The "Car Journal" column was all about racing cars and performance cars. This time, let’s change the taste and talk about off-road vehicles. When it comes to this detail vehicle series, naturally, one brand cannot be bypassed, that is, "Jeep". Many years ago, Jeep once shouted a very powerful advertisement – Not all Jeeps are called Jeep. Indeed, Jeep has this confidence. It is the originator of off-road vehicles.
If we trace the roots of the Jeep brand, the beginning of the story should start with the car Willys MB. First of all, we have to go back to the war-torn 1940s. The US military tendered to auto manufacturers, requiring the design of a lightweight, cheap and simple general-purpose 1/4-ton vehicle. Three companies, Bantam, Willys-Overland and Ford, all presented their own design plans, namely Bantam BRC40, Willys MA and Ford GP. Finally, after the military integrated the plans, there was the Willys MB. The initial order was given to Willys. With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the United States began to fully produce this lightweight and useful general-purpose jeep (both Ford and Bantam produced). From the reefs of the Pacific to the deserts of North Africa and to the Soviet-German battlefield on the Eastern Front, the figure of Willys MB could be seen. According to post-war statistics, Willys MB and its sister models were equipped with a total of 650,000 vehicles in the Allies, which shows that it was really loved by the Allies. The reasons for this are mainly the following:
- Willys MB does have excellent performance. The 2.2-liter inline four-cylinder engine can provide 45kW of power and the peak torque reaches 115Nm. It is matched with a 3-speed manual transmission. Although the data sounds very weak today, Willys MB weighs only 1 ton, so it still seems very lightweight on the battlefield. In addition, the off-road performance is also great. The central transfer case enables the vehicle to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The design of four wheels at the four corners allows the approach angle and departure angle of Willys MB to be close to 90 degrees. So it can travel through various dangerous terrains.
- Willys MB is sturdy enough. It was designed for combat in harsh environments at the beginning. Engineers designed a powerful cooling system for it. Even under low-speed and high-load working conditions, the radiator of Willys MB is not easy to boil over, so it can fight on the hot North African battlefield.
- The last point is that Willys MB is cheap enough and has a simple structure. Compared with the above points, this seems to be the fundamental reason why Willys MB is so widely equipped. In war, technical equipment is of course important, but what supports the continuation of the war are those weapons that can be equipped in large quantities. For example, the Il-2 that gave German pilots data, although it looks rough, it is cheap, durable and easy to maintain. So it became the most equipped aircraft in World War II and also helped the Soviet Union win the Great Patriotic War. Willys MB also has the same attributes. Even if it breaks down, it is easy to repair, and the structure is relatively simple. Maintenance and repair techniques can be mastered with just simple training.
Besides being a great off-road vehicle, Willys MB also shows excellent versatility. It can play roles such as reconnaissance, fire support and supply on the battlefield. The most typical equipment of the Willys MB reconnaissance vehicle is a.50 heavy machine gun, and sometimes a squad machine gun is also mounted on the co-pilot. In addition, Willys MB often serves as a tractor. Some small artillery and mortars can be handled by it, which undoubtedly enhances the mobility of the troops. Of course, Willys MB has many uses. For example, the US military will set up the M20 recoilless gun, and the Soviets directly put the rocket launcher on the back seat.