Jeep (Dinky Toys 153a)
| Past Exhibit |
|---|
Jeep (Dinky Toys 153a) |
 |
| location: |
| Arch Two , Area 21 Classic Dinky Toys (display) |
| Shelf 4 |
Dinky Toys No. 153 a: Google
| 1946 | – | 1954 |
A quite detailed dark green military Jeep with green hubs, two seats, a high front window and a spare wheel mounted on the back, with the US star printed on the bonnet.
This model uses the 25j jeep casting, a non-military vehicle given a darker finish and a military emblem. Blatantly recycling an existing design works well here.
Willys MB
The recognisable Willys MB jeep design used for this model had a split history. Willys provided the original design, with the distinctive slotted grille lifted from Ford. However as their factories were unable to produce the vehicles in the quantities needed, Ford were contracted to supply more of the same jeep, identified as the Ford GPW. Over the war, over 600,000 of these jeeps were manufactured by the two companies.
One theory explaining the origin of the term "jeep" was that the term derived from Ford’s name "GP", for "general-purpose". Other theories include it being engineer jargon for untested vehicles, or even that the nickname came from a Popeye character.
