Not totally accurate.  The first Jeep was actually the Bantam BRC-40.  It was initially accepted as the production vehicle, but Bantam could not fulfill the contract and the Willys MB was selected instead.  Once Willys started production, they too were unable to fulfill the order by themselves and Ford was also contracted to license build the Willys design, the MB.  Ford designated this the GPW: G for Government, P for Passenger, W for Willys pattern.  The Ford front grill was eventually accepted as the standard design since it was easier to manufacture than both the Bantam and Willys welded grill designs.

Bantam BRC-40

Early Willys MB Slat Grill

Later Willys MB w/stamped "Ford-style" grill

Ford GPW

The biggest difference externally between the Ford and Willys jeeps is the front frame crossmember that runs under the radiator.  On the Ford, it has an upside-down "U" profile.  On the Willys, it is a round tube. 

Ford Square crossmember

Willys round crossmember

Also, all jeeps initially had a warranty.  Old man Ford wasn't about to fix a Willys jeep, so he put a script F on just about every part on his jeep so he could tell who built it.

Bantam

Bantam did get the honor of making the trailers for WWII jeeps.

Very interesting, thanks guys! 

I think I've been to that museum in Huntsville and have some photos of that 'Jeep.' I'll look for them but the way I'm organized it'd probably be easier to find Dan 'DB' Cooper than for me to find those photos... 

Ford also put a script "Ford" on the rear body panel until Willys screamed and the gov't made them stop.

Wow ! You guys really know how to fill in the blank spaces of more info on the legendary jeep. Thanks.

Happy modeling      Crackers

In my humble opinion, one of the most exciting adventures of the Jeep in WWII, were the action of the Desert Rats, the name given to the British Seventh Armored Division led by Allen Frances Harding, in a series of hit and run attacks against General Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox" and his German Afrika Korps in North Africa.

Happy modeling   Crackers  

goldhammer

Ford also put a script "Ford" on the rear body panel until Willys screamed and the gov't made them stop.

Not really.  Both Ford and Willys originally put their names on the left rear of their respective jeeps.  The US Govt rewrote the contract in early '42 to have no company marks included on the jeeps from that point forward.

Willys labeled MB jeep

Ford script GPW jeep

The "scripted jeep" feature of the names on the rear is one way for collectors to tell when their jeeps were produced.  The earlier script vehicles are highly sought after.

Don't forget the 1500 Ford GP's made alongside the Willys' MA's and the BRC-40's.  My neighbor had a GP back in 1979 that we wrenched on for a little bit before he sold it.

Thanks Gino, have never seen the Willys script, but have seen several of the Ford ones over the years.  Appreciate the correction.

The Bantam prototypes were followed by the Budd (Ford) Pygmy and Willys Quad prototypes based on their respective interpretations of the Bantum design. Then the Bantam BRC40, Willys MA, and Ford GP early production versions, and finally the Willys MB and Ford GPW. The MBT trailers were made by both Bantam and Willys and a couple smaller manufacturers. There were a number of interesting variants such as the GPA Seep, MB-TUG 6 wheeler, a gyro copter, and a halftrack. Then there's the LRDG version while the SAS had their own variant late in the war.

Much has been said on this thread about the American jeep. During WWII, German military planners had their own version of a "jeep". They built the Kubelwagon (left) as a primary light vehicle, while the schwimmwagon (right), offered greater off road capabilities such as amphibious ability. This four-wheel drive vehicle was mass produced at 15,000 units. Only 160 remain in existance. Both of these vehicles are on display at the Armed Forces Day HMV rally in Ohio.

Photo by Peter Suciu for Fox News   Happy modeling   Crackers   

Later to become the VW Thing in the 70s?

ikar01

Later to become the VW Thing in the 70s? 

Not really.  The Kubelwagon sort of looked like the VW 181 (known as the Thing in the US).  The Thing was based on a VW Beetle chassis and styled to look similar to the WWII Kubelwagon, but that is about all they have in common.  It was originally built for the West German Army as a jeep-like vehicle in 1968, and was also sold to the German public, as the Kurierwagen (Courier Car), and under other names across Europe and Central/South America.  It was on sale on the civilian market through 1980.

VW Thing

HeavyArty

 ...The Thing was based on a VW Beattle chassis and styled to look similar to the WWII Kubelwagon, but that is about all they have in common.

the Baron

But wasn't the Kübelwagen itself built on the Beetle (Käfer) chassis?

A few initial prototypes were built on a Beetle chassis, but they proved to be too lightweight and an all-new chassis was designed specifically for the Kubelwagon that was stronger and stiffer.  The new chassis is what went into production as the WWII Kubelwagon.

I was surprised one day when I actually looked at the I.D. plates on my M151 and saw that it said Ford.

Yes, Ford developed it in 1951, and built it starting in 1960, then built later by Kaiser and AM General as the M-151A2.