Jeep Willys Accessories & Parts

The history of the legendary Jeep Willys, a vehicle that inspired many generations of both military and civilian 4WDs, traces back to the early days of World War II. At the time, the U.S. Army needed a nimbler replacement for their aging military light motor vehicles, Ford’s Model Ts among them. In June 1940, the Army urgently submitted requirements to 135 domestic automakers. Among the specs were four-wheel drive, a fold-down windshield, a payload of 660 lb and maximum weight of 1,300 lb, and an engine good for 85 lb. ft. of torque. The project should have been carried out in hectic terms: manufacturers were given 49 days to build a 1/4 ton prototype and 75 days to complete the range of 70 test vehicles. Only 3 of 135 manufacturers responded: The American Bantam Car Company, Willys-Overland, and Ford.

The reconnaissance vehicle by Willys (named the Quad), equipped with the so-called "Go-Devil" engine, produced 60 hp and 105 lb. ft. of torque, thus exceeding the Army’s requirements and beating vehicles by two other bidders, the "Blitz Buggy" by Bantam (later known as the BRC 40) and the Pygmy by Ford. For a year, the three automakers were collectively working on a prototype for a vehicle globally known as the Jeep. The contract was eventually awarded to Willys-Overland with its Quad model, a predecessor of the MA (Military Model A) and MB (an improved model with features adopted from Bantam’s and Ford’s prototypes). The latter, built from 1941 to 1945, got the Jeep nickname and was considered the most versatile military vehicle among those that saw the battlefield. During the war, 363,000 Willys Jeeps were produced, utilized in each and every division of the American military forces and exported to the Allied Forces under the Lend-Lease program.

The Jeep Willys was a vehicle which earned reputation as a war hero, without which “America could not have won World War II”, according to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was repurposed and adjusted for civilian use after the war, giving birth to numerous CJ (Civilian Jeep) models. The famous go-anywhere CJ-3A was considered America’s first-ever off-road recreational vehicle. In 1946, the Willys Jeep Wagon saw the world; within two consecutive years, the Willys Jeep Truck and the Willys Jeepster were unveiled. The incarnation of the original Jeep, the M-38 was introduced in 1950 and continued serving the military purposes with its successor, the Willys M38A1. The Jeep Willys is a famed war veteran; exceptionally strong and built to endure, your vehicle is worth only the finest of Jeep Willys parts. Here you’ll find the right Jeep Willys accessories and parts to restore it to its former glory. Look no further – we deliver quality Jeep Willys accessories and parts by trusted names to give your war hero a new lease of life.