Jeep History
I certainly appreciated Bill Spear's comments on the Bantam and an glad
he took the battle to the source. Haven't seen the article, but it sounds
like another poorly researched story. I have been guilty of that in my dark
past as well, but having had my liver torn out by knowledgeable enthusiasts
when I cover an event and see them face to face, so I'm a lot more careful
now. Plus, I've learned from those knowledgeable enthusiasts once I got them
to reholster their sidearms and share a beer. I've also spent time with
primary sources in places like the National Archives.
That said, I must add a note of faint disagreement. I believe Mr. Spears
is also overstating a few points with regards to Bantam. He can easily be
forgiven in this, considering the "hind mammary gland" history has given
Bantam and the fact that he is a Bantam enthusiast. I'm a little less
partisan and after reviewing the development stories of all three companies
involved in the quarter-ton program, I can give credit where credit is due.
First off, nobody that has reviewed the story from primary sources, as I
have, doubts Bantam's remarkable accomplishment. They did indeed build the
first jeep. The construction of "Old Number One" in around 49 days (it's
really more when you consider the lead time they had) was a feat of epic
proportions by any standard, especially when you consider that Bantam had
one foot in the grave at the time.
Still, the vehicle was built to U.S. Army specifications based largely
on operational needs. Granted, Bantam did help write those first
specifications. That's an oft ignored fact, but it doesn't change the fact
that the whole quarter-ton program was controlled, driven and paid for by
Army and government elements. The govt. specifications evolved rapidly,
sometimes on a daily basis, far beyond the Bantam pilot model. In the end,
they took the developments and features of all three of the jeep developers
and incorporated them into a final design, the standardized MB/GPW. the
improved models from all three mfrs. were bilt according to the "improved"
or altered specification from the govt. that were based on tests of the
pilot models or early pre-standardized units.
From here on, I will make my points in an outline so that if anyone
wants to comment or argue can do so by number. I'm assuming some detailed
knowledge on the part of the reader, so not every reference is spelled out.
1) The way I have come to think of it is that the U.S. Army "invented" the
jeep by creating the specifications and requirements, Bantam built the pilot
model(s), Bantam, Ford and Willys all contributed elements to the
standardized designs by building prototypes, or pre-standardized models,
with variations on the theme. Bantam wasn't really "ripped off" (perhaps
"pissed off") when the first specs were distributed for bids because the
discussions were informal and the Army contributed as much or more than
Bantam to those specs (remember Howie was there, even after the tech
subcommittee left). Everything I have read says that the addition of 4wd to
the scout car idea proposed by Bantam came from the Army and that's the
element that changes the concept from a stripped down Bantam 4x2 car to a
real "jeep." Bantam's contributions to the initial idea were notable but not
the end-all and certainly did not imply or comprise any sort of a contract.
2) I think Probst gets too much credit for Bantam's feat. I don't doubt his
skill or qualifications, but it was a team effort. The common versions of
the story always has Probst leading the charge with the rest of the crew
being the unnamed "also-rans." IMHO, Crist doesn't get nearly enough credit
generally. Also, Probst did a pretty good job of self-promotion after the
fact. Nothing wrong with that really, but over time the context was lost.
Probst was a freelancer and freelancers need to promote themselves to get
their next job (I'm a freelancer, I know!). Probst wanted his next employer
to know about his part in the remarkable jeep story, so he made sure they
did. From what I've seen, he didn't step too far over the line, or walk over
his jeep compatriots to do it, but Crist, Hemphling and the others were
never given the forum to show their contributions to the project and 60
years later, their observations would have balanced Probst nicely in
history. Researchers go to the sources of information. Very little is
available from the other members of the team and this has left a large
"credit gap" in the Bantam story.
3) I don't think Ford gets enough credit in the jeep story either. When you
look hard at the pilot and pre-standardized rigs and compare them to the
final standardized model, whose influence is most apparent? Beyond the
engines (we'll get back to this), there were really very few mechanical
differences between the three designs. Virtually the same axles and transfer
case and very similar transmissions. Tires identical according to spec.
Suspensions very similar. The chassis design of the Bantam was considerably
different than the Ford or Willys (which were similar to each other), but it
did the job in the same way. It all came down to body layout, features,
ergonomics, and in those areas, the Ford was generally acknowledged as
superior. Many small details in the Ford became standard, such as the
ubiquiotus hood holddown T-handles. The later stamped jeep grilled was also
a Ford design.
4) Willys hogged the glory for the jeep via an aggressive advertising
campaign during the war and after. No dootabootit! In fact, they got the big
jeep contract for one reason... the lowest bid. As Spears stated, the Quad
was no shining star and he MA had troubles too. The Go-Devil engine is often
touted as putting the Willys pilot ahead of the others. Not so. Army testing
did not pit the three pilot models against each other directly, but
determined whether they met an "acceptable" standard of performance and were
"satisfactory" for military service. The Bantam and the Ford both met this
specification, the Willys did not due to being grossly overweight (negating
much of the Willy's pilot model's power advantage). Willys benefited from
the fact that a technical subcommittee's initial "unsatisfactory" ruling was
overridden by a higher authority and consequently, Willys was allowed to
make the low bid. In the end, Willy's largest contribution to the
quarter-ton program was, in fact, the Go-Devil engine and very little else.
As the jeep concept developed, vehicle weight increased and the extra power
was needed to maintain an acceptable level of performance. The smaller Ford
engine and the Bantam's Continental would have been overmatched at the
standardized jeep's final weight (Note that Ford was prepared to enlarge
their engine, and several larger versions of the Continental were also
available commercially for Bantam to purchase).
5) As far as fullfilling the initial pre-standardized contracts, Willys was
by far the worst of the three. The big question is, could Bantam have really
been a contender in building jeeps on a large scale and do it in a timely
manner? The Army evidentally didn't think so, and their decision is a big
part of the remaining concrete evidence left for us to judge. Looking at the
paperwork, it appears to be a case of the government wanting a company that
could start pumping out jeeps fast in really high numbers right out of the
gate. Ford certainly met that specification and Willys appeared to. I think
the govt. was later a bit disappointed with Willys in that regard, but when
Ford got into the act, production was assured. Bantam may or may not have
gotten a raw deal, but I don't think is was a deliberate spurning or a
conspiracy. It appears to me that it was a judgement call with the impending
war as the primary factor in the decisions. There were also critical
shortages of machine tools (which directly impacted production of standard
jeeps early on), and by utilizing the definite #3 in the production capacity
department, it would have added to the problems hat both Wills and Ford
experienced with parts shortages. I will acknowledge that it may have been
the wrong call, but I don't think there was malice aforethought against
Bantam involved.
6) And the winner is... The question remains, which of the three
pre-standardized jeeps was the really the best? This is a difficult question
to answer 60 years later, but let's let the Army speak.
A number of field tests were done between March and September of 1941
with Army units. The units got the pre-standardized vehicles, used them as
needed and filed reports on each one. The Willys MA didn't participate in
many of them, because they didn't start arriving until mid to late July.
Therefore, most of the test data was compiled on the more promptly delivered
vehicles, namely the Ford and Bantam. The Fords began arriving in numbers by
mid-March, the Bantams by mid-late April. Fords were the most common jeep by
far. In fact,the initial Ford and Bantam contracts were completed long
before Willys had delivered it's first MA. The test data was used largely to
pick out the best features or the need for changes than it was to determine
the "best" vehicle.
Just before issuing a contract for 16,000 standardized jeeps, someone
in the government finally thought to test the three pre-standardized models
directly against each other. The tests were done at Fort Benning, Georgia by
the Infantry starting in late June of 1941. They were somewhat delayed while
awaiting the delivery of an MA, which finally arrived June 26. The MA,
BRC-40 and GP were run against each other in a series of performance and
design features tests that simulated a real world military situation.
When the smoke cleared, the Willys won in many of the performance
areas, to include acceleration, top speed, grade ability and cross country
travel. This was directly related to the power and torque edge of the
Go-Devil engine and the fact that Willys had managed to pare the weight down
where he Army wanted it (the the detriment of body structure strength they
later learned). In rough ground hillclimbing tests, for example, the MA
could crawl up a grade with reserves of torque, where the Bantam struggled
and the Ford was often stopped. Out on the highway, the Willys could crank
out a 74mph top speed, versus 64 for the Bantam and 59 for the Ford. The
Willys had the lowest fuel economy (20.2mpg)
With regards to technical issues, the Willys was rated with the best
transmission, best radiator and strongest chassis. The Willys was downgraded
in several technical areas, including the carburetor, the clunky column
shift, the parking brake and the springs.
Because of it's light weight, the Bantam shone in the fuel mileage
department (23.2 mpg) as well as in braking performance. Testers also liked
it's precise steering and nimble feel. Technically, the Bantam was
downgraded for carburetor problems and vulnerable front brake lines.
The Ford did not take any "bests" in the performance area, though the
testers found it adequate in all performance areas. Technically, the Ford
was downgraded for a poor shifting transmission (gear-grinding and an
imprecise shifter), carb flooding on angles and imprecise steering.
In areas secondary to performance, todays term being ergonomics, the
Ford was the clear winner. Testers liked the interior arrangement, driver
comfort and overall body layout. They especially liked the front end
arrangement, low silhouette and flat hood. The GP and Bantam tops were both
downgraded for being difficult to erect. The MA was downgraded for driver
comfort, though oddly enough the testers at Holabird seem to like it. The MA
was given credit for the best top.
So which was best? Here's what the Army said, "The standard vehicle
should be based on the Willys chassis with the Ford shifter and handbrake
arrangement, and performance characteristics of the Willys." And that's what
happened. Willys went on to make the low bid and build the standardized
units under the new 16,000 unit contract. The standardized units homogenized
the best features of all three pre-standardized vehicles into one. The only
truly unique Willys feature in the standardized units was the engine. This
turned out to be a good thing. As operational necessities and standardized
components brought the weight back up (to near Quad weight as it turns out),
the larger engine helped maintain a reasonably good power-to-weight ratio
7) In conclusion, my never to be humble opinion is that Bantam and Ford
deserve most of the credit for the WWII jeep. Willys contributed very little
unique material to the project beyond the Go-Devil. Bantam blazed the trail,
Ford paved it and Willys drove over it, thumbing it's nose the whole way.
I welcome comments and fact based critique, but let's not turn this into a
bandwidth eating, time wasting marathon. Or a urination contest. I would be
interested to hear Mr. Spears reactions also!
Jim Allen
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Feb 05 2001 - 07:13:53 PST