1942 Ford GPW WW2 Jeep

1942 Ford GPW

Manufactured from 1941 - 1945

These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep.

277,896 Ford GPWs were built.335,531 Willys MB were built.25,808 Slat grill Willys MB were built.

Body & Chassis: 2 DoorsLayout: Front engine, rear wheel drive / four wheel drive.Engine: 134 CU in (2.2L) Go Devil 14Transmission: 3 Speed Manual2 Speed Dana 18 Transfer CaseWheelbase: 80 inch (2032mm)Length: 131 inch (3327mm)Width: 62 inch (1575mm)Height: 72 inch (1829mm)Curb Weight: 2293lb (1040Kg)

This vehicles chassis number is GPW42584, dating it to August 1942 and we believe it was used by the 51st Defence Battalion, part of the 1st All Black American Marine Corp, and has seen service in the South Pacific Ellice Islands.The renovation work was carried out by Colin Easson Motors and began on 7th July 2014 with a complete strip down and removal of the engine, gearbox and body. The chassis was bead blasted along with the body and engine and turned out to be in superb condition and only required painting.The T84 gearbox and engine were completely rebuilt using, where necessary, genuine Ford parts.The body tub was rebuilt following bead blasting, including replacement of all strengthening bars and replacement of wood strengthening.A new wiring loom complete with light switches was installed and the choke, throttle cable, and handbrake cables(all Ford Parts Circa 1942) were also replaced.

When E.C. Segar created his famous cartoon character "Popeye" in 1936, and surrounded him with a cast of characters, one of whom was called "Eugene the Jeep", he could never have imagined that the term "Jeep" would be in common use, worldwide, some eight decades later.Eugene the Jeep was Popeye's "jungle pet" and was "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems", characteristics shared by the General Purpose (GP) vehicle issued to American combat soldiers fighting on the front lines in war-torn Europe. Having been brought up on a diet of Popeye cartoons it was not surprising that this tough little vehicle, which would frequently get them out of some real "scrapes", became affectionately known as a Jeep.Impressively the time taken from conception and tenders being sent out, to the production lines starting to roll, was less than two hundred days, amazing for a vehicle that has stood the test of time and become an unlikely motoring icon.This ability to get things done quickly and well was the deciding factor in America being asked to produce military hardware in vast numbers and build hundreds of ships, arguably influencing the outcome of the Second World War.As the war progressed Willys-Overland produced over 300,000 Jeeps and the Ford Motor Co. was drafted in to help boost production and contributed over 250,000 units. Ford manufactured Jeeps were recognizable by their pressed steel grilles as opposed to the Willys' slat grille style.Considering the manner in which the Jeep was conceived and its role in warfare, it's remarkable that most of the finest classic car collections will include a Willys or Ford WWII Jeep, making the restored example offered here a candidate for serious consideration should one of these yardstick cars have, so far, eluded you.This excellent and rare, Ford built, GPW Jeep was imported into the UK in 2014 and was then fastidiously restored by Colin Easson Motors and is now a consummate piece of military history.A USB drive is included with the photographic history documenting its restoration. Every nut and bolt received attention and the detail is fantastic, even down to the period tools and heavy-duty tow rope attached to the vehicle.Every rural car show in the country now has a section for Military Vehicles and with WW2 re-enactments and the prestigious classic car meetings all clamouring for 1940's Jeeps, this stunningly well-restored example could keep you busy all summer.