In June 1940 the race was on to produce a four-wheel drive vehicle for the US Army, John Carroll looks at the contenders
Only 50 of these four-wheel steering Ford GPs were made in 1941
When it comes to the runners and riders in the race to produce the first ‘jeep’, and long before that name was coined, it is generally accepted that Ford came late to the starting gate. It all began in June 1940, following a meeting of the Ordnance Technical Committee in Washington, when the US Quartermaster Corps (QMC) issued a comprehensive specification for a lightweight, cross-country vehicle capable of carrying equipment and personnel across rough terrain.
