Author Topic: History Question 2  (Read 32659 times)

Jeepnharleymomma

  • Show Chairman
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1831
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2009, 10:31:18 am »
Ok  I watched something on the History chanel about Jeeps.......It said when ford made the GP it did not stand for General Purpose so the question is what did GP really stand for?
"Trail Boss" Jenn Watson
89 V8 Yj, some lift, some tires and some extras!
96 Cherokee Sport (Daves beater)
1947 CJ2-A

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly,Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile

hillbilly

  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1491
  • adam lewis - appalachian american - B.O.D.
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #16 on: June 08, 2009, 05:24:30 pm »
i seen it too, but ill hold on my answer. i want the gpw version i could fish and wheel.
build it, beat it, break it, fix it, repeat
A member of the church requests to be buried in his jeep because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of."
   91 xj 8.5" lift -33" x 12.50 and my own additions
 94 xj (wifes) 3.5" lift and the boys 1979 cj7

ddechri

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 175
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2009, 11:01:17 am »
Don't forget Mahindra and Mitsubishi (sp?) under license.
Dave DeChristopher
'79 CJ-7: 4.0L, T18, bronco geared Dana 20, D30/D44 (locked), Warn 8274
'60 Willys PU: IH 304 V8, wide T19, Dana 18, OD, PTO Winch, SOA D44/D53(Power Lock) w/4.27's, 33's,
'68 CJ5 - Dauntless, SM420 (project)
'98 Dodge Ram 2500 12V CTD QC LWB
"Where ever I go, there's I AM"

MUDDY

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 263
  • Jon Vasellas
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #18 on: October 11, 2009, 10:13:18 pm »
it stands for FORD PYGMY.
98 grand cherokee mild liFT
97 CHEVY 3IN LIFT

Davew

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 167
  • Jenn's On Board Mechanic
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2009, 04:51:41 pm »
"what years did the Jeep transition from each company?"

1941-1953: Willys-Overland
1953-1963: Kaiser-Jeep (calling themselves "Willys Motors")
1963-1970: Kaiser-Jeep
1970-1987: AMC (w/ Renault controlling production in 1986)
1987-1998: Chrysler
1998-2007: DaimlerChrysler AG
2007-2009: Chrysler LLC
2009-Present: Chrysler Group LLC
Stupidity, if left untreated is self-correcting

Rick_Bear

  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2077
  • Jeep Show Chairman
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #20 on: October 15, 2009, 06:12:43 pm »
Well Dave, I have to question that YOU are a "Beginner" with-in the Jeep world.
Jenn runs off to Snow-Shoe, you become active on the site (which is great) and act like some "newby" to Jeeps.....C'mon
You can fool a lot of people, but you of all people are NOT going to fool this FOOL !
Do Your Duty And History Will Do You Justice...!
06' Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited, Clayton 4" Long Arm Suspension, Clayton Full Skid Plates, AtoZ Fabrication Rock Sliders, AtoZ Fabrication Cage Addition and More modifications to come...

Davew

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 167
  • Jenn's On Board Mechanic
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #21 on: October 16, 2009, 10:07:36 am »
No really I couldn't tell you which end of a lug nut goes on first. Hey has anyone seen my metric adjustable wrench?
Stupidity, if left untreated is self-correcting

Soylent

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
Re: History Question 2
« Reply #22 on: April 06, 2011, 09:42:38 pm »
I've got an answer that will clear up some of the misconceptions posted in this thread.

First, Ford did not produce jeeps under contract from anybody but the Army's Quartermaster Corps.  Willys won the contract on price just like everything else.  It certainly helped that they had a more powerful engine which is most likely the reason that their entry was not immediately disqualified for being overweight. 

Henry Ford, being the contrary sort that he was, said, "Ohhh, hell no!" or whatever the equivalent of this was in 1941.  Ford's factories were producing bombers, tanks, trucks, and all sorts of vehicles for the war effort and Henry was determined not to be left out of the 1/4 ton reconnaissance car market.  So his sales people went back to the procurement offices and pointed out that Ford had factories everywhere; Willys-Overland had one.  Sabotage, union strikes, material shortages, transportation problems, or--God forbid--the war coming to our shores could certainly hamper Willys' ability to produce the needed number of vehicles at their one factory.  (Let's remember here that Willys-Overland--like a lot of car builders of the era--was more of an "assembler" of parts than a complete manufacturer.  Ford had foundries, stamping plants, steel mills, design studios, upholstery shops, and even a Brazilian rubber plantation.  Which one is more likely to be screwed when a distant supplier is burned to the ground, bombed, sabotaged, suffers a work stoppage, or has a supply line cut by an enemy advance?)

The procurement officers were convinced, especially when demand far exceeded what Willys could produce in Toledo, and Ford won a secondary contract.  While Willys and Ford both continually built jeeps throughout the war, Willys built every one of theirs in Toledo, Ohio.  Ford built theirs in plants all over America, including Richmond, CA; Dearborn, MI; Dallas, TX, Louisville, KY; Chester, PA; and Edgewater, NJ.


GP (Ford's prototype) and GPW (Ford's production jeep) do not stand for General Purpose or General Purpose Willys.

In Ford's nomenclature of the time, G stood for a government project.  P is for an 80 inch wheelbase reconnaissance car.

When Willys' design was chosen as the "winner" and Ford received their plans and patterns to make theirs exactly like and interchangeable with the Willys MB (Military model B), the W was added to indicate that this was built to the Willys pattern. 

Ford also built the GPA (A for "Amphibious") and the GPB (although the "Burma Jeep" is more of a truck--lighter than the the 2-1/2 ton--for use on tight winding mountain roads in the Pacific theater.)

Ford did have one more contribution to add to the overall design of the jeep, though.  Clarence Kramer at Ford had designed a one piece stamped radiator protector that was lighter and much cheaper to produce.  After building roughly 25,000 MBs with their welded together, heavy, slat grills, Willys was ordered to switch theirs to the Ford design which featured 11 vertical slots to allow air to the radiator.  From then on, with the same grill design, it became very hard to tell a Willys MB from a Ford GPW from more than ten feet away.  And now you know why jeeps still have a Ford grill in them.


Sorry for going overboard with the history, but the "General Purpose Willys" myth must die!
Dave Simons