Willys MB Jeep 1945

In need of some small but tough battlefield machinery in World War II, the US Army laid out a pretty tricky set of criteria and invited companies to offer their ideas. Criteria such as strict maximum dimensions and a kerb weight lower than 590kg, yet load capacity of at least 272kg. A company called Willys-Overland was among those interested.

What followed were the Willys MA and MB, the latter pictured here, weighing more than a ton. In total, 368,000 were produced, all of them painted ‘olive-drab’. It’s known for helping win the war, after heading out on reconnaissance missions ahead of the tanks. Along the way it picked up the nickname ‘Jeep’, for reasons the internet can’t quite agree on, a tag Willys-Overland trademarked and which swiftly became the overall brand name.

Driving a car made in 1944, like this example, is always going to present a learning curve. And so it goes as I graunch my way from first to second gear, the Willys using a three-speed manual whose H-pattern puts reverse at the top left, and first bottom left, in a dog-leg position.

And a driving experience so antiquated is only ever going to be laugh-out loud amusing, however worthy its roots. With around 55bhp from its four-cylinder engine, the Willys is certainly not fast, but then the army only demanded it run to 50mph. Getting up to that sort of speed is a visceral and exciting experience in comparison to the drama-free effortlessness of modern cars.