Read more : Jeep's story begins in1941 (part 1)
Due to technical and financial
constraints of Bantam, the Army gave Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Company
Bantam's original plans, in order to submit their own prototypes. Willys
introduced the "Quad", and Ford introduced the
"Pygmy", incorporating modifications to the original design Bantam
was finally weighing 2030 lbs (1044.09 kg). The Willys Quad exceeded specified
initial weight too because they had a better engine which became known as the
famous Go Devil. This proved advantageous for Willys as the weight limit was
increased to 2,160 lb (979.75 kg), which was the only Quad prototype entirely
satisfy the requirements of the army: their crushing 105 lb / ft of torque
exceeded the torque applied and was far superior to the 83 lb / ft of torque
offered by Bantam and 85 lb / ft of torque Deford prototype.
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| Jeep's story begins in 1941 |
Taking prototypes of the three
companies, the Army placed an order for 4,500 vehicles, 1,500 to each of them,
to test them in the field. Roos team began working to lighten the Quad. It
completely dismantled and analyzed each of the parts to see whether there is
the possibility of using a lighter material in one of them. When finished, the
Jeep only exceeded in 7 ounces weight required.
Delivery of the 4,500 vehicles
began in June 1941 and the army decided they needed to choose a design fits
all. Finally we chose the Willys design (Go-devil engine mechanical solutions
Bantam) with some modifications incorporating features Ford and Bantam. In July
1941, Willys was awarded a contract for 16,000 vehicles. That same year, the
Quartermaster Corps Willys-Overland army ordered to spend her designs Ford to
increase production.
During World War II,
Willys-Overland and Ford produced 600,000 Jeeps, Willys produced more than
368,000 and the little Bantam only 2,675, most of which were ceded to Britain
and the Soviet Union as a result of the Lend-Lease Act (Bantam ceased
production just before the Japanese attack aPearl Harbor).
When they created the first Jeep
was not what today is known as 4x4 segment in the field of utility. The main
customers of the Jeep were the Allied Forces who tried to impose peace in a
world torn apart by the battles of World War II. It was designed as the
replacement for the motorcycle used to carry messages between the various units
of the U.S. Army, however, only a few of the first Jeep vehicles manufactured
until 1945 remained in the United
States. Instead, hundreds of thousands of
these vehicles were sent to Europe, Africa and
the Pacific.