The Willys MB Army jeep is celebrating its 70th
birthday as the original ancestor of the Jeep that later made a
career in civilian life and became synonymous for "roughing" it in
the wilds with a 4x4.
Just prior to the United States entering World War II, the Army
realised it needed an all-purpose vehicle, sending out a tender to
130 car manufacturers.
According to the Chrysler archives, the military was looking for a
light, universal and all-terrain vehicle. In the end three
manufacturers competed for the contract.
Finally, the small company Willys won it because of the low price,
robust construction and the engine. The prototype was fitted with a
four-cylinder power unit dubbed "Go Devil" and the awesome power at
the time of 44 kW/60 hp.
In 1941 it went into production as the MB, also under license to
Ford. The top speed of 105 km/h may seem laughable by today's
standards but speed was not called for in the bombed-out streets of
Germany or Italy.
But who would seriously want to go any faster in a vehicle
offering just the basics -- a rattling seat, a thin steering wheel and
just a chain in place of a door?
On the other hand the Willys could be driven in almost any
terrain. In the unlikely event that it still got stuck in the mud
there was a pick and shovel to help. The wiper blade was activated by
hand and it took just about as much time to put up the roof as it
would to erect a tent.
Officially the MB's career ended at the end of World War II but
after 1945 work began on a civilian version.
As from 1953 the Willys was sold under the name Kaiser-Jeep.
Through AMC and Renault, the Jeep label eventually passed on in 1987
to Chrysler, which now belongs to Fiat.
For the anniversary this year, Fiat has brought out an
Anniversary-Edition which bears close resemblance to the MB relative,
the original Jeep Wrangler.
By the end of World War II some 600,000 Willys MBs had been
manufactured. For collectors there are still a fair number to be
bought on the market.
But it is important to know that between 1956-68 almost 30,000
units were produced under license by Hotchkiss in France with sellers
not always pointing out where the vehicle was produced. Some sellers
even invent war stories around the vehicle to drive up the price.
In 1941, the Willys MB cost $739 dollars ( but fetch
significantly higher prices today.
"A vehicle in good condition with all the extras can easily cost
20,000 euros and more," says collector Franz-Gerd Haas. Although
spare parts are expensive it is not a big deal to have a Willys
restored. "Their construction was so simple that it is easy to work
on them," he says.
According to Haas, a large number of original Willys can still be
found in France, Belgium, Holland and England "because this is the
car that won the war."
But apart from the collector, many a mountain farmer, forester and
hunter still appreciates the qualities of the Willys, which can take
you almost anywhere.
