1944 Ford Willys Jeep

‘Our’ listed jeep is the former – a Ford GPW. Produced in 1944, its identification number was verified as authentic by American Auto Club International in 2004, when a previous owner assigned it the UK registration mark, 191 UXD.

Its wartime records are unknown, but it spent several decades in France following the cessation of hostilities, having been the recipient of a ground up, circa £20k restoration there in 1988.

By the early Noughties, it was in the UK, and an extensive bill of servicing, improvements and reconditioning followed.

The GPW’s present owner bought it from another auction house in 2020 with the express purpose of attending that year’s Members’ Meeting – but COVID restrictions cancelled these plans. Instead, he took the GPW, with friends in tow, to last year’s Goodwood Revival, dressed in period costume.

A previous owner inscribed the unit markings on the GPW; whether this is in reference to its actual service is unclear, but it wears the insignia of the RAF’s 2nd tactical air force, 126 Wing, which operated as a Spitfire squadron with the Royal Canadian Air Force in Tangmere, West Sussex in June 1944, then throughout North West Europe between September 1944 and May 1945.

Having done the Revival in style (and total reliability), the vendor, who has a private collection of historic vehicles, now wishes to move the GPW on; his son took it green laning in the Chiltern Hills in 2020 to test out its four-wheel-drive hardware, and it performed without complaint. More recently, a 170-mile round trip was completed to a specialist for servicing; again, no mechanical issues were reported.

It’s undeniably a World War Two GPW – as evidence by its olive drab paint, shovel and spade accessories, and solid ‘tub’ rear end (civilian CJ2s had tailgates).

The car appears sound and bright up close, complete with five Indian-made Superking Shankar cross-ply tyres in the correct 6.00 x 16 size; these, with matching, reproduction split rims, were ordered from Jeeparts UK in 2004. It’s the same of the shovel and ditch lifting kits; these were also supplied by the Essex firm when the GPW’s then-owner embarked on a refreshment session.

Looking into the nine-bar grille – a Ford design addition, incidentally - the U shaped Ford radiator crossmember is still visible; Ford-built GPWs were known as ‘flying script’ jeeps owing to a cursive Ford ‘F’ appearing somewhere on each part, from fixings to body stampings. The listed vehicle has a mixture of ‘flying script’ parts and other unstamped parts – many Jeeps, in the war and in period, were built to be serviced and repaired with as wide a crossover of components as possible. Hotchkiss in France also got in on the act; its jeep, the M201, was also manufactured in large quantities and these parts also found their way into the post war restoration pool of Jeep components.

An undated English invoice mentions new ‘flat fender’ wings fitted at a cost of £75 apiece, presumably after 2004 when the GPW arrived in the UK.

It’s advised that a real stickler for GPW originality examine the car in person; the hood and its mechanism present well and function correctly. The accompanying windscreen can be folded when the weather permits.

Spartan and stripped back – but that’s exactly how the Jeep was meant to be.

A ribbed, glovebox equipped dashboard mark this GPW out as a military model; its instruments and mountings were replaced after 2004, as per that aforementioned UK invoice.

Otherwise, there’s little to report in the interior – as part of the GPW’s near £20k French restoration, new upholstery and glass was fitted in 1988 when the body tub was resprayed, along with new instructional and plates identifying it as a Ford GPW.

The upholstery looks to be holding up well, as is the hood frame. Towards the back of the GPW, the side lidded tool boxes appear to be from a Willys MB, but their button recesses are correct for a Ford GPW.

It’s a similar story under the bonnet, where, despite not being the correct Ford Grey, the 2.2-litre ‘Go-Devil’ engine appears sound, with no leaks from gaskets or seals. A mechanical rebuild took place by Alpes Depannages Services Transports, a Jeep specialist in south-east France. It was in 1988 that a conversion from six-to twelve volts took place; it also performed a complete respray and repaired the rear brakes, as well as fitting a new under seat fuel tank. In 1992, a new clutch (with associated hardware) was fitted. Jeeparts UK supplied a new fuel filler cap, starting handle and hub wrench in 2004, along with some grab handle fittings.

There’s very little to worry about apart from light surface corrosion on the rear spring leaves and nearside corner of the body tub; this could be easily dealt with some rust inhibitor.

The correct GPW skid plate is intact and undamaged, but the exhaust – seemingly the same one fitted by Alpes Depannage Services Transports in 1988 – is beginning to corrode around its back boxes.

Much of the mechanical overhaul performed by that French specialist was renewed in 2004 and 2012 when the GPW was in the UK; Jeeparts UK supplied some new wheel cylinders and, in CR Allen, in West Sussex, supplied a rear shock, a front diff pinion seal, a clutch kit and a skimmed and refaced flywheel, among other services.

Work carried includes:

• Complete respray – Alpes Depannages Services Transports – 29/7/1988
• 12V conversion – Alpes Depannages Services Transports – 29/7/1988
• New tyres and split rims – Jeeparts UK – 27/9/2004
• Clutch kit, rear shock, other sundries – CR Allen – 1/10/2012

Jeeps – whether they be GPW, MB or M201 – have (and always will be) in demand for festivals and film work. While slightly rarer than the Willys equivalent – the former built 348,849 units, and Ford 277,878, and while not quite period correct in small details, this listed GPW wants for nothing other than periodic maintenance.

We think it’ll fetch between £20,000 - £30,000.

It would be perfectly happy appearing on film, at a car show or even heading off into the back of beyond, with a few non-standard additions – like 12v power – to increase reliability.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our headquarters near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, so to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.