The Jeep Collection at Omix-ADA
Aug 23, 2018
- On stepping in the door of The Jeep Collection you'll see the starting quartet that led to the Wrangler we have today. From left, the 1941 Willys MA, the 1941 Bantam BRC 40, and 1941 Ford GP. The U.S. Army chose the Willys, then combined the best aspects of all three to create the fourth vehicle, the Willys MB. The Willys MB on display is from 1945.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- On stepping in the door of The Jeep Collection you'll see the starting quartet that led to the Wrangler we have today. From left, the 1941 Willys MA, the 1941 Bantam BRC 40, and 1941 Ford GP. The U.S. Army chose the Willys, then combined the best aspects of all three to create the fourth vehicle, the Willys MB. The Willys MB on display is from 1945.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- The Willys won the Army competition primarily because of the 60 hp and 105 lb-ft from its Go Devil engine - more output than the Bantam or the Ford. It also had trick features like manual windshield wipers the passenger could operate. In the Bantam and the Ford, the driver had to operate the wipers.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- Bantam produced a good entry that the Army liked and bought, but the tiny company couldn't produce on the scale the Army needed. Bantam made the BRC-40 for less than a year before being supplanted by Willys, but Bantam still got in on the war, providing trailers for the Jeeps.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- One of 200 prototypes Ford built for the war effort, the Blue Oval didn't try very hard, slotting a 45-hp tractor engine under the hood. However, a number of features from the GP made it to the wartime Jeep, such as the recessed headlights.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- A 1945 Willys MB built entirely from aftermarket parts. This, beginning in 1942, is The Jeep that Won the War. This is the one Jeep still adorns modern Wranglers with 76 years later, and the Jeep icon used to denote 4x4-accessible trails in national forests.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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Having proved itself in The Second Great War, Jeep stayed on the front lines. In the back, a 1951 Willys M38 based on the CJ-3A. Upgrades included a 24V electrical system, one-piece windshield, bottom-mounted wipers, pioneer tools (axe and shovel) mounted on the passenger side, and larger tires for rougher terrain. Oh, and a seven-slot grille.
In the foreground, a 1952 Willys M38-A1, built for 19 years, the first Jeep to feature the familiar round fenders flanking the contoured hood. It went back to a two- piece windshield with top-mounted wipers, but got a new “Hurricane” F-head engine with 72 hp and 114 lb-ft.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- The pioneer tools on the 1951 Willys M38.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- A 1947 Willys CJ-2A Fire Truck, popular with forest fire fighters because of its small size and nimble handling.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- Still in the fire-fighting business with a 1982 Jeep CJ-7 "Brush Truck" that carried a water tank to douse small brush fires.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- It wasn't all about fighting wars and fires. Built on the CJ-3A and two-wheel drive, this is a 1960 Willys DJ-3A Surrey. It was concocted when Conrad Hilton - Paris' great grandfather - asked the CEO of Kaiser to make a Jeep that could ferry guests at some of Conrad's resorts.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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A 1942 Ford GPA "Seep" in front, a 1967 Jeep M715 behind.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- Civilian Jeeps line the other side of the Omix-ADA collection. That's a 1949 Willys VJ Jeepster at the head of the row.
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey
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- More modern examples, including a number of pickups, which is timely...
- Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey