JEEP WRANGLER vs WILLYS M38A1 (2021) (1955)
How World War Two forged an icon that’s still going today
OH WOW. DOES THAT THING EVEN HAVE DOORS?
Well spotted. Back when the Willys was built, doors were a luxurious frippery. The car you’re looking at here is the Willys M38A1, not quite the original Willys, but not far off. Built by Willys between 1952 and 1971, the M38A1 saw extensive service with the US military in Korea and Vietnam. It also got sold to a few friendly foreign nations, which is the version here. This Nekaf edition was built under licence in Holland and was so successful that the Dutch kept using it for over 40 years. How’s that for reliability?
I ASSUME THAT MUST MEAN IT’S GOOD AT WHAT IT DOES?
Oh yes. With a versatile body – they were turned into everything from ambulances to mobile platforms for 106mm recoilless rifles – and go-anywhere ability, the Jeep is still, even by today’s standards, a mighty capable machine. It’s got a 4cyl 2.2-litre petrol engine (dubbed the Hurricane) pushing out 72bhp and you have a choice of two- or four-wheel drive. There’s also a low-range gearbox and thanks to the relatively skinny tyres and a lightweight body (it weighs 1,225kg), it’ll pretty much go anywhere. The engine is surprisingly powerful and, on tarmac, the car is good for about 50mph. The threat of the roof tearing itself apart more than a lack of power prevents anything north of that. Also, it has leaf springs all round. These may be robust, but they are most certainly not good at comfort. The Jeep makes a LR Defender feel like a Rolls-Royce.
ARE THERE ANY CREATURE COMFORTS ON BOARD?
There’s a glovebox. Oh, and windscreen wipers.
PRESUMABLY, THE WRANGLER IS LUXURIOUS IN COMPARISON?
Definitely. For starters, there’s even a heater. Plus leather seats, Alpine audio with subwoofer, DAB, satnav – you get the picture. But despite the differences in age and civilian/military usage, you can trace the lineage between these two. And it’s not just in the shape of the grille: the Wrangler is one of the few modern offroaders that does just that – off-road. There’s a low-range box and a 2.0-litre 268bhp petrol engine, all housed within a ladder frame chassis with solid axles. Plus, much like the older Jeep, you can take the roof panels off. Very COVID-friendly.
IS IT AS GOOD IN THE MUD AS THE ORIGINAL?
Most definitely. Where Jeep has been clever is making the new one slightly more civilised while still staying (mostly) true to its roots. Sure, there are details to remind you of the heritage, including a start-up screen that begins with an illustration of the original Willys morphing into the current Wrangler, but it doesn’t feel like a parody. Abandoning the live axles would have meant a more civilised on-road car but at the expense of off-road ability so the Jeep philosophy would have been traded for comfort. Bravo to Jeep for sticking to its guns.