1941 1/4 ton 4x4 Ford GP Jeep

Manufactured from 1941 to 1945 during World War II, the Jeep emerged as an iconic workhorse hero. These small four-wheel utility vehicles played diverse roles, from transporting officers between camps to serving as mobile communications stations, machine gun and mortar platforms, and hauling supplies. At its production peak, assembly lines churned out one Jeep every 90 seconds. The Ford Jeep, costing approximately $780.00 to produce during the war, saw around 280,000 units manufactured by Ford Motor Co. alone.

The origin of the word Jeep is surrounded by uncertainty and multiple theories. One account suggests that it originated from the term used by Army mechanics to refer to any untried or untested vehicle during the testing of prototypes at military bases. Some claim that it was derived by slurring the initials G. P. (Ford), while others attribute it to soldiers naming it after Eugene The Jeep, a popular cartoon character from the 1940s known for its problem-solving abilities. Regardless of its exact origin, the Jeep went on to serve in combat during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, showcasing its versatility in various roles. Over the post-war decades, the Jeep remained in widespread use by the US Army, undergoing continuous improvements until 1981 when it was officially succeeded, in part, by other light vehicles and eventually replaced by the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle ("HUMVEE").