(sorry to be picky, but I have a "thing" about automotive history!)
The Russian "jeep" as a prototype for a US version is a little iffy to me... All countries involved during the war were looking to build the perfect army vehicles. The US jeep was born out of what was basically an open contest. Only Ford and Bantam submitted usable designs, which had to follow US army regulations and requirements.
Quote:
Bids were to be received by July 22, a span of just eleven days. Manufacturers were given 49 days to submit their first prototype and 75 days for completion of 70 test vehicles. The Army's Ordnance Technical Committee specifications were equally demanding: the vehicle would be four-wheel drive, have a crew of three on a wheelbase of no more than 75 (later 80) inches and tracks no more than 47 inches, feature a fold-down windshield, 660 lb payload and be powered by an engine capable of 85 ft·lb (115 N·m) of torque. The most daunting demand, however, was an empty weight of no more than 1,300 lb (590 kg).
Only two companies entered: American Bantam Car Company and Willys-Overland Motors. Though Willys-Overland was the low bidder, Bantam received the bid, being the only company committing to deliver a pilot model in 49 days and production examples in 75. Under the leadership of designer Karl Probst, Bantam built their first prototype, dubbed the "Blitz Buggy" (and in retrospect "Old Number One"), and delivered it to the Army vehicle test center at Camp Holabird, Maryland on September 23, 1940. This presented Army officials with the first of what eventually evolved into the World War II U.S. Army Jeeps: the Willys MB and Ford GPW.
Supposedly the Russian GAZ-67 was built in 1943. The earlier GAZ-64 was built in 1941-42.
Quote:
GAZ-64 was a 4x4 vehicle made by GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod translated as Gorky Automobile Plant, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union), succeeding the earlier GAZ-61 which was totally reconstructed in a very short period (3 February - 25 March 1941) under the leadership of Vitaliy Grachev and was named GAZ-64. Only 646 GAZ-64 were made between march 1941 and summer 1942.
Also, add in the fact that Russia did not have the automotive industry that the US did at the time, and somehow I can't see how their "jeep" was the basis for the US jeep. (Just what was the collaboration that Gorky had with Ford?)
Now, access to better info sources may turn up info on Allied automotive collaborations.
Another bit of info I found, which may explain it all is this:
Quote:
American Bantam also pioneered the first Jeep to a design by Karl Probst,[1] still with rounded fenders, and built 2765 of these (more than half of which went to The British Army and some sent on to Russia) after discontinuing the manufacture of passenger vehicles. Some of the motors and chassis were imported Toledo, OH; the bodies were made at the American Bantam Car factory in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Aaaaahhh... I love car trivia!
Posted 10/16/2012 11:56 am
- nethryk
