The front of the vehicle was rather more conventional with a curved radiator cowl,separate headlamps and cycle-type front wings.The prototype was built in August/September 1940,with a major hurdle overcome on September 15th when Spicer informed Bantam that work on the modified axles had been successfully completed.Later in the month,Probst,accompanied by Bantam president Harold Crist delivered the prototype to Camp Holabird,Maryland for testing by the Army.It was extremely well received by the military and two months later another interpretation of the Army specifications,produced by Willys Overland,appeared at the camp for trials and evaluation.
Willys was in rather better financial shape than Bantam at this time but only just.Although the company had been second only to Ford in vehicle putput in the 1912/18 era,it had fallen back in the wake of General Motors challenge to the Model T and by the mid-Thirties,the Toledo,Ohio company was operating under a receivership.Consequently the company produced one model,the Willys Model 77,but in 1938 Delmar.G.Roos joined the company as engineering vice-president and it was he who was responsible for designing the Willys entry for the Army competition.A talented engineer he had previously worked for Locomobile.
Pierce-Arrow,Marmon and Studebaker and had prior to this engagement worked with Rootes in the UK.
Linear Mode
