Existing comment:
Ford GPW Jeep
In 1941, the word "Jeep" became part of the American lexicon.
In 1940, Charles Payne of American Bantam Car Company and the Army Quartermaster put together a list of requirements for a four-wheel-drive light vehicle. The vehicle needed a rectangular body, folding front windshield, a .30 caliber machine gun mount, and blackout lighting, and it must weigh no more than 1,200 pounds. Later specifications included a motor with at least four cylinders. No aluminum could be used in the cylinder head.
In 1941, the US issued contracts to manufacture the first production vehicles to Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Company. Jeeps like this one were used by the Marine Corps throughout World War II. |