Lot 7022

Auburn Fall 2015

1944 Ford GPW "Jeep"

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$18,425 USD | Sold

United States | Auburn, Indiana

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Identification No.
271098
  • Received an intense restoration
  • Appeared in "Hell is for Heroes" and "Is Paris Burning?"
  • Featured in 2014 Kaiser Willys magazine
  • Original tool kit, war time phones, radio, defroster kit
  • Includes original steering-wheel used in it's final movie

This 1944 Ford GPW “Jeep” is affectionately named “Tojo” and is special in many ways.

The United States produced two Jeeps for World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Willys produced 361,339 MB jeeps. During this same timeframe, Ford produced 277,896 GPW jeeps. Although the production of the GPW reached high numbers, today few jeeps of this kind remain in their original state. For the most part, these vehicles have been taken apart, destroyed or simply lost with time. Locating the original parts and components has become more difficult and with that, it is quite difficult to locate correctly assembled jeeps with these desired elements. This particular GPW jeep is rare by being reported to be entirely made up of original and N.O.S. parts. It has nearly every conceivable wartime necessity on-board and you will be amazed by the period detail.

"Tojo" is not your average hobby machine that was garage-assembled. This GPW has gone through an intense restoration by professional mechanics, painters, consultants and critics. The entire process was managed under the supervision of a World War II veteran who has driven the jeeps when first in service.

This GPW is rare in that it resonates with different types of collectors. "Tojo" is not only a World War II artifact, it is as well a Paramount Pictures “movie star,” and includes the original pink slip from Paramount accounting for their ownership and movie heritage. The vehicle has been featured in several films including “Hell is for Heroes,” directed by Don Siegel and starring Steve McQueen, as well as “Is Paris Burning?” with screenplay by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola. The uniqueness of the jeep is again illustrated as it has been featured in the 2014 edition of Kaiser Willys magazine.

Movie cars are much like vintage racecars in that some survived their participation in their respective category much more intact than others. From our understanding, "Tojo" was part of scenes in which sometimes major damage was inflicted, but the detail-oriented restorers utilized the original chassis of this acclaimed four-wheeled character, using due-diligence in returning it to the same authenticity required for the movie, just as when first assigned for that duty.

Comes with the original tool kit including contents, spare parts bag, original war time phones, original war time radio, original defroster kit and the original steering-wheel used in it's final movie.