7: 1941 BANTAM BRC-40
The BRC-40 was the final evolution of the Bantam design. The Army initially contracted for 1,500 units, but 2,605 were eventually assembled. Bantam ceased motor vehicle production after the last was built in December of 1941 and carried on building trailers, torpedo motors and landing gear. The BRC-40 had many fine features and was well liked by the Allied forces that used it; its light weight and nimble handling was particularly noteworthy. At least 100 BRC-40s have survived the years, making them the second most common of the pre-production 1/4-tons. This restored BRC-40 belongs to Steve Greenberg of Portland, Oregon.
8: 1941 SLAT-GRILLE WILLYS MB
The first 25,808 Willys MBs used a welded steel grille very similar to the Ford GP design, and there were a host of other differences from the later Willys. These early MBs had "Willys'' embossed in the back panel. In production, the slat grilles were given running changes until they finally evolved into the standard "stamped-grille'' MB we know and love. The slat grilles are an uncommon find these days; some sources say that fewer than 25 survive. Owner Reg Hodgson of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the Editor of Army Motors, the official magazine of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association.
9: 1941-1945 WILLYS MB
The hero of World War II. Willys produced 335,531 units, and they served in every theater of war, in every conceivable role, and with every Allied army. This vehicle changed the way Americans looked at the automobile and added a new word to our vocabulary: Jeep. Early versions had "Willys'' embossed on the back panel, but the military frowned on the free advertising and ordered the practice stopped. MBs are plentiful, easily restored and a heck of a lot of fun. This superbly restored 1944 MB belongs to Tony Standefer, of Bothell, Washington
10 1941-1945 FORD GPW
As Ford built the last of its own GP units, it landed a contract to built Jeeps to the Willys pattern. Ford designated these vehicles GPW (Government, 80-inch wheelbase, Willys). Though very similar to the Willys, there are some telltale differences. The front crossmenber is a U-channel instead of the Willys tubular unit. The letter F (Ford) is stamped on most small components, and the rear stowage compartment differs from the Willys. To war's end, 277,896 Ford GPWs were built, and they're equally as popular and cherished as the Willys. The vehicle shown belongs to John Ferrie of Fort Collins, Colorado and is an early '42 "Script'' model, meaning it has "Ford'' embossed on the rear panel.
11: 1942-1943 FORD GPA
This is the amphibious Jeep, or "Seep.'' Not particularly successful on land or sea, 12,778 were constructed. In the water, they were very slow, and anything more than a slight chop sent them to the bottom. On land, the extra weight and bulk made them ungainly. Originally developed by Marmon-Herrington and the yacht designers at Sparkman and Stevens, Seeps saw limited service. Nowadays, as an oddball, they've become highly collectable and are quite rare. (If 11B is used, add: This restored GPA belongs to Wayne Dowdle of Memphis, Tennessee.)
12: 1944-1945 CJ-2
As the war wound down, Willys turned its attention to the postwar Jeep market and started development of a civilian model. Though there may have been a CJ or CJ-1, available records show only CJ-2 models mentioned. The first of these were known as "Agrijeeps'' on their data plates. Twelve Agrijeeps were produced in 1944, and another 22 or 23 CJ-2s in 1945. These rigs were used at various agricultural test stations around the country. This restored 1944 Agrijeep bears the serial number CJ-2-09. Owned by noted early-Jeep expert Fred Coldwell, the CJ-2 was restored by Charles Ellis and is one of two remaining Agrijeeps. A total of four CJ-2s remain: numbers 09, 12, 32 and 37.