The standard production Army jeep of World War II was produced by Willys (the Model MB) and by Ford (the Model GPW). The full story of the development of the original WW II Army Jeep is on the linked page. Additional photos are found in the Military Jeeps section of the Olive-Drab.com Military Vehicle Charts.
Many more photos of the Willys MB / Ford GPW WWII jeep at this link.
The Willys MB or Ford GPW army jeep is the one most people think of when talking about military jeeps. It is known by many names, such as the Willys Jeep, the GI Jeep, the World War II jeep, or just plain Army jeep. This jeep resulted from a 1940 design competition that involved American Bantam, Willys-Overland, and Ford. Willys was chosen for the first mass production contract based on the Willys MA design, but the Willys MB which followed incorporated superior features from the Bantam BRC-40 and the Ford GP in addition the the Willys MA. When the War Department realized that hundreds of thousands of jeeps would be needed for World War II requirements, Ford was given a contract to produce the Willys MB design. Ford produced jeeps were designated GPW. The Willys MB or Ford GPW jeep of World War II were externally visually the same but with many small differences in production details. It was also common to install parts from Willys into a Ford jeep and vice versa. As WW II went on, field maintenance facilities used whatever parts were at hand without regard to the original manufacturer of the part or the jeep. To discover the origin of a particular jeep, the original dataplate is the best source. Unfortunately, the data plate is often missing or has been replaced by an unreliable replica. The engine has a stamped serial number, starting with MB or GPW which will tell you the origin of the engine. But, like all other parts, the engine may not be original. There are many other details of the Willys MB or Ford GPW that are different. If you are with the jeep, you can see if it has the Ford script F embossed on the rear panel of the body tub or has the F stamped on most bolt heads. The early production Willys MB jeeps, about 25,800 of them, had a grill made of vertical welded slats (called the 'slat grill' type, photo right) and had 'Willys' embossed in the back panel among other small differences. When Ford began producing the nearly identical GPW (with Ford embossed on the back panel) in January of 1942, they used the now-standard, less expensive stamped steel slotted jeep grill (photo above, left). The Army wanted full parts interchangability and worked with Ford and Willys to get one standard design for both jeeps -- the Ford idea for the grill was better, so Willys changed over to the stamped grill by April 1942. The Army also insisted that both Willys and Ford drop the embossed company name from the jeep exterior. The main chassis or body component that distinguished a Willys-Overland MB from the Ford-built GPW is the tubular front frame cross-member on the MB as opposed to the inverted U-shaped cross-member on the GPW with a flat top. That cross-member is located behind the grill, at the base of the radiator so it usually cannot be seen in photos. Below are two close-up photos showing the difference.
A visible sign is that GPWs with Ford frames, unlike MBs or GPWs with Willys frames, had holes in the front bumper in line with the frame rails and also had holes in the rear cross-member just out from the bumperettes (photo, above left). Another small MB/GPW difference is in the lid of the rear fender tool boxes. The often replaced, factory original MB tool box lid is flat while the GPW has an embossed ridge and circle design. [Thanks to Tom Wolboldt for help with GPW ID.] Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the Willys MB and Ford GPW World War II jeeps at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup. At the outset, all engines were produced by Willys but in 1942 Ford began to produce GPW engines to the Willys design. Midland Steel Corp. produced frames to the Willys specification and wre used by both Willys and Ford. Ford contracted with Murray Corp. for frames for the GPW after which Ford no longer used the Midland frames. During 1941 to 1943 Willys and Ford manufactured their own bodies, slightly different from each other. In January 1944, both Willys and Ford subcontracted their jeep bodies to American Central Body of Connersville, IN, who built the so-called 'composite body' used by both manufacturers.
After about 25,000 units were produced, in early 1942 the MB/GPW was standardized with changes agreed upon by Ford, Willys and the Army. The 1941 and early 1942 production jeeps have many small differences from the later, full production models. The most visible change was the Ford nine-slot stamped grill which replaced the Willys slat grill (similar to the Ford GP) in March-April 1942.
Ford's River Rouge plant produced the first 77 GPWs with Willys engines and Midland frames in January 1942. Willys jeeps were produced in their Toledo, OH plant, while Ford had assembly operations at six plants around the country. Although small differences remained, the MB and GPW essentially met the Army's goal of being completely interchangeable in all parts. At the factories, there were Ford GPWs produced on Willys Midland frames or with Willys engines, plus other production expedients and subcontractor sharing, creating a mix of jeeps and parts to be sorted out by later generations. During the course of the war, Ford built 277,896 GPW jeeps, and Willys built 335,531 units. Production contracts were terminated in the summer of 1945 as World War II ended. The last Ford GPW was built on 30 July 1945 and the last Willys MB rolled off the Toledo assembly line on 20 August 1945.
Tabulated data from TM 9-803, February 1944. All Willys MB and Ford GPW jeeps have a serial number tag on the left front of the frame. The serial number appears in other locations and there is also a non-matching engine number. The WW II jeep (Willys MB / Ford GPW) was originally under the authority of the Quartermaster Corps. Therefore, the original manuals were 10-series QM manuals, later superseded by 9-series Ordnance manuals. The QM manuals included:
The Ordnance manuals included:
The lists are not exhaustive. For example, there are many specialized manuals such as TB 9-1830A-2 'Fits, Tolerances, and Wear Limits for Willys-Overland MB Engine' as well as separately printed changes, MWOs (eg, MWO ORD G503-W7), and more. Manuals exist for boxing partially assembled Willys MB and Ford GPW jeeps paired with manuals for unboxing and assembly. Other related manuals cover specific parts (eg, the Carter carb or speedometers), or general automotive procedures and tools. Multiple versions of these manuals appeared with different dates, starting in August 1941. There are many fine websites that have additional information on thistopic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go.Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there. For good results, try entering this: willys mb or ford gpw. Then click the Search button. Especially recommended: Find at Amazon: Military Issue equipment, clothing, boots, MREs, MOLLE gear and much more. |