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INTRODUCTION
Although it ended 66 years ago, the Second World War continues to exert a fascination on men of all ages. Most of us would secretly love to own a piece of hardware from that era, but anything armoured is now seriously expensive, not to mention a little impractical.
But for the price of, say, a 1960s Triumph TR, you could own a genuine WW2 Jeep and live out those Commando comic-book fantasies of your childhood. More than 639,000 Jeeps were built during the war and there are always a number of survivors on the market today.
What’s more, the Jeep is surprisingly good to drive – dare we say it, much better than an early Land Rover. In particular, the Jeep has light and accurate steering, and performance is brisk from its 60bhp engine. Off-road it’s just superb – and you don’t need to worry about scratching the paint or getting it dirty.
MARKET VIEW
Although prices have risen in the last few years, Jeeps represent good value for money, and container-loads are still making their way across the Atlantic from the USA. A large number were shipped to Europe during WW2, of course, and some of these also turn up for sale.
The world’s pre-eminent Jeep collector happens to live not in the USA but in the British Midlands. Retired toolmaker Fred Smith was bitten by the Jeep bug about 15 years ago and has since built up a fantastic collection. Mostly restored by Fred himself, they include the literally priceless ‘Jeep No.1', one of two Ford prototype Jeeps, this one built by its contractor the Budd Co.
‘When I started, there were lots of people like me restoring vehicles in single garages and under plastic sheets,’ says Fred. ‘My 1943 Willys MB “Miss Conduct” [pictured] came from a local farm as a chassis and a pile of bits for about a thousand quid. Nowadays, people seem to want MoT’d and usable vehicles. They start at about £4000 and go to £15,000 or more for a real minter. Rarer types, such as the Bantam Jeeps, sell for much more.
‘Until recently, the French Hotchkiss Jeeps [built under licence post-war] were a lot cheaper, but now there seems to be hardly any difference in prices. But for men of a certain age, the genuine WW2 article will always have a unique appeal.’
IN A NUTSHELL
The vast majority of Jeeps were built to a standardised design by Willys and Ford, and codenamed MB and GPW respectively. They are essentially the same vehicles but with detail differences; for example, the front crossmember on a Willys chassis is circular, whereas on a Ford it is an inverted U-section – except on the Fords that were built on Willys-supplied chassis! Do your homework if absolute originality is important to you, while remembering that all kinds of strange things happen in wartime…
The wonderful thing about Jeeps is that they wear their hearts on their sleeve, so to speak: corrosion will be obvious and nothing is hidden away. ‘The chassis generally survives quite well due to oil leaks from the engine and transmission,’ says Fred. ‘You have to look for signs of accident damage, and the frame is not terribly rigid in the first place, but it’s made of decent-quality steel.
‘The floorpans are the most prone to rot, because water collects in them, but you can buy new ones – in fact, you can buy a whole new body.’
All the MB/GPW Jeeps used a Willys-designed 2.2-litre engine, including the Ford-built examples. It’s a tough and simple unit, and all parts are available. Original blocks and cranks are currently fairly easy to find, and other parts have been remanufactured. The drivetrain is similarly robust.
The quality of remanufactured parts varies depending on where in the world they are made and it’s still possible to buy some NOS parts, if you’re prepared to hunt them out and pay a premium. But be aware that a restored vehicle is likely to have been fitted with reproduction parts, especially for wartime fittings.
Original accessories such as the winch fitted to Fred’s ‘Miss Conduct’ are highly sought after, and sometimes turn up on eBay or the specialist military vehicle site www.milweb.net. And yes, you can buy replica guns, or deactivated real ones.
Unless built as radio cars, Jeeps had six-volt electrical systems, which are adequate when in good condition; but some owners convert to 12 volts for easier starting. Soft trim was limited to seat cushions and canvas tops, and is readily available from specialists. The same goes for rubber seals and correct-pattern tyres.
CONCLUSION
If you fancy a usable classic runaround that’s a bit different, a Jeep makes a great choice. It’s easy to look after and there’s no polishing of shiny paint or chrome to bother with! You also have the satisfaction of owning a vehicle that in all probability has real history behind it.
Interest in WW2 grows with every passing year and there are now plenty of military ’nostalgia’ events you can attend, besides the conventional classic car shows. Whether it’s the enormous War & Peace show that’s held every July in Kent, the Goodwood Revival or the classic car display in your local village fΪte, a Jeep fits the bill perfectly. Just as it did for the Allies, 70 years ago.
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