10 Best WWII Deals You May Have Missed

September 27, 2012

The 1946 Military Jeep CJ2A MB was manufactured by Willys-Overland Motors Incorporated of Toledo, Ohio in January 1946. That year was the the first full year of production for civilian jeeps (CJs).

During World War II (1941-1945), Willys Overland and Ford Motor Company produced about 600,000 military jeeps (known as the “MB” and “GPW” respectively). Willys marketed the first CJs to agriculture and industry as a “do-it-all” vehicle.   The versatility of the vehicle prompted Willys to call it “The Universal Jeep”.  Of course, the “Universal Jeep” is more commonly known as the “CJ2A”.  According to marketing literature from 1946, the “Universal Jeep” (which was geared lower than its military siblings) could tow a 10,000 lbs trailer.    A CJ2A weighs about 2,200 lbs and was rated to get about 20 miles per gallon (driving at 35 to 40 mph).  In 1946, a new CJ2A cost $1,195 (a price set by the Office of Price Administration; a government organization created to prevent inflation during the war).  It was recorded that Willys produced over 70,000 CJ2As in 1946. Right now, the jeep serves as a “time capsule” of American engineering, and a very entertaining weekend ride.  It never fails to generate a smile, or a story, from the people I meet when I go for a drive.  It is, more than any other vehicle, a true American icon.

Also making the list this week was a Russian Soviet Order Medal group with document Suvorov Nevsky, earning almost 30 bids and placing 7th on the Top 10 list. It's interesting that the total number of persons who were awarded this title is 12,755 (twenty people have been stripped of this title due to various circumstances). The great majority of them received it during World War II (11,635 Heroes of the Soviet Union, 101 twice Heroes, 3 three-time Heroes, and 2 four-time Heroes). Sixty-five people were awarded the title for actions related to the First Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 until 1989. When it comes to collectables in the Russian category medals are on tops.

Check out the remaining top items from last week's completed listing.