1943 FORD GPW - Lot 39

1943 FORD GPW Chassis SSA 377 - Exceptional history - Preserved from the French army - In the same family for 80 years - Very well equipped - Collector's registration Erratum: The chassis number stamped is 150303 At the end of 1943, Colonel William J Given, newly appointed to the 6th Armored Division, was allocated a Function Jeep. He was supplied with a Ford GPW, produced in October 1943. Based not far from Oxford, he was a regular visitor to the town's pubs. A nickname was soon given to the car: Oxford Express. This nickname was then inscribed on the car by its driver. Dissatisfied with the comfort of his vehicle, he replaced the passenger seat with a tray from an aircraft that had fallen during the Battle of Britain. On July 17, 1944, the 6th Armored Division landed on the beaches of Normandy, and our Jeep was among them. Colonel Given soon found himself involved in the liberation of Brest. He was tasked with transporting transmission equipment. Once the Battle of Brest was over, he headed east. The jeep accompanied Colonel Given all the way to Berlin. Once the war is over, the Colonel returns home. As for the Jeep, it was sent to a storage yard, where its second life began. In 1945, René Isabelle, a garage owner from the Orne region, was given a car to replace the tow truck he had requisitioned in 1939. He was given the Oxford Express, as Colonel Given had left it in October 1945. After a short career as a tow truck, the Jeep became the family's main vehicle. When René Isabelle died in 1981, his son-in-law Didier Poulain inherited the car. He decided to revamp the Jeep for the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landings. During the work, he rediscovered under a coat of paint the car's military registration number, as well as its nickname: Oxford Express. Intrigued by his discovery, he set himself a goal: to retrace the history of his jeep. It wasn't until 1994, with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day, that the search began. In 1997, the goal was achieved: Colonel Given found his Jeep. Restored between 1984 and 1994, the Oxford Express is now in fine overall condition. As the 1994 restoration has aged well, its latest technical inspection, carried out in 2020, is still valid and shows no major defects. The road test revealed that the mechanics and the 4x4 system are in good working order. The jeep is also equipped with numerous period accessories: shovel, axe, cans, American radio, antenna, etc. A demilitarized rifle and a French-built trailer complete the set. Although it is a GPW (identification plate, chassis, engine and Ford bolts), the registration card lists Willys as the manufacturer, a very common mistake in 1945 and one that can easily be corrected by the FFVE. 1943 FORD GPW Chassis SSA 377 - Exceptional history - Preserved from the French army - In the same family for 80 years - Very well equipped -Cllector's registration At the end of 1943, Colonel William J Given, who had just joined the 6th Armored Division, was assigned a Function Jeep. He was supplied with a Ford GPW, produced in October 1943. Based not far from Oxford, he was a regular visitor to the town's pubs. A nickname was soon given to the car: Oxford Express. This nickname was then inscribed on the car by its driver. Dissatisfied with the comfort of his vehicle, he replaced the passenger seat with a tray from an aircraft that had fallen during the Battle of Britain. On July 17, 1944, the 6th Armored Division landed on the beaches of Normandy, and our Jeep was among them. Colonel Given soon found himself involved in the liberation of Brest. He was tasked with transporting transmission equipment. Once the Battle of Brest was over, he headed east. The jeep accompanied Colonel Given all the way to Berlin. Once the war is over, the Colonel returns home. As for the Jeep, it was sent to a storage yard, where its second life began. In 1945, René Isabelle, a garage owner from the Orne region, was given a car to replace the tow truck he had requisitioned in 1939. He was given the Oxford Express, as Colonel Given had left it in October 1945. After a short career as a tow truck, the Jeep became the family's main vehicle. When René Isabelle died in 1981, his son-in-law Didier Poulain inherited the car. He decided to revamp the Jeep for the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landings. During the work, he rediscovered under a coat of paint the car's military registration number, as well as its nickname: Oxford Express. Intrigued by his discovery, he set himself a goal: to retrace the history of his jeep. It wasn't until 1994, with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-