Department > Old Iron
1940 Bantam BRC 60
The Second Oldest Jeep in the World
story and photos by Jim Allen
The real Double-Oh-Seven! This jeep was definitely shaken and not stirred. Delivered on November 29, 1940 it’s the only known survivor of the original 70 unit contract. It’s showing only 15,941 miles and still bears it’s last Army paintjob and original army registration numbers. It probably hasn’t run since it was donated to the Smithsonian in 1944. Yep, the implement type tires were normal fare for the early jeeps. The familiar military non-directionals were just appearing in 1940.
Typical Specifications: 1940 Bantam Model 60
| 1993 Land Rover Camel Trophy Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Engine: | 4-cyl L-head, Continental BY4112 |
| Power: | 45 hp @ 3500 rpm |
| Torque: | 86lbs-ft @ 1800 rpm |
| Comp. Ratio: | 6.8:1 |
| Transmission: | 3-speed Warner Gear T84H |
| Transfer Case: | 2-speed, Spicer |
| Rear Axle: | Full-float, Spicer Model 40 |
| Axle Ratios: | 4.88:1 |
| Wheelbase: | 79 inches |
| Curb Weight | 1940 lbs |
| Fuel Capacity | 10-gallons |
The story of how the Jeep came to be is as exciting as any work of fiction. It’s a tale of daring, hard work and fortunes won or lost. Virtually all the people involved back then are gone, though there is plenty of documentation on their 1940 exploits. The mechanical reminders are also few and far between and limited to three, the two Ford pilot models and one of the original batch of 70 jeeps built by the American Bantam Car Company of Butler Pennsylvania.
In 1940, Bantam had one foot in the grave. In a last ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy, they proposed a small, light scout car to the Army. The original idea was based on a stripped down version of a Bantam compact car. Bantam had been building these minicars through the 1930s, with steadily dwindling sales after an initial spurt in 1930. Though Bantam had tried a similar idea twice previously, they had a better chance on the third try. With war on the horizon, the once tight government purse strings had loosened. For once, the Army reps had a few bucks to spend and after seeing some of Bantam’s offerings, the idea of a compact four-wheel drive scout car was proposed. Bantam was uniquely qualified in this area, being one of two small car producers in the USA.
Over a week of discussion, Bantam and government reps fleshed out some rough specs for a light 4x4 reconnaissance car. To Bantam’s everlasting chagrin, those specs were further refined by various Army experts and then presented to 134 other automobile manufacturers for bids. In a heroic effort, the cash and personnel-strapped Bantam managed to win a contact to build 70 test vehicles, the pilot model of which was due in just 49 days. That contract was then subject to that pilot model passing 30 days worth of rigorous tests. Bantam then had 75 days to build the remaining 69.
Bantam’s pilot model rolled into Camp Holabird, Maryland, the U.S. Army’s vehicle test center, just 30 minutes before the deadline. In September of 1940, nothing like it existed in the USA and though there were a few similar rigs in other parts of the world, none were its equal. That pilot model endured 3400 miles of vehicular torture and passed its test with a laconic, “The vehicle demonstrated ample power and all requirements of the service,” noted on the test report. The tests done on the Bantam pilot, nicknamed “Old Number One,” yielded many small weaknesses. The fixes for these were incorporated into the 69 test models, and that brings us to Bantam number 007.
The view from here looks a lot like a Bantam car. The cowl and dash were both produced from Bantam Roadster dies. Likewise, the instruments are Bantam car pieces. Looking closely, you can see evidence of experimentation. The floor between the seats was cut out at some point and replaced with steel plate. Some sort of weapon, probably a machine gun on a pedestal mount, was once fitted for tests.
The first 70 jeeps had very unique DNA. Like the Bantam pilot model, they used the front wraps of Bantam cars grafted onto a utilitarian rear section. The later pre-standardized Bantams, some 2,600 of which were built in 1941, used a less curvy, more utilitarian body. Mechanically, all the Bantam jeeps were similar, powered by a 112ci Continental flathead four, and using a Warner Gear 3-speed, a Spicer t-case and Spicer axles.
Jeep fans will remember that Bantam was eventually outbid by Willys on the first big standardized jeep contract. The last Bantam jeep was built in December of 1941 and Bantam never built another. Their main contribution to the war effort then consisted of aircraft landing gear, the ubiquitous Bantam 1/4-ton trailer and torpedo motors. The fact that Bantam was completely x’ed out of the jeep program has long been argued over. One side regards it as a raw deal of titanic proportions. The other side notes genuine concern over this relatively small company’s ability to produce vehicles on time and in large numbers. There are elements of truth in both outlooks but, regardless, it’s a shame that a primary contributor in turning the jeep concept into a steel and rubber reality never got to profit in a major way from the results.
This is the original Bantam jeep while under test. It looks like part of that testing included schlepping around various government “suits.” Though it had a bit more civilian DNA in the form of the curvy fenders, you can still see the similarities with the remaining 70 units. This rig was wrecked in a collision in early 1940 and disappeared. Historians have long speculated over it’s ultimate fate.
Bantam 007, as you may have surmised, is the seventh Bantam built. It’s the only known survivor of that first batch of 70 and is in the same condition as it was when donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1944. It’s been on display there on and off since. It spent a decade at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, Virginia. These days, it can be seen at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s definitely a “Holy Grail” experience for jeep fanatics.