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Jeep (August 1945 – September 1946):
On 27 June 1940 the US Army published an invitation to bid for a lightweight military vehicle, which, among other things, was supposed to feature a four-wheel drive, three seats and a load capacity of 600 pounds (272 kg); the invitation was sent to 135 companies.
70 vehicles had to be delivered within 75 days and one prototype had to be ready within 49 days. At first two companies sent in their proposals - American Bantam and Willy's-Overland-Motors. Bantam managed to meet the 49-day deadline for the prototype. The vehicle was designed by the senior engineer Karl K. Probst and his team within five days.
After an extension of the deadline, the automobiles from Willy's-Overland and Ford were also submitted.
The army had purchased 1,500 vehicles from each company and subjected them to severe endurance tests. Willy's-Overland won, largely owing to its more powerful engine, the so-called "Go Devil".
As the army did not believe that Willy’’s - Overland could manufacture the high production quantities required, Ford also received an order for the manufacturing of the Jeep.
Bantam was excluded from the tender because of insufficient production capacities; only 2,642 Jeeps had been produced by Bantam.
Between 1940 and 1945 Willy’s and Ford manufactured around 640,000 Jeeps, basically constructed in the same way. The last military-version Jeep was produced by Willy's-Overland on August 20 1945 in Toledo (Ohio).
After having gone through a changeful history, the brand name "Jeep" has been owned by Chrysler Group LLC since 1987.
Technical Data:
Motor: 4 cylinders in line, water-cooled, (flat-head - with side valves) Go Devil
Cubic capacity: 2.199 ccm
Engine Power: 60 hp
Transmission: Three forward gears, one reverse gear, step-down gear, rear wheel drive (four wheel drive can be switched on)
Maximum speed: approx. 100 km/h
Grade ability: 60%
Front angle of slope: 45°
Rear angle of slope: 35°
Electrics: 6V
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Dodge WC 56/57 Command Car (September 1946 – November 1951):
The Dodge WC series goes back to the late 1930, when the US Army began to convert their fleet to all-terrain military vehicles as they were preparing for possible armed conflicts. At that time Dodge was one of only a few car manufacturers able to build all-wheel-drive vehicles at competitive prices. And they were the very first to build cars which allowed the driver to switch on the front-wheel drive from his cabin.
At that time Dodge was working on the development of the VC series based on the Army's tender specifications, which comprised a varied range of vehicles, including the „Weapons Carrier" which was able to transport an 8-man combat group plus weapons and ammunition.
The company built a new factory in Detroit, Michigan, USA, where only military Dodge vehicles of this and later generations were built.
In 1941 Dodge also began to manufacture the newly developed WC series vehicles which were larger and heavier than their predecessors and of which three basic model were offered: WC 51/52 Weapons Carrier; WC 54 Ambulance; WC 56/57 Command and Reconnaissance Car. The WC 52 and 57 models were also equipped with a winch which was installed between the front bumper and radiator grille.
Production of the WC 56/57 models started in 1942; in the beginning they were used as command and reconnaissance vehicles for high-ranking officers. When the losses among officers increased in connection with these vehicles, its use was restricted to reconnaissance and communication (WC 58), while higher-ranking military officers used the „Commander“ mainly for parades. It had two seat benches arranged one behind the other, the shortest wheelbase of the WC series and was thus very manoeuvrable in terrain.
The „International Patrol“ in Vienna used the Dodge models WC 56 and 57, when Willy's Overlands and Ford Jeeps were found to be too small for four crew members.
Dodge also developed and manufactured other models of the WC series for other fields of application, including the three-axle all-wheel-drive „Weapons Carrier“ (WC 62/63). Until 1945 approx. 255.000 vehicles of all types were manufactured in the Detroit factory of Dodge Corporation.
Technical Data:
Engine: 6 cylinders in line, water-cooled, (flat-head - with side valves)
Cubic capacity: 3.780 ccm
Engine power: 90 hp
Transmission: four forward gears, one reverse gear, rear wheel drive (four wheel drive can be switched on)
Maximum speed: 80 - 90 km/h
Gradeability: max. 60%
Front angle of slope: 54° (WC 56)
Rear angle of slope: 31°
Elektrics: 12 V
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GAZ M 20 Pobeda (Dezember 1951 – April 1955):
The Pobeda (Russian for victory) was a passenger car from the Soviet manufacturer GAZ (Molotow-Werke), which was developed in the 1940s. The robust model had a modern pontoon body and a flat-head four-cylinder engine with upright valves.
Its design with an elegantly sloping rear followed the taste of the 1940s and was remarkably like the American Chevrolet Fleetline. The project planning of the chassis and the drive components was based on the German Opel Kapitän from 1939, who was regarded as one of the most technically advanced cars at the time. The Gorki automobile factory received the government contract to develop a new car in February 1943. Originally, a six-cylinder and a four-cylinder engine were planned, but ultimately only the four-cylinder was fully developed. This resulted in the essential inadequacy of the Pobeda, its underpowering.
Series production began on June 28, 1946. The name of the model was changed from "Rodina" (Russian for home) to "Pobeda" in view of the victory of the Soviet Union in World War II. During the production of the first series, constructional inadequacies occurred on the vehicles and in the production process. Never had a car been produced in such high numbers in the Soviet Union. In 1948 production was stopped to remedy the deficiencies. In 1949, production of the modernized Pobeda was resumed, and vehicles that had previously been produced were recalled to the workshops and, in some cases, to the factory to remedy defects.
When production began, the Pobeda was a thoroughly modern vehicle, but later the lack of functionality of its body shape became apparent. For this reason, the National Institute for Automobile Construction in the USSR developed a Pobeda with a notchback body as early as 1948; two prototypes were built. Other body variants were planned, such as a pick-up and a stretch limousine.
In 1950 the Pobeda received a new partially synchronized transmission. In 1955 a more extensive modernization of the car followed. In addition to numerous detail changes, it got a radiator grille adapted to the taste of the 1950s and a new carburetor (engine output now 52 hp).
The Pobeda was manufactured until 1958 with a total of 235,997 cars.
Pobeda limousines were in service with the "International Patrol" in Vienna from December 1951, when the Soviet Union presided over the "Allied Council". Originally 5 black and one white Pobeda, later several white and beige lacquered - including convertibles - were made available by the Soviet occupying forces.
Technical Data:
Engine: 4 cylinders, water-cooled in series, flat-head, with upright valves
Cubic capacity: 2,100 ccm
Engine power: 50-52 hp
Transmission: three gears forward, one reverse gear, rear wheel drive
Maximum speed: approx. 105 km/h
Elektrics: 12 V
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Chevrolet Special Series Six 1500 JJ Styleline, 4 door Sedan (January 1951 – September 1955):
The Chevrolet Special was an upper middle class passenger car that was built by Chevrolet in the USA from 1949 to 1952 as the successor to the Stylemaster.
The direct successor to the Stylemaster was the Special Series Six 1500GJ in 1949. The old pre-war forms had given way to modern pontoon bodies with integrated front fenders. The engine of the Stylemaster, an overhead six-cylinder in-line cylinder with a displacement of 3,548 cm3 and an output of 90 PS (66 kW) at 3,300 rpm, was adopted, as was the manual three-speed gearbox with steering wheel shift. The front showed a wide, chrome-framed grille with a single, wide, horizontal chrome bar. In 1950 there were only few stylistic and no technical changes, the series was called 1500HJ.
In 1951 a slight facelift was carried out. Indicators were integrated into the front mask of the 1500JJ series and the side trim strips received a paragraph behind the front wheel cut-outs. The engine output rose to 92 hp (68 kW) at 3,400 rpm.
In 1952 the chrome clasp in the radiator grille of the 1500KJ series received five chrome teeth and the side trim strips were again without heels.
Styleline:
The notchback models in the series were called Styleline and comprised four models: a two-door business coupé with three seats, a two-door sports coupé with five seats and two six-seat sedans with two or four doors.
The Pobeda was manufactured until 1958 with a total of 235,997 cars.
827,527 units of the special series were built in just under four years. The vehicles were also bought by the US military and were used as police patrol cars.
At the "International Patrol" in Vienna, the vehicles were used as standard patrol cars from January 1952 until the end of the Allied occupation in 1955. At the beginning they were painted in a shiny olive; some contemporary witnesses also report black vehicles. In 1953, the Chevy's were given a white and black paint job that is typical of US police patrol cars.
Technical Data (year of construction 1951, series 1500 JJ):
Engine: 6 cylinders water-cooled in series, overhead valves
Cubic capacity: 3,548 ccm
Engine power: 92 hp
Transmission: three gears forward, one reverse gear, rear wheel drive
Maximum speed: approx. 120 km/h
Elektrics: 6 V
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