Model overview
Collected here are the most important Bantam, Willys and Ford models that led to the standard wartime Jeep and its first postwar successors. For each model, the year or period of production and a short history of development are shown, so that the overview is more useful and readable than on the old version of the site.
The first successfully delivered American prototype for a light 1/4-ton 4x4 military vehicle. It served as a starting point for further Army testing.
Pre-production Bantam variant created after the pilot model, with a small series of vehicles for army testing and refinement.
Willys answer to the Army competition of 1940. The key advantage was the more powerful Willys engine that later led to the production Jeep.
An early Ford prototype with several details that would later influence the standard Jeep appearance, notably the flatter front end.
One of the early experimental Ford/Budd attempts at developing a light 4x4 vehicle during the first wave of Army testing.
Ford pre-production version produced before switching to standardized GPW. An important development stage between prototype and mass production.
Immediate predecessor of the MB model. Solutions that were simplified and standardized on the later MB were tested on the MA model.
The most famous Bantam war variant; produced in relatively small numbers, but important to the early history of the Jeep concept.
The earliest MB with a welded flat slat grill. Today, it is among the most sought-after early war examples.
The main production Jeep of the US Army in World War II. Simple, robust and easy to maintain, it became an icon of war.
Ford production of a standardized Jeep to Willys specification, with recognizable Ford details and markings on the parts.
The first widely offered civilian Jeep, developed directly from the wartime MB for farm, craft and general commercial use.
Further development of the civilian CJ line with reinforcements, improved chassis and details adapted to everyday work use.
Post-war military Jeep based on a civilian platform, but with 24V electrical system, reinforcements and military adaptations for the Korean War period.
Distinguished by the taller bonnet due to the F-head Hurricane engine. One of the most important transitional models of the Willys/Kaiser era.
A variant intended primarily for urban and commercial use, with rear-wheel drive and a different market focus.