Meanwhile Willys was pushing ahed with the its Model MA,the first of its 1500 leaving the Toledo production line on June 5th,1941,Ford also produced an improved GP model.Of the three the Willys had the most powerful engine,its 61hp unit from the American saloon compared with the Bantam's 46 and the Ford's 40.Not only this but Willys tendered the lowest bid.
As a result,the Quartermaster Corps,which was responsible for the vehicles production,placed an order for 16,000 examples with Willys for an inproved model,designated the MB,though ironically 200lb heavier than the original.The main differences between the MA and MB is that the latter had a redesigned front end to incorporate the integral headlights pioneered on the Ford GP and which have been a feature of Jeep design ever since.There were considered to be risks in placing such an important contract with one manufacturer and in November 1941,a month before America entered the Second World War following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour,Ford was awarded a contract to manufacture 15,000 Jeeps not to its own but to the Willys design,which must have been rather gruelling for the Detroit colossus.Consequently the Willys and Ford-built Jeeps are virtually identical but are instantly distinguishable by the former having a tubuler front crossmember just visible below the radiator grille,while the Ford built version has an equivalent inverted U-shaped member.
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