realized that if every army Jeep was brought back to the United States and sold as surplus, it would destroy the market for the only vehicle they would have to sell in the first year or two of postwar production. So, they asked the army to give our allies as many of the old Jeep vehicles as they needed and encouraged them to scrap any heavily damaged ones. Many other Jeeps were simply abandoned and left for the locals to use.
One Jeep Corporation vice president later called this wholesale abandonment “the greatest free sample in history” because by introducing foreign locals to the Jeep, it helped establish Jeep’s highly successful postwar export business. It also created a huge market for spare parts, which benefited Willys-Overland for years. Even in the 1970s, Jeep Corporation stocked many parts for Willys MBs because of the ongoing demand.
A casualty of war, this Jeep MB appears to have been hit by shellfire during an amphibious invasion.
34 In 1949, when it was becoming obvious that war might come to the Korean Peninsula, the military brass realized they needed new Jeeps because many of the World War II units were seven or eight years old and had been roughly used and needed replacing. Besides, the military wanted a tougher, more modern vehicle for the harsh Korean weather conditions.
Willys-Overland created a Jeep vehicle that was updated with a 24-volt electrical system, a 1,200-pound payload, deep-fording capability, and installation of standardized military components including instruments, switchgear, and generators to make stocking replacement parts easier. The army designated the new vehicle the M38; Willys-Overland dubbed it the model MC. These vehicles were produced during 1950 to 1952, at which time they were replaced by a heavily modified version.
Different war, different Jeep. This press photo from the Humphrey Bogart film Battle Circus shows the man himself in a circa-1951 M38 (military designation). The Willys model number for this vehicle is MC.
Actor Alan Alda played Dr. Hawkeye Pierce on the TV show M.A.S.H., which was based on the movie Battle Circus. If you watch the opening scenes of each one, you will see that they are nearly the same.
35 The army wanted more power, more room, a better ride, and more carrying capacity. To answer those concerns, a new military Jeep appeared for 1952. Although it looked different from the M38, for some reason it was considered an improved and updated version of that vehicle, so it was given the military designation M-38A1, which translates to M38, 1st alteration (or modification). For internal company purposes, Willys called it the model MD.
Later, a civilian version was introduced as the CJ-5, which became among the most ubiquitous of all civilian Jeeps and probably the most recognizable of them all.
Superseding the M38 was the M-38A1, shown here undergoing testing at the army’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland.
36 Why the army considered the M-38A1 to be a modification of the M38 defies logic. The new Jeep had a different frame, engine, and body. Even though the basic Go-Devil block was retained, Willys engineer A. C. Sampietro devised a new “F-head” cylinder head for it.
Similar to the type used by Rolls-Royce at the time, the Willys F-head put the intake valves in an overhead valve (OHV) position but retained the exhaust valves in the block. This provided much better breathing through the larger valves, boosting engine output to 72 hp, which was a solid 20-percent gain. Torque increased by 9 ft-lbs as well. Top speed, previously about 60 mph, was now 65 mph, and fording depth was increased by half a foot, to 36 inches.
Amazingly, the new M-38A1 even weighed about 100 pounds less than the M38, despite having more interior room, more cargo room, and a longer wheelbase. The army appreciated the lower weight because it made it a little easier to transport.
To better illustrate the differences between the old and the new, here are the military M38 (on the left, aka Willys MC) and its replacement, the M-38A1 (on the right, aka the Willys MD).
37 For its first four military Jeep production vehicles, Willys used the in-house designations MA, MB, MC, and MD. There was no ME and, thankfully, no MF (I wonder what pundits would have done with that designation). There were, however, other military Jeep vehicles that came later, including the M-38A1C, which was modified to carry the army’s 105-mm or 106-mm recoilless rifle, and the M-38A1D, which was designed to carry battlefield nuclear weapons.
38 The 1953 Willys Jeep Model BC (Bobcat) was an experimental vehicle built using shortened and lightened M38 and M-38A1 body parts and components. The engine was the L-head Go-Devil with an aluminum head and brackets, and the body was stamped from aluminum sheet. A two-seater with a small storage area in the rear, the Bobcat weighed about 1,500 pounds, which meant it was ideal for air transport, and even probably more agile than the M-38A1.
This December 1953 photo shows a civilian Model CJ-3B modified with a sloping hood to increase operator visibility. It was planned for both civilian and military use.
39 In later years, Jeep produced some offbeat military vehicles, such as the M606, which is a militarized version of the civilian “high-hood” CJ-3B, the M606A2, and the M606A3, which were militarized versions of the CJ-5. All of these were created in order to satisfy demands for a lower-cost but still highly capable military vehicle.
40 Another unusual “military” Jeep is the CJ-V35/U, which was a militarized CJ-3A that was intended for use during beach landings. It featured either a 12- or 24-volt generator to power radios and a heavily waterproofed electrical system. It could be fitted with intake and exhaust snorkels for deeper water running. These are extremely rare today.
41 Another post–World War II military Jeep is the M170, which is a long-wheelbase (101 inches) military ambulance based on the M-38A1, but with wide door openings and a full-length soft top. Inside, it is fitted for carrying patients from frontline areas.
42 Soldiers in World War II developed a deep, personal affection for Jeeps. One story often told is of an officer who came across a young soldier next to a Jeep that had been destroyed in an air raid. The distraught young man was crying uncontrollably over losing his Jeep.
“Don’t worry, son,” said the officer. “We’ll get you another Jeep.”
“You don’t understand,” replied the trooper. “I loved this one.”
43 Okay, so the second most-asked question about Jeep is this: What’s the correct pronunciation of Willys? Is it Willeez? Or is it Williss? I actually spoke with a member of the Willys family a couple of years ago, and they confirmed that the correct way to say it is Williss. It rhymes with Phyllis.
44 Where did the name Willys-Overland come from? The original name of the company was Overland (it was founded by the Standard Wheel Company, which was an auto industry supplier), and it built a car by using the Overland brand name. The Overland nameplate was picked because it sounded perfect for a rugged car, which is what the company felt the Overland was. John North Willys took over the business when it got into financial trouble, and in time, he renamed it Willys-Overland.
