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JEEP_DM_01_v7.indd 1 23/09/20 12:06 CONTENTS

THE JEEP STORY ® 1 THE MB JEEP®

THE JEEP BRAND ® 6 THE CJ JEEP®

STEP-BY-STEP ASSEMBLY GUIDE 11

© 2020 US CUSTOMER SERVICE Technical Editor: Joe Hawkes Eaglemoss Inc. For questions about the collection, Editorial Manager: Phil Hunt 315 West 36th Street replacements and substitutions, Design Manager: Caroline Grimshaw New York, NY 10018 or to cancel, pause or modify your subscription, please call Packaged by: Milanoedit srl, Die-Cast Club® 2020 our US Customer Service team www.milanoedit.com at 800-261-6898, or email us at All rights reserved [email protected] Researcher/writer: Roberto Bruciamonti YOUR COLLECTION Photography credits: © FCA

Build the WIllys MB Jeep® (pp.1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), is available by monthly © Bruciamonti subscription. (pp 2, 3, 10) www.build-willysjeep.com

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THE MB JEEP® ▲ One of the ﬁ rst Willys MB “slat Revolutionary concepts and traditional grille” models during a training exercise on US territory. technology gave birth to the first Jeep® .

hen the Jeep® was conceived, it armies during the fi rst part of the Second wasn’t the fi rst light off-road vehicle World War. W on the market, it wasn’t even In reality, the sidecar wasn’t actually the most innovative military 4x4, and it did completely dismissed by US military not offer the most advanced technological technicians – they initially considered it, but solutions. It was born from US pragmatism later deemed it inadequate for the US Army’s and was designed with volume production in needs for a variety of reasons. One was its mind. It was created to serve as the lightest of poor reliability under extreme use: reports the US Army’s utility trucks, and its aim was to from British intelligence revealed that the act as a reconnaissance and liaison vehicle in sophisticated German sidecar employed in the same way that motorcycles with sidecars Africa could suffer from any number of faults had been widely used by many European after the fi rst 450–500 miles (724–805 km).

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◀ A Zündapp KS 750 equipped with an MG 42 machine gun and a trailer loaded with fuel cans.

Clearly, the unit cost was also a contributory light weight, speed, and versatility offered factor, given that the BMW R75 with sidecar by the sidecar, together with the capacity produced from February 1941 onward (but to carry a machine gun. All of these features which actually didn’t enter service until the were highlighted by German propaganda, following July) cost approximately US$1,052 and were held in high regard by military (2,630 Reichsmarks). In contrast, the MB “slat experts at the time as a consequence of grille” resulting from the initial contract for the waves of success achieved by the German 16,000 vehicles – won by army during the Blitzkrieg, Willys in November 1941 – or “lightning war”. cost just US$748.74 each. The US Army was a people’s For this reason it’s Another factor that army – it was made up of worth remembering was considered important what the requirements was the average American common citizens of the German Army’s soldier’s unfamiliarity with Supreme Command the motorcycle. At the beginning of the 1940s, were for the Wehrmachtsgespann, the and for the entire duration of the Second above-mentioned BMW R75 and Zündapp World War, the US Army was a people’s army KS 750 heavy motorcycles with sidecar. They – it was made up of common citizens, not needed to carry three soldiers or a load of professionals, called up to defend the liberty 550 lb (250 kg), a wheelbase of 57 in (144.4 of the United States and the world. In those cm), maximum height lower than 39 in (1 m), days, the car was much more common in normal operating speed between 1.8 and America than in Europe or Asia. It meant that 59 mph (3 and 95 km/h), maximum unladen the average American citizen-soldier wouldn’t weight of 926 lb (420 kg), gradeability of 40%, have needed a lengthy training period on a and wading depth no lower than 14 in (35 cm).

vehicle such as the MB Jeep®. Keeping these speciﬁ cations in mind, The speciﬁ cations required by the US the initial designs drawn up for the new US military for the new vehicle called for the same military vehicle included dimensions, usage

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The left side of a Willys MB with standard features.

features, and performance characteristics considering that the US Army needed the which, in relation to the technologies of that new vehicle to cope with the most extreme time (July 1940), were particularly exacting. operational conditions. Drivers of the new The initial specifi cations included the ability vehicle had to achieve military objectives to carry three soldiers or a load of 600 lb without worrying about the preservation (272 kg), a wheelbase no longer than 75 in of the vehicle, which was considered just (190.5 cm), a maximum as expendable as height lower than The US Army needed the new an artillery shell or 36 in (91.4 cm), and the aerial bomb. ability to run smoothly vehicle to cope with the most In July 1940, the at both walking speed extreme operational conditions Quartermaster Corps (minimum 3 mph/5 sent a request for km/h) and at high speed proposals to produce on roads (maximum speed greater than 55 the new vehicle to 135 American car mph/90 km/h, which had to be continuously producers. Perhaps due to the above- maintained). Finally, the maximum unladen mentioned list of exacting requirements, weight couldn’t exceed 1,300 lb (590 kg), the just three replied: American Bantam, fully laden gradeability had to be 60%, and Willys-Overland, and Ford Motor Co. the vehicle had to be able to cross waterways During the trials, and particularly during up to 18 in (46 cm) deep without diffi culty. the very fi rst test drives undertaken at Objectively speaking, these specifi cations the Camp Holabird testing ground near wouldn’t be easy to achieve even by Baltimore, Maryland – then the location of today’s technological standards, particularly the Holabird Quartermaster Depot – the

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prototypes supplied to the army by the three now at least 8 in (20 cm), and the maximum manufacturers sustained numerous structural height of the vehicle (with the windshield breakages and other faults. The military lowered) was now 52 in (1.32 m). The authorities revised the speciﬁ cations more approach and departure angles were than once to enable technicians to strengthen 45° and 35° respectively, while the tires the chassis, the suspension, the steering measured 6.00-16/6 ply, and were mounted linkages, the bodies, and the mechanical on combat modular wheel rims with parts, all of which had a knock-on effect in heavy-duty inner tubes. terms of the vehicle’s unladen weight. Despite offering performance, versatility, Just before the responsibility for military and reliability far superior to that found in vehicles was transferred to the US Ordnance similar vehicles used by other contemporary Department, the Quartermaster Corps forces at the time, the model was really quite Motor Transport Service announced the ﬁ nal conventional. Its engine incorporated a timing

conﬁ guration. For the MB Jeep® slat grille, system with side valves, it sat on a classic the “minimum [weight] consistent with service chassis with longerons and crossbeams with requirements” had increased from 1,300 solid double-axle and leaf spring suspension, to 2,450 lb (590 to 1,111 kg) and the total transmission was a standard three gears allowable payload had risen from 600 to (with two-speed reduction), and it sported a 800 lb (272 to 363 kg) “for operating simple “torpedo” body. As was usual business

personnel (including the driver) and military practice in the US in those days, the Jeep® supplies.” For the engine, the requirement had to be covered by a 90-day warranty, no was for “at least four cylinders with a cubic matter what it was to be used for; remarkably, capacity no lower than 130 cu in (2,130 cc),” it was also valid if it was assigned to combat the wheelbase increased to 80 in (203 cm), units. The warranty was always honored, even the minimum height from the ground was when the vehicle broke down in the harshest

Considering the period, the dynamic qualities of the Willys MB were remarkable. Enzo Ferrari deﬁ ned

the Jeep® as “the only true American sports car.”

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of conditions. The result

was that Jeep® immediately earned admiration and WILLYS MB JEEP® KEY SPECS affection from all who used it. Ernie Pyle was a Pulitzer BUILT: 1941–1945 Prize-winning American journalist who made his MANUFACTURERS: Willys-Overland Motors; name from reporting on GIs Ford Motor Co. during the Second World NET WEIGHT: 2,453 lb (1,113 kg) War. On April 18th, 1945, GROSS WEIGHT: 3,247 lb (1,473 kg) he was killed in Okinawa by a Japanese machine gun DIMENSIONS: 132 1/4 in (336 cm) after coming under attack x 62 in (157 cm)

in a Jeep® In his book Here MAXIMUM SPEED: 65.2 mph (105 km/h) is Your War, written during FUEL CAPACITY: the North African campaign 15 gal (56.78 l) – which was the ﬁ rst major RANGE: 300 miles (480 km) military operation in the ENGINE: Willys L-134 4-cylinder Mediterranean theater to 134 cu in (2.2 l) “Go Devil” involve US troops – he POWER: 60 bhp at 4,000 rpm reported: “The Jeep® – good Lord, I don’t think we could TORQUE: 105 lb/ft (10.7 kgm- have won the campaign 142 Nm) at 2,000 rpm without the Jeep . It did ® WHEELBASE: 80 in (203.2 cm) everything, went anywhere, was as faithful as a dog, TRANSMISSION: 3-speed x 2-speed as strong as a mule, and transfer as agile as a goat. It consistently carried twice what it was designed for, and still kept going.”

The Jeep® was still only a few years old by the time of Pyle’s death. Yet his glowing tribute highlighted how the US Army’s initiative to develop a versatile new form of battleﬁ eld transportation had resulted in a genuinely revolutionary vehicle.

▶ All-wheel-drive and creeper

gears enabled the MB Jeep® to tackle every type of terrain.

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THE CJ JEEP® Success on the battlefield was soon followed ▲ A CJ-2A, the ﬁ rst civilian Jeep® and the ﬁ rst with a by developing models for the civilian market. seven-slit radiator grille.

y the beginning of 1944, an Allied Willys already had a project in progress that victory in the Second World War was would surely appeal to the civilian market. starting to seem increasingly more Initial designs for a civilian Jeep were B ® likely. Although Willys-Overland was still very drawn up in January 1944 and, after just a

busy turning out MB Jeeps® (a new vehicle few months, the ﬁ rst prototype was complete was produced at the factory in Toledo every and operational. The hood sported a cast

80 seconds), the senior management were bronze “AgriJeep®” emblem: the legal dispute already turning their attention towards the regarding who had the right to commercialize

end of the war. the “Jeep®” brand was already in progress. It was clear that, once the hostilities were The vehicle was undeniably an MB, taken over, getting back to producing civilian cars from the production lines and given a modiﬁ ed again would take some time. However, in body onto which a tailgate had been added. contrast to all the other US car producers, This meant it was necessary to move the

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spare tire to the right side of the vehicle, alongside the passenger seat, while instead of having the military tow bar, the chassis featured a civilian bar – similar to those used on farming tractors – connected to the rear crossbeam. The windshield was still reclinable, but it was held in the lowered position by a canvas strap ﬁ xed to the middle of the radiator grille. The CJ-2A dashboard, with gear shift on the Following the prototype, steering column and glove later unofﬁ cially named box. The gauges were the CJ-1, a pre-series almost identical to those on a military Jeep®. production of 20 AgriJeeps® was manufactured, which actually turned out to be to the military model and didn’t include the prototypes for the subsequent CJ-2. A shielded headlights. number of these prototypes have survived The vehicle was also equipped with

and are now owned by Jeep® enthusiasts in a power take-off (PTO) for operating the US. At least two of these ante litteram CJs equipment and machinery, and a line

(the acronym CJ stands for Civilian Jeep®), of dedicated accessories was developed the CJ-2 number 09 and the CJ-2 number 14, to allow the CJ to compete with an

still have the AgriJeep® agricultural tractor in plate on the side of the every way possible. hood and at the base of [Jeep® was] “the vehicle with In its advertising the windshield. Others, four functions: tractor, truck, campaign, the like the CJ-2 number 06, manufacturer deﬁ ned

still have the cast-bronze car, and stationary engine” the Jeep® as “the

Jeep® logo on the sides vehicle with four of the hood. functions: tractor, truck, In addition to the above-mentioned car, and stationary engine.” An additional changes applied to the body of the CJ-1, the experimental series of CJ-2s, made up of 20 chassis of the CJ-2 was also modifi ed. The vehicles, turned out to be the prelude to the central plate that supported the machine gun fi nal model, which entered production on July was removed, and the fi nal reduction ratio of 17th, 1945, with the offi cial name of CJ-2A. the axles was increased from 4.88 to 5.38 to It initially shared assembly lines with the enable the towing of heavy trailers. The gear military MBs, the production of which shift was added to the steering column rather continued until September 1945 – the than in its previous central position on the 9,000 MBs stipulated in the fi nal contract fl oor plate, and the vehicle’s electrics – still assigned to Willys were, in fact, produced rated at 6 volts – were simplifi ed with respect between July and September 1945.

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◀ The CJ-2A had larger headlights than the MB. The spare tire was moved to the right side of the vehicle.

to accommodate the shovel and axe handles on the left side of the vehicle, and were equipped with only very basic features. Only the driver’s seat was provided (a passenger seat came at a cost), and the same went for the spare tire and even the right-sided taillight – in those days, US law only required a left-sided taillight and license plate light. It originally only came in two colors: khaki The CJ-2A had a new radiator grille with (Harvest Tan) with red wheel rims, and light seven slits (the military model had nine, as green (Pasture Green), with yellow wheel rims; did the CJ-1 and CJ-2), which became one the chassis and mechanics were painted black. of the brand’s distinctive features. It also had Slowly but surely, the wartime economy civilian-style headlights, larger in diameter and gave way to a peacetime economy and the protruding from the radiator grille (whereas on materials that were reserved for military use the MB, CJ-1, and CJ-2 now became available they were recessed). The for civilian use. So, for price was set at US$1,200 The early CJ-2As had example, the headlight (the price of the MB many details in common bezels, which at the varied depending on the start of production were contract, but it averaged with the MB painted, were chrome- around US$850 per plated from chassis vehicle), the gear shift number 38687 onward. was on the steering column, and the fuel cap By the end of 1946, three new colors had was moved back to its original position – on been added to the original two: Normandy the left of the vehicle under the driver’s seat. Blue, Harvard Red, and Michigan Yellow. The folding roof (an optional extra) was civilian When production ended in 1949, there was a style, offering more protection and including total of seven colors available. detachable ribs as opposed to being foldable The car itself was continuously updated, as was the case on the MB. When the roof partly as a result of customer suggestions, and ribs weren’t in use, they could be stored in partly due to the availability of supplies when the dedicated area on the right side of the the stock that was originally purchased for the vehicle’s body. military version started running out. For this The early CJ-2As had many details in reason, the drivetrain, which initially included common with the MB, including moldings a Warner T84 transmission, was upgraded

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by adopting a Warner T90 transfer case able The transmission still had three gears plus to handle an increased engine torque; it also creeper gears, and it had a solid axle and featured shorter creeper gears (with a ratio of leaf spring suspension. These were the same 2.43:1 instead of 1.9:1). components that were also used by Willys- Naturally, not all of the changes that were Overland for the more “frivolous” models that applied to the MB to transform it into the derived from the military version, which went

Universal Jeep® (which became the ofﬁ cial into production in 1946 and were aimed at the name around the end of the 1940s, but wider public. which was already being used in 1945) were The CJ-2A remained in production from appreciated by the public. As an example, 1945 through to 1949, with a total of 214,760 from the CJ-2A number 38221 onward, the vehicles produced for both the civilian and

gear shift was back on the fl oor plate, because military markets. Indeed, CJ-2A Jeeps® were having the shift on the steering column was also used for military purposes, albeit in considered somewhat inconvenient by civilian small numbers. One of the fi rst forces to put drivers and created reliability issues – a high them into service was the Swiss Army. In the number of vehicles were actually returned. second half of the 1940s, as soon as the war The engine remained the classic, reliable in Europe had ended, Swiss military offi cials “Go Devil” L-134, the 60-horsepower (later were sent abroad to buy state-of-the-art increased to 63), four-cylinder engine weapons and vehicles to re-equip the Swiss with side valves that powered the MB. Federal Army. Among the objectives for this

The CJ-2A had the same “Go Devil” engine as the latter versions of the MB. The timing system operated via gears and not chains.

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procurement of military equipment, signiﬁ cant 0.36 metric tons; then from 1946–49 the

priority was placed on the lightweight off- CJ-2A Universal Jeep® (Gelpw 0.4 t) was used. road reconnaissance vehicles used by the Even the US armed forces utilized a

Allied forces. The obvious choice was the MB small number of civilian Jeeps®. This was

Jeep®, whose size, performance capabilities, despite high numbers of MBs remaining in and versatility were perfect for the difﬁ cult service after the Second World War, and the operational conditions posed by Switzerland’s military equipment revision and renovation mountainous terrain. programs that were implemented at the end After procuring the initial batches of of hostilities with Japan. They were used surplus vehicles, together with the military and as soon as the ﬂ at fenders derived from post-war economic Even the US armed forces the CJ-2A and the CJ-3A situation allowed it, utilized a small number (respectively the CJ-35V the Swiss Army started of civilian Jeeps and M38). purchasing new Jeeps® ® In 1952, the US from the US. These military administration were new civilian vehicles that had been calculated that, if the civilian rather than

adapted for military use, a solution that the military versions of the Jeep® and Dodge had Swiss military administration preferred to been used to equip an anti-aircraft artillery buying secondhand MBs – if any accidents battery, the total cost would have been or problems were to occur, the new US$156,000 as opposed to US$264,000. vehicle would be covered by the warranty. It amounted to a saving of US$108,000 for The MBs entered service in 1945–46 the same number of vehicles and loading

as the Armee Jeep® or Gelpw 0.36 t capacity. For this reason, during the war in (GelaendePersonenWagen), an off- Korea, both the UN and US forces used a

road people transporter with a payload of high number of civilian Jeeps®.

From left to right, two CJ-2As and one CJ-3A used by the Swiss Army, the largest employer of CJs for military purposes.

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PARTS LIST 1D 1E (left, marked “L”) (right, marked “R”) 1A

1F 1H 1C

1J (R) 1I (L) 1G Screwdriver 1K 1B

1A Grill panel 1H Blackout A 1C B 1B Headlight covers lenses 1I Left 1B 1E 1C Headlight blackout cups bracket (L) 1D Left 1J Right headlight blackout bracket (L) bracket (R) Fit the lenses into the cups. 1E Right 1K Grill bracket The lines on the lenses headlight should be vertical DM AP screw bracket (R) - 7 screws 1F Blackout (1.7x4mm) headlight AP - 5 screws C 1D cups (1.7x3mm) Assembly completed 1G Blackout 1F lenses

1G 1H E Left headlight Right headlight x2 1A DM screw DM screw

D AP screw Right Left blackout DM screw blackout headlight headlight DM screw DM screw

1I 1J 1K

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2A Hood PARTS LIST 2B Windshield support (L) 2H (R) 2B (L) 2C Windshield support pads 2D Retractor bases A 2D 2E Retractor rods 2F Retractor bases B 2G Retractors 2G 2H Windshield support (R) 2F CP - 5 screws 2C (1.7x4mm) EM - 10 screws 2A (1.5x3mm) 2E

A B 2A

2C 2B/2H Assembly completed 2H 2B C 2E Assembly completed

CP screw 2D x2

D 2F E EM screw

EM screw

2G 2A 2D Repeat on other side Repeat on other side

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