regularly employed in film work, war games etc.
This splendid-looking Willys Jeep was manufactured in January 1947 and, though too late for WWII, may apparently have seen service in Vietnam. It was brought to the UK in around 2005, following which it underwent an extensive restoration by Arthur Nasey of Yorkshire. Last year it was to be seen in amongst the Spitfires at the Goodwood Revival meeting and the vendor currently considers '138 UXM' to be in "excellent" condition with regard to its engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork. The Jeep is finished in RAF colours, trimmed in Beige-coloured vinyl, and comes complete with an MOT valid until February 2013.
Auction: Imperial War Museum Duxford, 23rd Oct, 2012
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