Hello folks, In reference to my posting of 151 jeeps, I specialize on the
A2's. Mainly this info is somewhat still available to me. I noticed that
comments have been added to my text and I welcome them but it sometimes
looks difficult who has written what in the posting. My info is from the
AMG execs themselves. I have several friends who worked there in the
factory assembling the A2 jeep and I try to relate what they told me.
What I want to refer to is the galvanized body from AMG. These only were
the last ones in production and was too little too late. There were four
manufacturers of the bodies-Ford, Budd, Fruehauf and AMG. These were "spec"
bodies and all parts were interchangable. I don't know what Ford's
involvement was in producing bodies but Ford wanted total control in pretty
much everything they did. (earlier posting I forgot Fruehauf but indicated
that) Perhaps early on (early 60's) they discovered that it was cheaper to
farm them out than produce bodies themselves. After all, it was a Ford
design anyway. The most common of all oil filters, the F1 will fit any of
them.
AM General in 1970 wanted to "show Ford they were in the Jeep business too"
and received the contract for all future production of A2's from 1971 on.
If anyone was at the KC show last month, you would have seen the diesel
prototype of the A2 jeep from AMG. It was one of two built and perhaps the
only one left in existence. Amazingly, this prototype was found in a barn
about 5 miles from the factory! The Director of Contracts from AMG told me
he drove by that barn everyday for over 30 years but never knew it was in
there! (he would like to had it himself) It was in need of total
restoration and looked like a cobbled up A2 body on an M38A1 chassis-solid
axles which is exactly what it was, it looked totaly homemade but was a real
prototype from AMG. The DC told me that one day over 20 years ago the two
diesels "appeared" at the factory for testing but that was just about it.
They never did anything beyond that. Wouldn't it be nice if the MUTT was a
diesel!
There are still a few people I can ask about the production of the A2 jeep
but many important ones are deceased now and have to rely on the memories of
the retired ones. Your jeep nut, Julian Burke Knoxville, Tennessee
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