WWII WIllys Jeep vs 2009 Jeep Wrangler

Wrangling

Words Ben Dillon Photos Nathan Duff

with the past

Jeep is synonymous with off-road ability and rugged practicality borne of military needs. But how will these two original examples hold up against a modern Jeep Wrangler?

The go anywhere, bring anything back philosophy that was once at the heart of 4x4ing is now the last thing most SUV buyers contemplate. Gone are the days when the majority of 4WD owners actually took their vehicles off the beaten track. Rather than crashing through scrubby undergrowth or cresting sand dunes, in 2010 these big buses are likely to prowl the tree-lined avenues of affluent Australian suburbs, with shopping bags and a couple of kids in the back. Jeep was one of the first to see the potential of the SUV market

when it released its updated Cherokee in 1984, which for the first time used a unitary body. In giving the Cherokee a car-like substructure, it seemed to be the ideal compromise for those seeking a true dual-purpose vehicle that could be used in the city and on the beach. The SUV was born. The original Jeep, however, was the all-American, tough as Chuck Norris 4WD produced by WillysOverland and Ford specifically for World War II, but also used in Korea and Vietnam. With such heritage, does the company now pander to the soccer mum SUV set or has it stayed loyal to the hairy-chested 4WD enthusiast? We set off for

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australian Classic Car

T homas Grahame Hills, QLD dra an

Ken G riff iths C ap

alaba, Q LD

Alex

ferry misleading It looks like an aircraft carrier, but the Jeeps are actually lined up on the Stradbroke Island ferry.

The speCs
1941-1945 ForD gpw willys Jeep

The speCs
2009 Jeep wraNgler
EnginE: 2.8-litre CRD DOHC 16V I-4 turbo-diesel Transmission: Five-speed automatic, two-speed transfer case with shift-on-the-fly, 2.72:1 low-gear ratio PowEr: 130kW (174bhp) @ 3800rpm TorquE: 460Nm (339lb/ft) @ 2600rpm LEngTh: 4223mm (166) hEighT: 1840mm (72) wEighT: 1850kg (4078lb) 0-100km/h: 11.7 seconds ToP sPEEd: 170 km/h

North Stradbroke Island with two WWII Jeeps and a new Jeep Wrangler to find the answer.

Jeeps for peeps

We meet up with two WWII Jeep enthusiasts who are keen to test their old metal against the new plastic. Ken Griffiths and Grahame Thomas are Jeep men through and through. The practicality and rugged nature of the Jeep was the lure and both enjoy using their Jeeps when they can. Driving to meet Ken, Grahame and wife Sue at the Stradbroke Ferries terminal gives me a good chance to feel out the Wrangler and to wonder how this new versus old 4WD story will play out. Secretly

Im hoping the older Jeeps will spank the young Wrangler in the off-road department, but recent Wrangler reviews have me worried. On the road the Wrangler feels rubbery and roll-prone, like it will topple over as soon as I start to lean it into a corner. The highprofile tyres, soft suspension and separate body-on-chassis design contribute to this feeling. However this wallowing nature doesnt represent the Wranglers true roadholding ability, which is much better than the degree of body-roll would lead you to believe. With the Jeeps loaded on the ferry, I take a good look over Kens car. The unapologetic utilitarian style of the Ford GPW is part of its

EnginE: 2.2-litre four-cylinder, side-valve flathead Transmission: Three-speed + reverse, two-speed transfer case; transfer case two selections PowEr: 45kW (60bhp) TorquE: 142Nm (105 lb/ft) @ 2000rpm LEngTh: 3330mm (131) widTh: 1575mm (62) hEighT: 1830mm (72) wEighT: 1040kg (2293lb) ToP sPEEd: 100 km/h numbEr ProducEd: 640,000 (approx.)

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WWII WIllys Jeep vs 2009 Jeep Wrangler

appeal. A canvas roof, no doors and no seat belts prove its not a car for posers. This is rugged, zero comfort motoring at its best. The tough-bastard element visible in every rivet of the GPW Jeeps is completely absent in every soccer mum-spec SUV currently on sale. Parked next to this original Jeep, other 4WDs on the ferry look bloated and impotent. The GPW is surprisingly small, with virtually no rear over-hang, but still has useable seating for four. The interior gives new meaning to minimal, with only a couple of dials embedded in the flat metal dash. The thin steering wheel and fixed seats finish off the interior architecture. The origin of the Jeep name is a source of great disagreement. Some believe it is the slurring of the GP (G-Government, P-code for the 80-inch wheelbase) acronym, or that it stems from military slang for untested vehicle. The Just Enough Essential Parts acronym, which it earned during the Korean War for its spartan design, is another (humorous) tag. [Ive also heard GP stood for general purpose (vehicle). Ed.] Whatever the handle, the story of the Jeep started with the US Army putting out the word that it wanted a quarter-ton 4x4 truck that was easily serviceable, light but tough, and could negotiate almost any terrain. Ultimately the production of the Jeep fell to Willys-Overland, with Ford pitching in shortly afterward to help boost production numbers. The Willys were designated MB

fallouT Doors and seat belts are for sissies you got that, soldier?

parked next to the old Jeep, other sUVs look bloated and impotent
(the original Bantam Jeep design was the MA), while the Fords were labelled GPW (W for Willys).
added eXTras The kangaroo is army issue, but the pop-eyed bulldog is Grahames personal touch to liven up his Jeep.

Trial by sand

Staring at the three Jeeps lined up on the beach for our photo shoot, it dawns on me that the Wrangler is the only thing you can buy that looks anything like the original GP Jeeps. The roof is removable, as are the doors (though probably not legally!) and the windscreen can fold down flat. Visually it retains the link to original MB/GP WWII Jeeps, but with tall tyres and large plastic bumpers, it doesnt look quite as tough. Across North Straddie, in the

experienced hands of Ken and Grahame, the original Jeeps prove themselves the superior choice as time and again they amaze with incredible manoeuvrability in tight spaces on the soft sand tracks. The Wrangler is mostly up to the task and trundles faithfully along behind the older cars, not yet able to show its full potential. While we have air-conditioning in the Wrangler, the older Jeeps look like the place to be as they effortlessly carve up the sand tracks on their skinny tyres. Concentration in the Wrangler is a must, but in the rear-view mirror Im sure I can see a smile on Kens face. He isnt worrying about scratching his car. Water splashes abound, as do vehicles coming in the other direction forcing a stand-off on the single-lane tracks. I wave courteously from the Wrangler to the other drivers to let them

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sofT cenTre The Jeep Wrangler is a little more comfortable inside, but it can tackle tough terrain no problem.

Grahame and Sue follow. The aim is to get back to the beach access road that will see us onto tarmac back to town. Reaching the access point, we are greeted by Kens Jeep bogged in the soft sand. Having no hesitations about leaving a man behind, I gun the Wrangler and on the crest of the 460Nm available arrive back at the sealed road with no problem. At last the Wrangler has proven itself! We then trudge back to the soft sand, where both Jeeps are now stuck. Luckily the GPWs are light and after we give them a bit of a push, they join the waiting Wrangler on the main road. After the run across Stradbroke Island, I really cant believe the depth of talent hiding in the Wranglers chassis. It is all off-road talent, and therefore not really a car for the everyday grind unless your commute involves sand, mud and rivers. But after negotiating rutted tracks, fording a river (all right, it was a shallow creek) and crossing the beach on soft sand, the Wrangler then cruised all the way back to town in airconditioned comfort.

Whos your greaTgranddaddy?

through, but I am completely ignored. The GPWs, however, are not ignored and slow progress is made as the 4WDs that have discounted the Wrangler on their way past come to a complete stop to talk to Ken and Grahame about their Jeeps, in the process blocking the road. So far the GPWs have taken all the attention and have proven the superior (albeit hot) 4WD for the island conditions. Fortunately for the Wrangler, it still has the swimsuit competition to make an impression.

casuaLTy of war

riding shoTgun

Riding in Kens GPW, nothing blunts the smells, the sounds and the feel of the car. Its loud, smelly and crude, but it is the most fun Ive had all day in any car. Its a left-hand drive car, but sitting on the wrong side is not the most disconcerting thing the passengers brain needs to cope with. Having no seat belt, no door and nothing to hold onto is.

Besides the GPW featured, Ken also owns a desertspec Willys, the likes of which was used in Egypt in WWII. On the morning of our shoot, the Willys shot itself in the foot when it overheated on a test run and couldnt attend. Ken made a call to Grahame and Sue, who very generously, and with only an hours notice, volunteered to jump in their Jeep and meet us at North Stradbroke Island.

Our run across North Straddie comes to an abrupt end when a road that looks to be open on the map has a padlocked gate across it. Time is running low and we are in real danger of missing the last ferry back to the mainland. Back-tracking is not an option, so we opt for a road leading east toward the beach. What we find is not so much a road as an underwater track carved out by 4WDs and ocean tides. The Wrangler is put on point duty at the head of the pack, the logic being that if it disappears under the water Ken or Grahame wont beat me to death for losing their precious Jeeps. Low range is engaged and we begin our cruise. We emerge from the waterway without incident into bright sunlight and drive straight across the beach to the hard sand close to the waters edge. Ken sets off in front at a decent pace and is soon pulling away; he obviously likes his beach driving. The Wrangler finds its own pace while behind us

Fortunately for the Wrangler it doesnt just look like its grandfather; some of that stunning off-road DNA has been handed down. I dont think the new Wrangler could survive a war like its hard-as-nails grandpa did, but as our beach landing showed, the Wrangler had the goods over the older Jeeps in being able to get to the rally point first. Everywhere else on the island, the old and new were equally matched. This only highlights how incredible the original Jeeps are off road. Despite being 60 years old, the use of solid diffs and body-onchassis design still reigns supreme and is another commonality between old and new. Both the GPW and Wrangler are not the best cars for the road, but you wouldnt want to be in anything else when nature gets in the way.
Thanks go to Ken Griffiths, Grahame and Sue Thomas, and Bob Gough all from the MJCQ Jeep Australia. Special thanks to Stradbroke Ferries for providing safe passage and for putting up with our photo shoot on their boat at the end of a long, hot day.
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WWII WIllys Jeep vs 2

Jee

eep

2009 Jeep Wrangler