Willys Jeep MB
FACTS
1942 - 1945
CONSTRUCTION YEAR
Willy's Overland
DESIGNERS
4 CYLINDERS
2,199 CC
60 HP
ENGINE
335,000
NUMBER OF PIECES
1943
STORY
The history of the Willys Jeep MB dates back to the time of World War II. The term "MB" stands for "Military B" and was used to identify the vehicles produced by Willys-Overland and Ford for the US military during the war.
In the late 1930s, the U.S. military recognized the need for a lightweight, all-terrain vehicle for a variety of tasks, including transportation, reconnaissance, and communications.
Various automakers, including Willys-Overland and Ford, were asked to develop prototypes. The goal was to create a vehicle that was lightweight, off-road capable and versatile.
In 1941, the Willys-Overland prototype was chosen as the winner and the vehicle was standardized as the Willys MB.
Due to high demand, Ford was also commissioned to produce a variant of the Willys Jeep. This became known as the Ford GPW, where "GPW" stood for "General Purpose Willys".
During World War II, Willys-Overland and Ford produced hundreds of thousands of Jeep vehicles for the Allies. These vehicles were used in a variety of military roles and gained widespread recognition for their reliability and versatility.
PERSONAL STORY
This Jeep remained in Austria after the war and was used for many years by a fire department in Lower Austria.
Until a farmer bought it and restored it piece by piece.
But private restoration projects often become tiring and so we took over this Jeep, almost completely restored, and completed it.