Ford GPW

This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Race Retro 2026 Collectors' Cars on Saturday the 21st of February, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh Rd, Coventry, CV8 2LG. , The Ford GPW was one of the two main versions of the legendary World War II Jeep, the vehicle that became an icon of mobility, ruggedness, and military ingenuity. Produced between 1942 and 1945, the GPW was Fords licensed version of the Willys MB, built to the same specifications under a US government contract to meet the massive wartime demand. Together, the Willys and Ford Jeeps provided the Allies with an indispensable light utility vehicle, capable of operating in nearly any terrain and under the harshest conditions.The designation GPW stood for Government contract, 80inch wheelbase, and Willys design. While WillysOverland had won the primary contract for the Jeep, the US Army needed such huge numbers that Ford was brought in as a second supplier. Ford engineers made some refinements to production processes, and the GPWs were nearly identical to the Willys MBs, with most parts being fully interchangeable.Fordmanufactured Jeeps are recognisable by their pressedsteel grilles as opposed to the Willys' slat grille style and the stamped 'F' marking that Ford placed on many components, from bolts to body panels, to indicate Ford manufacture.The Ford GPW Jeeps are, so say, more soughtafter than the Willys as the Ford GPW was only manufactured during WWII, so by default it must be an original wartime vehicle. Willys, however, continued with Jeep production after WWII so unfortunately there are many nonWWII vehicles masquerading as original wartime vehicles.The Ford GPW was powered by the same GoDevil engine used in the Willys MB, a 134 cubic inch (2.2litre) inline fourcylinder producing 60hp. Paired with a 3speed manual gearbox and a 2speed transfer case, it drove all four wheels, giving the Jeep exceptional offroad capability. Its compact size, light weight, and short wheelbase made it agile in mud, sand, snow, and rough ground, and it could tow small artillery pieces, carry radios, or be adapted with stretcher mounts. Its rugged simplicity allowed it to be repaired easily in the field with minimal tools.The body was strictly utilitarian, with flat panels, open sides, and seating for four. The folding windshield and removable canvas top gave flexibility for different conditions, while the designs simplicity ensured rapid mass production. The Jeep could be fitted with a wide variety of equipment, including machine guns, communications gear, and even railway wheels for running on tracks.More than 277,000 Ford GPWs were built during the war, alongside about 360,000 Willys MBs. Together, they gave the Allied forces a light, reliable, and adaptable vehicle that could serve in roles ranging from reconnaissance and troop transport to ambulance and supply duties. General Dwight D. Eisenhower later described the Jeep as one of the most important tools of victory, alongside the C47 transport aircraft and the landing craft. The GPW represents not just a historic military machine, but also a symbol of American ingenuity and industrial might during World War II. Its legacy lives on in the Jeep brand and in the enduring concept of the small, rugged 4x4 utility vehicle that has influenced generations of offroad vehicles worldwide.Today, the Ford GPW is highly prized by military vehicle collectors and restorers. Original examples, with their distinctive 'F'stamped parts, are especially coveted.The vehicle presented here is a 1943 Ford GPW 'Willys' Jeep (chassis GPWI48242), which, according to the reference books, was manufactured in October 1943. We understand that it was most likely utilised by The Royal Navy, presenting an original identification alphanumeric under its bonnet of RN/641472/16 and B93, which will require further investigation. It is, perhaps the nonmilitary or civilian life that it has lead that is so interesting and captivating.We are informed by our vendor that her father, an astute businessman, required the use of a lorry in 1957 to convey his workers to the various quarry sites that he operated around the Midlands. With the supply of affordable lorries being limited in postwar Britain, he instead attended a local auction with the aim of buying a more costeffective exArmy surplus troop carrier lorry for the job inhand. He bid on the troop carrier and bought it but couldnt resist also buying two Army Jeeps and several Bantam motorcycles, still in their crates, being leftover in this state after the war. He ended up giving the Bantams to his employees and sold on one of the Jeeps. The other Jeep he kept, with it being used continually on their country estate, his children learning to drive in it (and shoot rabbits from it), as part of the family for the next 70 years. A remarkable connection with one family and a vehicle.We understand the