Online publications sometimes work with sponsors. Over at the Autopian, they landed a sponsorship deal with eBay, but due to an unguarded comment, fulfilling the sponsor’s requirements turned out to be something of a handful. Build a brand-new, completely WW2-spec Jeep using only parts sourced from the auction site, and drive it to Moab for an event. [David Tracy] set to work, and the resulting write-up is a build of epic proportions.
Of course, many Jeeps have been built since the war, not least by Willys and its successors, but also by enthusiasts. You can even buy a modern-day visible derivative of the original made in America by the Indian company Mahindra, which has been licensed to build Jeeps since the 1940s. So his claim of making the first new WW2-spec Jeep since the war may be difficult to substantiate, but it’s certain that his attention to period detail is exceptional. For example, most people would either use a more modern engine or find a second-hand original. Instead, he sources a brand new block from France and builds a new engine from scratch. And is that the infamously flawed early Jeep steering system we spy? The vehicle uses second-hand parts for other major drive train components, but the chassis and body are made in the Philippines.
