Jeep (USA)
| Length | 333cm / 131in |
| Width | 157cm / 62in |
| Weight | 1,250kg / 2,750lb |
| Range | 360km / 220m |
| Top speed | 89km/h / 55mph |
Karl Probst, a Detroit auto engineer, drew up the plans for the Bantam Jeep in just two days. After exhaustive government tests, the Jeep went into full production with both Ford and the overland car-makers Willys. In total more than 700,000 Jeeps were made for the war, leading some people to claim that, ‘The sun never sets on the mighty Jeep’.
Tough and reliable, a large part of the Jeep’s weight was due to the engine, which proved more than up to the task. The Jeep was produced in several conversions, including an ambulance and even a rocket launcher. A .30 or .50 calibre machine gun could also be fitted to a central pillar.
Heavily waterproofed versions were used for the D-Day landings, where accounts exist of Jeeps dropping off the end of landing craft ramps and disappearing underwater because the landing craft had pulled up short, only to re-emerge up on the beach with a coughing and spluttering crew having driven along the sea bed.
Image: US Army Military History Institute
