Chassis No. 236922

In 1941, the U.S. War Department turned to Ford Motor Company to build Willys' winning quarter-ton reconnaissance design under license, and the resulting Ford GPW went on to serve as one of the most consequential vehicles of the Second World War, carrying troops, officers, and dispatches across theaters from North Africa to the beaches of Normandy and into the heart of occupied Europe.

This 1943 example wears a distinct wartime identity plainly on its bodywork. The hood registration reads 20236922-S, the "20" prefix marking it as a light reconnaissance vehicle under Ordnance Department serialization rules and the "-S" suffix confirming a shielded electrical system fitted to prevent interference with field radios. Its bumper markings, 2-38F and HQ-25, place the Jeep with the Headquarters Battery of the 2nd Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment. Following the conclusion of the war, it has been held by the same owner for 52 years, since 1974. It survives with its canvas half doors, blackout light, and period-correct radio mounted between the two front seats, presenting in charming, unrestored condition.

Using their herculean production might, Ford produced a steady stream GPWs for the war effort, each powered by the same "Go Devil" four-cylinder and permanent four-wheel drive that made the design so adaptable to every theater of operation. Wearing wartime markings and offered from a single ownership of more than half a century, this GPW stands among the more evocatively preserved examples of the vehicle that helped carry the Allies to victory.