The perfect coffee table companion to The Original Jeeps (2020) and The First Jeep (2014), The Original Jeeps in Pictures tells the story of how the small but mighty Jeep 4x4 came into being.The spring and summer of 1940 witnessed the resounding defeat of the French Army and British Expeditionary Force at the hands of a modernized German Army, designed to take advantage of the latest advances in technology. This included mobile vehicles, tanks used in formation to puncture enemy lines, as well as close air support of ground forces. The evacuation of the British from Dunkirk, and the final defeat of their French ally in June 1940, left only a thin line of English fighter planes between that island nation and total defeat. While events unfolded rapidly in Europe, leaders of the United States Army, decimated by demobilization after World War I and budget cuts during the Great Depression, knew they were completely unprepared for this new type of mobile warfare, called Blitzkrieg or "lightning war." Experts in the Army had worked from the end of World War I to develop a combined light weapons carrier and command/reconnaissance vehicle-but with limited success. In June 1940 the military compiled a list of requirements for a revolutionary new truck to replace the cart and mule as the Army's primary method of moving troops and small payloads. This book tells the story in images of the American Bantam Car Company, Willys-Overland Motors, Inc., and the Ford Motor Company, who all dared to meet the challenge to build pilot models,and eventually production models, of this vehicle. Their journey throughout 1940 and into 1941 comprises a story from which legends come. Overcoming incredible challenges and long odds these firms built the original 1⁄4-ton truck 4x4 "lights", later known as the iconic Jeep.

The spring and summer of 1940 witnessed the resounding defeats of the French army and British Expeditionary Force at the hands of modernized German troops, designed to take advantage of the latest advances in technology. These included mobile vehicles and tanks used in formation to blast through enemy lines, as well as combined ground and air tactics. The evacuation of the British from Dunkirk and the final defeat of their French allies in June 1940 left only a thin line of English fighter planes between that island nation and total defeat.Meanwhile, leaders of the United States Army, decimated by demobilization after World War I and budget cuts during the Great Depression, knew they were completely unprepared for this new type of mobile warfare called "blitzkrieg," a German term meaning "lightning war." Though experts in the U.S. Army had worked from the end of World War I to develop a combination light weapons carrier and command and reconnaissance vehicle, no perfect model had yet been developed by 1940. In June of that same year, the Army compiled a list of requirements for a revolutionary new truck to replace the mule as the Army's primary method of moving troops and small payloads.The Original Jeeps tells the story of the American Bantam Car Company, Willys Overland-Motors, Inc. and the Ford Motor Company, the three firms who dared to meet the challenge to build pilot models of this extraordinary new vehicle. The efforts by these automotive pioneers represent an astounding story of grit, determination and never-say-die courage that inspires, and ended in the creation of a legend: the Jeep.

DIVThe definitive, fully illustrated celebration of an auto manufacturer that paved its own way by going off-road./divDIV /divDIVFew American vehicles, or vehicles made anywhere else in the world for that matter, are as universally iconic as the Jeep. From olive drab WWII military relics to the beloved Wrangler with its rear-mounted spare tire, open-air design, and telltale roll cage, the Jeep is a true classic. In Jeep: The History of America’s Greatest Vehicle, automotive writer Patrick R. Foster chronicles over 70 years of Jeep vehicle design and production. Beginning with the Jeep as a crucial component of the American World War II fleet, Foster expertly recounts the corporate shifts, financial struggles and successes, close calls, and—above all—the enduring machines that have carried Jeep from the early 1940s to its triumphant role as a modern-day embodiment of American perseverance. Three hundred color and black-and-white historical photos complement his expertly written narrative of Jeep’s entire history, reminding us that sometimes, the road less traveled was just waiting for the right truck./div

An American classic! This new book is a detailed, highly illustrated look at the legendary World War II era Jeep. Detailed text discusses Jeep planning, development and production, then moves into its World War II variants, specialized equipment, accessories and use by other Allied forces. Nearly 200 high-quality color and war-era photos show the Jeep in its many functions. Up-close, detailed images show the differences between variant types. This book is a concise reference for the Jeep enthusiast, historian and restorer.

Traces the history of the jeep from the delivery of the first jeeps to the allied military in 1941 through the changes of ownership in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies to the end of CJ production and the new style Cherokee.

The complete and fully detailed history of the conception, promotion, financing, design, fabrication, delivery, testing, procurement and production of the first jeeps by the American Bantam Car company for the United States Army. The 400 page book contains hundreds of photos which cover the prewar period when this most significant of American automobiles was created and produced. As much an exciting story of compelling characters as it is the first complete history, a reader will recognize many names in both the public and private which went on to fame in WWII. The book can also be seen as a near text book concerning the practical difficulties in industrial design and procurement, involving as it does the difficulty of innovators satisfying a customer with a design. A careful reader will see the dramatic transition from the ?old America? of the post Civil War era into what we like to call the ?modern times? of the post war era, just now ending. One will see the beginning of Eisenhower's ?Military-Industrial Complex'. Primarily however the book is an inspirational story of a small band of men in a tiny company, struggling for survival which accepts a gigantic challenge and succeeds brilliantly, only to be overwhelmed by the giant government and corporate interests of the time and since forgotten.

This book covers Second World War versions of the legendary Jeep – prototypes, production models and special versions. There are 11 wartime Jeep variants covered – Bantam BRC-40, Budd Pygmy, Willys MA, Ford GP, Willys MB, Willys MB of the Long-Range Desert Group, Ford GPW, Ford GPA or 'Seep', 6x6 MT-TUG, T28 Half-Track and the heavily armed SAS Willys MB. Each model's section opens with a brief text introduction followed by specially commissioned color photographs with fascinating and detailed captions.