Perhaps more than any other vehicle, the military jeep is the most familiar vehicle in modern warfare. It has gained notoriety not only while serving in the armed forces, but also by appearing in many Hollywood war movies and television shows. And, even when we played with toy soldiers as a child, the military jeep was an integral part of our image of the modern army. For many Americans, the pictures of American jeeps are still embedded in our memories - whether riding into Paris after the liberation of the city or entering a town full of smiling GI's on leave or darting off with important messages to and from headquarters. Many GI's regarded their jeeps with much affection. In January of 1939, the U.S. Army placed an order for 64 Mamon-Herrington Ford 4x4s which would later be considered the granddady of the modern Jeep. As the war progressed, the Army encouraged auto manufacturers to deliver a variety of designs for four-wheel drive vehicles until ultimately a vehicle was chosen that would play such an important role in the war. An interesting aspect of the jeep is the origin of its name. One story states that test vehicles were marked with the letters GP which an American nicknamed "jeep." Another states that the name originated from a strange, dog-like animal that accompanied the cartoon character Popeye. And while today the word Jeep is trademarked by American Motors, the military jeep still carries a battalion of memories and images for many old enough to remember. Now, the Military Jeep 4X4 is recreated in an extraordinary die-cast 1:43 scale model and is produced by Matchbox Collectibles, "the greatest name in die-cast."

(1995)

Scale: 1:43