MA number one – May 1941
Moderator: DavidA
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MA number one – May 1941
Congratulations to the ewillys website for finding a newspaper article dated May 20, 1941 about the first Willys MA. The article describes the first Willys MA brought to Washington DC for a review by the War Department and members of Congress. The newspaper states that this review occurred on May 19, 1941. Here is the link to the article:
http://www.ewillys.com/2019/01/14/1941- ... new-jeeps/
I also found a new original press photo of the first Willys MA dated May 12, 1941 showing the MA on the steps of the Willys administration building. This is about a week earlier than previously thought.
With the discovery of these two new photos of Willys MA number one, I thought I would post a photo review of some of the design features that were on this first MA, and the changes that were made for production in June 1941.
Blackout Lights
-Fender blackout lights, blue lens, louver (same as GP Series-1 and BRC Series-1).
-Tail lights cats eye (same as GP Series-1 and BRC Series-1).
PRODUCTION: Changed to MB type blackout lights (GP Series-2 and BRC Series-2 also changed to the MB type blackout lights).
Front bumper
-Welded brace with 1 bolt, left and right frame. The gussets must not have been finished in time to build MA number one. Therefore, a temporary welded brace must have been used at the last minute to attach bumper to frame.
PRODUCTION: Changed to stamped upper and lower gussets, each with 4 bolts, left and right frame.
Hood bumper
-1 hood bumper without shim.
PRODUCTION: Shim added under hood bumper, probably due to windshield wiper contact with hood.
Note: MA number one was used for photographs for the TM-10-1102 Parts List, TM-10-1103 Maintenance Manual, and TM-10-1186 Master Parts List. Therefore, and unfortunately, these photos did not properly represent the production MA. Willys must have been in a rush to print the manuals and did not re-take the photos of the production MA.
George
http://www.ewillys.com/2019/01/14/1941- ... new-jeeps/
I also found a new original press photo of the first Willys MA dated May 12, 1941 showing the MA on the steps of the Willys administration building. This is about a week earlier than previously thought.
With the discovery of these two new photos of Willys MA number one, I thought I would post a photo review of some of the design features that were on this first MA, and the changes that were made for production in June 1941.
Blackout Lights
-Fender blackout lights, blue lens, louver (same as GP Series-1 and BRC Series-1).
-Tail lights cats eye (same as GP Series-1 and BRC Series-1).
PRODUCTION: Changed to MB type blackout lights (GP Series-2 and BRC Series-2 also changed to the MB type blackout lights).
Front bumper
-Welded brace with 1 bolt, left and right frame. The gussets must not have been finished in time to build MA number one. Therefore, a temporary welded brace must have been used at the last minute to attach bumper to frame.
PRODUCTION: Changed to stamped upper and lower gussets, each with 4 bolts, left and right frame.
Hood bumper
-1 hood bumper without shim.
PRODUCTION: Shim added under hood bumper, probably due to windshield wiper contact with hood.
Note: MA number one was used for photographs for the TM-10-1102 Parts List, TM-10-1103 Maintenance Manual, and TM-10-1186 Master Parts List. Therefore, and unfortunately, these photos did not properly represent the production MA. Willys must have been in a rush to print the manuals and did not re-take the photos of the production MA.
George
- Attachments
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- MA number one 01.JPG (244.2 KiB) Viewed 2993 times
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- MA number one 02.JPG (225.07 KiB) Viewed 2993 times
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- MA number one 03.JPG (207.63 KiB) Viewed 2993 times
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- G-Major
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Nice overview George,
Thanks for!
Thanks for!
- YLG80
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Really a professional overview. Thank you !
Yves
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794
serial 164794
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Below is the May 20, 1941 Washington DC Evening Star article about the Willys MA number one.
George
George
- Attachments
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- 1941 Willys article MA Washington Evening Star 20May1941-01 reduce.jpg (246.43 KiB) Viewed 2867 times
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- 1941 Willys article MA Washington Evening Star 20May1941-02 reduce.jpg (206.49 KiB) Viewed 2867 times
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- 1941 Willys article MA Washington Evening Star 20May1941-03 reduce.jpg (233.16 KiB) Viewed 2867 times
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- G-Brigadier General
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Great overview George, thanks for posting.
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- G-Brigadier General
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Does anyone know what became of this jeep ?
- Fred Coldwell
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
George:
That's a very nice pictorial review of MA number one and how it differed from all the later production models. Thank you, too, for mentioning this first MA was used as to illustrate the MA in its various manuals. Seeing pictures registers much more with many of us than reading text, so its great to have a reminder that what-you-see is not always what-you-get. Your presentations always nicely summarize things succinctly, which tells me it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make it appear so simple. I really admire your thorough research.
That's a very nice pictorial review of MA number one and how it differed from all the later production models. Thank you, too, for mentioning this first MA was used as to illustrate the MA in its various manuals. Seeing pictures registers much more with many of us than reading text, so its great to have a reminder that what-you-see is not always what-you-get. Your presentations always nicely summarize things succinctly, which tells me it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make it appear so simple. I really admire your thorough research.
Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell
1944 CJ2-09 - X33
1945 CJ2-26 - X50
1944 Dodge T233 CC
1945 Dodge T233 Utility
MVPA #283C
Fred Coldwell
1944 CJ2-09 - X33
1945 CJ2-26 - X50
1944 Dodge T233 CC
1945 Dodge T233 Utility
MVPA #283C
- DavidA
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Great job George. Do you know who the people were there in the stairs photo?
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- Sergeant Major of the Gee
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Below photo, passengers identified, MA number one, 12May1941, Willys Administration Building Steps.
George
George
- Attachments
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- MA number one Willys Administration Building steps 12May1941 text - reduce 90.jpg (247.37 KiB) Viewed 2809 times
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- MA number one Willys Administration Building steps 12May1941 press release - reduce - 70.jpg (241.17 KiB) Viewed 2809 times
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- Sergeant Major of the Gee
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Eighty years ago, May 1941, the first Willys MA was built.
George
George
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing..
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- Sergeant Major of the Gee
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Willys MA Number One was built 80 years ago in May 1941. I don’t know where MA Number One is today. However, I believe it appeared in the 1941 River photos published in Motor Magazine October 1941 (reference Fred Coldwell book “Preproduction Civilian Jeeps” pages 6 and 7). Fred speculated the actual date of the photos to be August 1941. Also, Fred speculated that this MA was being used as a test vehicle for the MB under development (note the MB double top bows).
I believe there is photographic evidence that the river MA is MA Number One. The license plate D-3863 is visible on MA Number One in Washington DC May 19, 1941, and on the MA in the river photos in August 1941. The river MA has the blue lens louver fender black out lights and the cat’s eye tail lights, same as MA Number One. Interestingly, the front bumper has been upgraded from the temporary 1-bolt brace to the production 4-bolt gussets.
George
I believe there is photographic evidence that the river MA is MA Number One. The license plate D-3863 is visible on MA Number One in Washington DC May 19, 1941, and on the MA in the river photos in August 1941. The river MA has the blue lens louver fender black out lights and the cat’s eye tail lights, same as MA Number One. Interestingly, the front bumper has been upgraded from the temporary 1-bolt brace to the production 4-bolt gussets.
George
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Re: MA number one – May 1941
Interesting that they are already using the nickname « jeep » in that article.
On the other photo with the caption they were using the term « army car ».(fully armored )
On the miraclechryslerdodgejeep.com website they publish:
Yves
On the other photo with the caption they were using the term « army car ».(fully armored )
On the miraclechryslerdodgejeep.com website they publish:
But that article here above was published on May 20th, 1941, likely before the intensive jeep tests by the army.Irving Hausmann, who was one of the engineers working for Willys-Overland, reported that he heard and picked up the name “Jeep” from soldiers while testing it the vehicle.
One of the first recorded instances of the name Jeep appeared in The Washington Daily News in June 1941 after Irving Hausmann crawled up the Capitol steps in a Jeep.
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794
serial 164794
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