This 1943 Ford GPW has been hiding out in the back corner of a UK barn for fifty years. Making it a touch more interesting is that this particular example was built by Ford, when the rival manufacturer was brought in to help Willys keep up with the wartime demand. Now listed here on eBay with a £14,000 Buy-It-Now, the body and frame are said to be largely straight and rust-free.
The body shows plenty of wear but not the kind that should scare you away. The seller points out that factory body markings from Ford are still visible on the tub, and it remains mostly original aside from an replacement engine from a later model. Of course, even that aspect of the GPW is intriguing, as the engine replacement occurred at the Alison Steel Manufacturing Company, which likely updated the Jeep for civilian use.
The seller says some mild floorwork is needed but that it could be handled in your own garage space. Seat and windshield frames are straight but some padding and upholstery will be needed. The seller notes the motor is stuck at the moment and the previous owner attempted to remove the gearbox but never finished. The original front bumper will also need some straightening to be perfect.
The GPW certainly has a fascinating history and is quite the globetrotter. There are many of these former WWII transporters still on the roads – they made a ton of them – but this example stands apart, from its original Ford construction to the upgrades for civilian use. The seller also points out it is an early production example, noting the “….very early four number production numbers.” Is it worth bringing the old girl back stateside?
Cool find. Not that uncommon to see a Ford, as they built approx 280,000 units, with Willy’s building approx 360,000.
Wow see what happened to soldiers pre navigation systems when they get lost 😜
Lil further away to purchaser across the pond …. but I suggest the local purchase has a pint at the local pub and a good Rodger with the misses and watching her fave epic tele show prior bringing up the purchase..😜
The seller has other jeeps for sale some which may be more of an attractive prospect this one seems overpriced
Padding?? Real men don’t NEED padding!! I imagine many a GI brought the old girl stateside.💒
Damn right, no padding AND you’re sitting on the gas tank. Might as well light up a Lucky Strike.
Imagine my surprise when I looked at the reconditioning tag and saw Allison Steel Manufacturing was in my home state of Arizona in the city of Phoenix about fifty miles from me. Cool Jeep!
Do I remember right that the original military design was the Ford, but they couldn’t immediately meet initial demand and Willys was given the contract.
I maybe way off.
Google is your friend.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep#Development_%E2%80%93_2._Enter_Willys_and_Ford
Way off… Bantam was the original manufacturer of the Jeep with Ford and Willys being brought in to supplement production.
I just noticed….is the fuel tank under the drivers seat?
Allison Steel Manufacturing is still operating here in Phoenix. Bantam, with the little red go-devil engine, invented it. And, that tank has been there 75 years. Guard it with your…. soldier.
Why would a Jeep in England have a California black plate on the windshield?
California is only 120 miles from Phoenix. Would be a good conversation piece there.
It was reconditioned after the war in Arizona. So it was probably shipped from an owner in California to England.
No mods or updates were required in the United States for Jeeps or other military vehicles after WWII. You bought it at auction, registered it and drove it. Still too high when you can get a complete Ford Jeep of the same year in the states for about 8000.00 running and driving.
California is only 120 miles from Phoenix. Would be a good conversation piece there.
The vehicle still in the building is an M151A1, a Vietnam-Era successor to the GPW. The new independent rear suspension could fold under, much like the earliest Corvairs, making it highly prone to roll overs.
A few years back I saw a decal on a Jeep that said, I swear, “Real Jeeps Have Square Headlights”… Not into post CJ Jeeps enough to know what sale/acquisition/merger/whatever initiated the return to round headlights but there you have it. Had I encountered the owner in a parking lot rather than rolling down the road I’d have had to tell him that, no, you are mistaken. Real Jeeps Have Canvas Seats And You Sit On The Fuel Tank. Junior. Oh. And they’re OD. Pardon? Olive Drab. Pardon? Green! Flat, freaking green! Junior.
$20,000 +/- for this jeep is as insane as going to war in the first place. This looks more like $1500.
We used to kid around and call the square headlight Jeeps “Wronglers”. All in fun!
Does that make it roughly 21,000 US, or did Brexit fix that?
Only $18,460 at the current exchange rate.
Allison Manufactoring is also a RESET facility, Meaning they take Gov’t equipment take it all apart, replace what is work or broken and return it to service. They do that with Aircraft Tugs as well. This Jeep may have been RESET and then given back to the Navy as it is their colors. Then at some point it was sold off as surplus to someone in California who took it to the UK as their POV.