About Military Jeeps

The jeep began in the early years of World War II, before the entry of the United States. The fascinating story of the jeep's origin is told in these Olive-Drab.com pages supplemented by pages for each of the important prototype army jeep vehicles that were part of the 1940-1941 design competition that produced the standardized, mass production jeep.

USMC M-825 TOW missile variant of M-151A2 jeep rolls down the ramp of a utility landing craft during Marines' landing operations in Lebanon, September 1982.

Today in WW II: 22 May 1939 Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany sign the Pact of Steel, a declaration of trust and cooperation that also included secret provisions on military and economic matters.

Guide to U.S. Military Jeeps

This group of Olive-Drab.com pages has a section for each type of military jeep along with background and general army jeep information pages. A complete list of military jeep photo pages is at the linked Olive-Drab.com page.

World War II Military Jeeps: The Original Army Jeep

Origin of the Military Jeep
Round One of Jeep Prototypes
Round Two of Jeep Prototypes
Willys MB / Ford GPW Military Jeep: The World War II Army Jeep
Additional Background Information
- Origin of the Name Jeep
- Jeep Publications

Military Jeeps After World War II

The World War II Willys MB and Ford GPW were only produced until mid-1945, but remained in the U.S. military inventory for several decades after that. They were replaced by a series of "improved" 1/4-ton 4x4 trucks that continued the basic design of the WW II models, but with upgrades to modernize them. The last of the breed was the M-151 series jeep which served in Vietnam but was replaced by the much larger and heavier HMMWV starting in the mid-1980s.

Military Jeep Information at Olive-Drab.com

In addition to the pages listed in the list above, Olive-Drab.com has extensive coverage of the military jeeps:

M-38A1 jeep armed with 106mm Recoiless Rifle. Click on photo for larger image.

The Guide to Buying & Owning Military Vehicles has many topic sections with jeep information. Don't miss:
The Olive-Drab.com Store offers a collection of hundreds of photos of World War II jeeps.
For photos of all models of military jeeps, visit the Olive-Drab.com Military Vehicle Chart for Jeeps, part of the Military Vehicle Charts section.
More jeep photos and hi-res downloads are found in the Military Jeeps, HMMWVs, Trucks, Vehicles category of the Historical Military Photo and Poster Gallery.
Military Jeep Websites

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of military jeeps at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup:

Original caption: These soldiers go up in the air to prove that the Armys new quarter ton truck can take it. Ford GP prototype jeep, Ft. Sam Houston, TX, 29 March 1941.

At the Ford River Rouge plant near Detroit, a jeep body, after being lowered, is securely fastened to the chassis and the headlights adjusted on a Ford GP prototype jeep, May 1941. About 4,500 Ford GPs were made before this model was combined with the Willys MA prototype to become the standard WW II jeep, the nearly identical Willys MB or Ford GPW.

WWII jeep at the US Army Medical Dept. Museum.

1966 Ford Motor Co, 1/4 ton MUTT (Military Utility Tactical Truck), 4x4, model M151A1, s/n 2K3786, odometer 32068, 4 speed manual transmission, with 4 cylinder gasoline engine. Behind the jeep is a 1966 Stevens mfg, M416 1/4 ton cargo trailer, s/n 2028. Courtesy: Government Liquidation LLC.

USMC signal communications jeep and 1/4-ton trailer, Korea, 8 November 1950. A second trailer in right background.

Willys MB 1/4 Ton 4x4 Army Jeep. Photo from Berlin-Patrol 2011, courtesy of Abraham Telvi.

Find More Information on the Internet

There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.

For good results, try entering this: jeep military or army. Then click the Search button.