BACKWARD GLANCES

times. If you included every detail in a book, it would be as long as Tolstoy’s . Fortunately, it can be divided into chapters, and we’ll call this one: “When Willys Overland Got the Brass Ring.” We’ll let our time machine take you back to July 31, 1941, when Willys-Overland was awarded a contract for 16,000 standardized 1⁄4-ton 4x4s. Willys-Overland’s bid was $748.75 per vehicle and 149 days to complete the contract. The nearest rival, Ford Motor Company, was $782.59 and 171 days, and the number-three bidder was Bantam at $788.32 and 152 days.