Willys MB and Ford GPW: Books - History (2/2)

Bantam, Ford And Willys-1/4-Ton Reconnaissance Cars

The ¼-ton, 4x4, truck of World War Two started out in the hands of the Infantry and a little company called American Bantam Car Company. Bantam worked with the Army's Quartermaster Corps to produce the pilot model that was accepted and then fulfilled their initial contract for 70 trucks.
During testing of the pilot both Ford and Willys-Overland were invited to check out this new vehicle. The vehicles were studied in great detail. Soon, at their own expense, Ford and Willys-Overland submitted pilots for testing too.

This book covers the production prototypes - Bantam BRC-40, Ford GP and the Willys MA.

Information

Author:	Robert Notman
Details:	170 pages, 28 x 21 x 0.9 cm / 11 x 8.25 x 0.35 in, paperback
Illustrations:	b&w photos
Publisher:	Lulu Press, Inc. (USA, 2006)
ISBN:	9781847281883

Military Jeep - Enthusiasts' Manual (1940 Onwards) - Ford, Willys and Hotchkiss

Jeeps had been built by Ford and Willys. After the end of the war another 28,000 were built in France by Hotchkiss during the 1950s.

This book, now enlarged and revised and with many new pictures, covers the story of the development of this iconic military vehicle and the myriad post-war 'lookalikes'.
It also provides insight into what is involved in finding, restorying and running a military Jeep more than 80 years since the first prototype was delivered to the US Army in July 1940.
It is a reliable guide to help enthusiasts find parts and to devide how a particular Jeep can be authentically restored. The book's author, Pat Ware, is amongst the world's foremost writers on historical military vehicles, with more than 60 titles and countless magazine articles on his credits.

Information

Author:	Pat Ware
Details:	216 pages, 29 x 22.5 x 1.6 cm / 11.4 x 8.9 x 0.63 in, hardback
Illustrations:	200+ b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2022)
ISBN:	9781800352551

Military Jeeps

The Jeep, originally designed as a wartime utility 4x4, became iconic. Its success in the war birthed evolved models still in production and global imitators. Jeep popularized recreational four-wheeling worldwide.

Preserving wartime Jeeps as classics began in the 1970s, leading to organizations like the MVPA. This book explores military Jeeps by Willys, Ford, Hotchkiss, and NEKAF. Featuring 220+ photos, it offers a contemporary perspective on military Jeep preservation.

Information

Author:	John Carroll
Details:	96 pages, 24.5 x 17 x 1.2 cm / 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.47 in, paperback
Illustrations:	220+ b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2023)
ISBN:	9781802821307

Jeep militaires - depuis 1940 (Willys MB, Ford GPW et Hotchkiss M201)

Despite its frequent association with the American Willys-Overland company, the Jeep was actually designed by a team working for American Bantam in response to a request from the US Quartermaster Corps in 1940. Faced with the machinations of very strong political opposition, Bantam lost the market to Willys-Overland and Ford, who ended up producing around 640 000 examples of what is probably still the most recognizable vehicle in the world, while Hotchkiss produced in France, well after the war, another 28 000 Jeeps.

During World War II, the Jeep accompanied all the Allied armies on all fronts and the military on both sides recognized its qualities as a reliable and versatile vehicle.
After the end of the war, thousands of Jeeps were allocated to the armies of the recently liberated European countries. Others were "civilized", but little by little these vehicles began to pass into the hands of collectors.

Covering the history of the development and evolution of this iconic military vehicle (Willys MB, Ford GPW and Hotchkiss M201), this book is an in-depth examination of everything needed to discover, purchase, restore and operate a military Jeep, seventy years after the first prototype was delivered to the US Army in July 1940.

French edition of Haynes' book "Military Jeep Enthusiasts' manual".

Information

Author:	Pat Ware
Details:	160 pages, 27 x 21 cm / 10.6 x 8.25 in, hardback
Illustrations:	250 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2019)
ISBN:	9791028303969

La Jeep dans l'Armée française (Tome 1) : 1943-1954

Jeeps served for sixty years in the French army, participating in three major conflicts and numerous external operations. These "funny little cars" seduced the French from their arrival in Algeria in 1942, with their maneuverability, their robustness and their ability to overcome the worst obstacles.
With these wonderful cars, the French Expeditionary Force left for Italy, then France and Germany, where jeeps were omnipresent, sometimes limited by the harsh climate of the Vosges and the Alsace plain, but always ready to pounce as soon as the weather was milder.

After the peace in Europe, jeeps remained with the troops in occupation in Germany, accompanying those repatriated to North Africa or sent to Indochina. During the 9 years of the Indochinese conflict, their use was often limited to connections and convoy escorts facing an aggressive enemy and difficult terrain.
Overseas, where roads were rare and climatic conditions difficult, jeeps regained their importance thanks to their ability to overcome obstacles and their lightness, allowing them to go where a truck or an armored car could not.

This first volume describes the Jeep in the French Army in the years 1943-1954.

Information

Author:	Paul Gaujac
Details:	144 pages, 2.5 x 2 cm / 1 x 0.8 in, paperback
Illustrations:	250 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Histoire & Collections (F, 2023)
ISBN:	9791038013766