JEEP GPW 1943
CHASSIS N. 416228
ENGINE: 4 CYLINDER
DISPLACEMENT: 2199 CM3
POWER: 60 CV
BODY STYLE: TOURER
The “Jeep” is simply one of the most important cars ever built, a car that led to the creation of a genre to such an extent that its name has become its synonym. Practically all the off-road vehicles in the world are derived from the Jeep.
It is also the only truly historic car because it made a vital contribution to the victory of the Allies in the Second World War and is still part of that period’s iconography today.
In the summer of 1940, when the war in Europe was already fully developed, the United States Army began to interest itself in a series of new equipment that it could use when it entered the war. Amongst these was a small, lightweight vehicle capable of going anywhere and guaranteeing the troops’ mobility. Within the space of around one year, with the involvement of all the various car and mechanical industries, the new vehicle was ready, and production of the same by Willys Overland Corporation and the Ford Motor Co commenced.
Over 361,000 examples were built and brought to all theatres of war. The Jeeps were subsequently left behind when the Americans went home. Reconditioned and sold on to private individuals, thousands of them were absorbed by the European market in the 1950s: a series of ruined economies for which a cheap multi-purpose vehicle was very useful.
The Jeep that we are presenting today was certainly purchased privately in the early post-war years and used in the countryside, possibly as a farm tractor, before becoming a collector’s item.
Its owner has recently subjected the vehicle to careful restoration in terms of the mechanics and appearance, also sourcing many accessories and equipment that make it possible to recreate the conditions of a typical US Army Jeep. It should be noted that, since no specific archives exist, it is not possible to reconstruct the unit or zone in which a specific Jeep operated during the war: for this reason it is normal that, during restoration work, the owner chooses the livery of their own preference.
The Jeep presented today is in excellent condition and offers real testimony of a period of liberation and rebirth: it is ready to enter a museum or to be used for leisure purposes or for successfully taking part in events dedicated to military vehicles.
The vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition but, for safety reasons, we advise the purchaser to have it checked over and to replace the fluids, filters and perishable elements.
