Designated as a light truck, the Jeep was the primary four-wheel
drive vehicle for the U.S. Army during WWII. The Jeep's design owed
a great deal to Karl Probst, a freelance designer employed by the
American Bantam Car Co. Probst's prototype "Blitz Buggy" was built
in a mere 49 days. It clearly impressed the Army in head-to-head
competition against a design submitted by Willys-Overland. However
the Buggy's engine failed to meet requirements, and the Army
determined that Bantam could not produce the vehicle in quantity.
As a result, the Army bought the Bantam design and asked both
Willys and Ford to improve it. The Willys model MB, equipped with a
L134 straight-4 "Go Devil" engine, was eventually accepted as the
standard. Ford models built to Willys specifications were
designated GPW ("G" for government vehicle, "P" designating the 80"
wheelbase, and "W" indicating the Willys engine design). (Notably,
the "GP" part of the designation is often misinterpreted to mean
"General Purpose," and some have suggested this is the reason the
vehicle was nick-named the "Jeep." In reality it was probably named
after a character in the Popeye cartoons). Roughly 640,000 Jeeps
were built during WWII by Ford and Willys, and used on every front.
Utilitarian, rugged, and easy to maintain, Jeeps saw service as
scout cars, ambulances, firefighting vehicles, as tractors for
artillery, and more. The vehicle so impressed war correspondent
Ernie Pyle that he called it one of the "two most important pieces
of non-combat equipment ever developed" - the other being the
pocket stove. Jeeps remained in service for the U.S. military in
Korea and in the Vietnam War. Created in 1944, this technical
manual reveals a great deal about the Jeep's design and
capabilities. Intended as a manual for those charged with operation
and maintenance, this manual shows many aspects of its engine,
cooling, power, drive train and other systems. Originally labeled
restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here
reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the
integrity of the text.
General
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