Born in the heat of battle, the Go Anywhere. Do Anything. Jeep Brand 4x4 emerged a hero to thousands of Allied soldiers around the world. The equally heroic civilian Jeep vehicles of the 1940s firmly established the Jeep Brand as the undisputed leader in 4x4 technology. Now you can be a part of the rich Jeep history with this 550-piece puzzle featuring the 1941 Willys MB Jeep. The 550 puzzle pieces and bonus collectible poster are stored inside the Jeep-shaped tin packaging. Assembled puzzle measures approximately 19 x 13 inches.
It's the stuff of legend; the U.S. Army requested a vehicle - and drove off in a hero. The Willys MB, its spirit forged by the fire of combat and honed in the heat of battle, seared its way into the hearts of warriors fighting for freedom. Fierce emotional bonds often developed between a soldier and his "jeep" 4x4. The faithful MB earned a place in every GI's heart, in every area of combat, in every conceivable role.
The MB started a revolution in the use of small military motor vehicles in the U.S. Army. Horses along with motorcycles, solo and side car, were rendered obsolete almost immediately. The all-purpose MB was amazingly versatile. They could be fitted with .30 or .50 caliber machine guns for combat. They were also widely modified for long-range desert patrol, snow plowing, telephone cable laying, saw milling, as fire-fighting pumpers, field ambulances, tractors and, with suitable wheels, would even run on railway tracks.
MBs could be loaded into transport aircraft for rapid deployment and were also small enough to fit into the large gliders used in the D-day invasion of Europe. Over the course of the war, customized field kits were developed for winter and desert conditions, deep-water fording, and other combat needs.
Although the Willys MB was not the first four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Go Anywhere. Do Anything. Jeep Brand vehicle influenced every 4x4 built in its wake. The New York Museum of Modern Art includes a military Jeep Brand 4x4 in its display of eight automobiles and regarded it as "one of the very few genuine expressions of machine art."
