The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army truck, 4X4, command reconnaissance, Willys Jeep and sometimes referred to by its Standard Army vehicle supply number G-503, was a highly successful American off-road capable and light utility vehicle. Well over 600,000 were built to a single standardized design for the United States and Allied forces in World War II from 1941-1945. In June of 1941, the U.S. government contracted Willys, Ford, and Bantam, to design and develop a lightweight, four-wheeled-drive-cross-country vehicle for the US Army, capable of carrying equipment and personnel across rough terrain. All three companies were instrumental in the development in this endeavor; however, Bantam is credited with inventing the original 1/4-ton jeep in 1940. Willys' aggressive advertising and branding during and after the war overshadowed the two other companies, making the world recognize Willys as the creator of the jeep. They event went as far as applying for the "Jeep: trademark. This caused friction between the other manufacturers, eventually forcing the Federal Trade Commission to step in and debunk the claims that Willys was the sole creator of the Jeep. Many U.S. Army generals had high praises for this light-weight vehicle and its performance. General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the US Army during the war, called it "Americas greatest contribution to modern warfare". In 1991 the MB Jeep was designated an "International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark" by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  

This 1942 Willys MB represents the 1940s in our '100 Years of Route 66' exhibit, and is on loan from Jonathan Heck.