What is the connection between jeep off-road vehicle and World War II military jeep Willis?

When you come to Jeep, many people will think of some words full of exploration and enterprising, such as freedom, courage and being close to nature. Jeep, as a synonym for light off-road vehicle, came from the war and opened up a new world with its own strength. Eisenhower once lamented the three magic weapons for the United States to win the war: jeep, landing craft and C47 transport plane. General Marshall hit the nail on the head: Jeep made great contributions to the victory of the United States in World War II.

The beginning of all this is roughly like this. 1940, Americans believe that the war in Europe will burn themselves to death sooner or later, and it seems that it is a matter of time to join the war. Therefore, based on this consideration, the U.S. military issued a task book to 143 automobile manufacturers in the United States. The general meaning, in our current words, is: "You build me a four-wheel drive as big as Wuling Light. Being able to transport people and goods is not a problem, nor is it a problem to climb over the ridge and ditch ... Besides, don't make the car very heavy. I must be able to air and sea this car. The most important thing is that you should deliver it to me within 49 days. "

This was directly "difficult" for the automobile industry at that time, but finally a brave man came out to accept the challenge: Carl, an outstanding independent engineer? Probst, it took only two months and four days to complete the design and prototype manufacturing. According to the test results of the military at that time, all the indexes of the prototype met the design requirements except that the engine torque was slightly lower than the regulations. Later, after improving the design, Willis Company called it Willis MB off-road vehicle, and began mass production, which became the core of the allied mobile forces in World War II.

The birth of jeep has also changed the traditional command mode: a light and high-performance jeep simplifies the traditional rigid command into a fast-moving fleet through an improved radio system, which can avoid the beheading of the enemy on the one hand and facilitate the commander to know some combat situations in person on the other. Usually, you will see such a scene: several jeeps parked on the side of the road, several soldiers with carbines jumped down and took advantage of the terrain to guard, the general sitting in the passenger seat stood up and looked into the distance with binoculars, and several staff officers quickly spread the map on the hood of the engine room.

With the end of World War II, people have not forgotten the old friend Jeep: among the American cargo ships that set sail for home, the cargo holds were filled with military jeeps bought by veterans themselves as souvenirs; At the beginning of 1946, there were 20,000 veterans in new york, USA vying for 100 jeeps left by the army after World War II ... People's love for Jeep prompted Jeep to appear, develop and grow as a brand, which opened the door to a new era of automobile industry. Beijing BJ2 12 is the first generation light military off-road vehicle in China. It adopts detachable soft top body and high chassis design. It was developed and produced by Beijing Automobile Factory with reference to the mature technology of vehicles mastered in China at that time. The car is durable, low in price, easy to maintain and good in off-road performance. At the same time, it is also a "competitive car".