After the war, Meccano Liverpool resumed production and announced the first new models as quickly as possible. The first new model selected was Dinky Toys Jeep No. 153A. It’s not surprising, really, that this particular model was chosen by Meccano Liverpool immediately after the war. It’s a reproduction of the famous American Army Jeep that played a significant role in WWII. The U.S. Army Jeep is constructed to conform to the USA War Department technical manual TM 9–803 1/4‑Ton 4 x 4 Truck (Willys-Overland model MB and Ford model GPW), simply called “Jeep”. I’ll show you some photos of it in this article. During the war, this Jeep was transported disassembled in crates by ship from America to England, where it was reassembled in various assembly depots. From there, it was later shipped to the coast of Normandy for the D‑Day invasion. England thus played a significant role in assembling and preparing this Jeep for use. I feel it’s important to mention this and therefore want to first focus on the prototype of the Jeep itself.
Willys Jeep MB on a conveyor belt, dismantled in crates for transport overseas.
The Jeep Willys-Overland was shipped overseas in crates from Toledo, Ohio.
Instructions for unpacking and assembly of a boxed Willys Jeep.
Assembly depot No. 0–640 in Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, 8 Sep 1943.
Image: Facebook.
The Prototype of the 153A Jeep
The Jeep is a well-known vehicle, made famous by the United States during WWII as the U.S. Army Jeep, with its white U.S. Army star on the hood, which was used extensively by the United States and the Allied Forces. This four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle acquired iconic status due to its versatility during the war and played a significant role in its victory. General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote that the jeep was “one of the six most vital” U.S. vehicles to win the war. This Jeep can still be seen today participating in liberation parades. Well over 600,000 were built to a single standardized design for the United States and the Allied forces in World War II from 1941 to 1945.
There is a long history behind the development of the Jeep before it was finally put into production. The Jeep had to meet a number of strict requirements for the U.S. government to be eligible for military production during World War II. These requirements encompassed a combination of technical specifications, performance, reliability, and production capacity. The vehicle had to have four-wheel drive and be lightweight and compact. A competition developed among manufacturers to meet the U.S. government’s requirements.
Bantam, Ford, and Willys-Overland built prototypes that were fully tested. The Jeep history Amsoil blog states “The final Jeep design was a mashup of the best from each proposal: The Bantam Spicer-sourced four-wheel transmission and differential was mated with the Willys Go-Devil engine and fitted with the bodywork configuration of the Ford Model GP.”
Only Willys-Overland met all the requirements and was the only manufacturer to receive a government permit to produce this ¼‑ton 4x4 truck, the Willys-Overland model MB, starting on 23 July 1941. Because Willys-Overland could not produce sufficient quantities, Ford received a permit to produce the truck under license for Willys-Overland as the Ford model GPW (W = Willys-Overland) starting in October 1941. During World War II, approximately 363,000 Willys MBs and 280,000 Ford GPWs were produced. This 4 x 4 truck was standardized, meaning that all components of the truck were interchangeable. The parts from the Willys-Overland MB fit seamlessly on the Ford GPW and vice versa, which was important for repairs.
The prototype of the Dinky 153A is the Willys-Overland model MB, which is also similar to the Ford model GPW. Both Willys and Ford are mentioned as the manufacturer in technical document TM 9–803, with descriptions and illustrations, as shown below. The document refers to the vehicle as the ¼‑ton 4 x 4 truck (Willys-Overland model MB and Ford model GPW). The generic name “Jeep” had yet to emerge and likely arose from the designation of the Ford model GPW, where GP(W) was pronounced as “Jeep”. Note the handles on the side of the Jeep, indicated by red arrows. When a Jeep was delivered and unpacked in a crate, four handles were first mounted to the chassis to facilitate lifting.
War Department Technical Manual for the Willys-Overland model MB and Ford model GPW – February 1944.
Jeep left front view. The red arrows indicate the handles used to lift the body.
U.S. Army Willys MB at the Virginia War Museum, Newport News, VA.
Image: Wikipedia.
Right rear, right and right front views of the Jeep.
Covered Willy’s Jeep (2007). Image: Wikipedia.
Jeep chassis plates.
The Willys and Ford Jeeps have their own nameplates on the dashboard, along with the Caution and Shift plates. The Caution and Shift plates are the same for both models. Only the nameplate reveals whether the vehicle is a Willys or a Ford. Experts can also tell the difference between the models by the grille of the early Jeeps.
Dashboard of a Willys Jeep showing the name, caution and shift plates.
Use of the Willys Jeep by Leaders in WW II
During World War II, the Willys Jeep became an indispensable tool for U.S. Army leaders operating across Europe, prized for its rugged versatility and reliability in challenging conditions. Senior officers used these compact 4x4 vehicles to travel quickly between command posts, inspect front-line positions, and coordinate operations over difficult terrain where larger vehicles could not pass. In war-torn regions of France, Belgium, and Germany, the Jeep’s ability to navigate muddy fields, bomb-damaged roads, and narrow village streets made it an ideal choice for military leadership on the move. More than just transport, the Jeep symbolized mobility, adaptability, and the U.S. Army’s ability to project leadership anywhere it was needed.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt reviewing troops from a Jeep at Casablanca, 1943. Image: Wikimedia.
In the summer of 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote the Jeep was “one of the six most vital” U.S. vehicles to win the war. Image: Wikipedia.
General George Patton riding in a Jeep near La Haye-du-Puits, Normandy, July 1944. Image: World War Pictures.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Bernard Montgomery visit the beaches of Normandy, 12 June 1944. Image: Wikimedia.
Dinky Toys 153A Jeep
Meccano Liverpool announced the arrival of the Dinky 153A Jeep along with the Dinky 28C Lagonda Sports Coupe in the April 1946 issue of Meccano Magazine with the statement, “Now ready! Here are the first of the new Dinky Toys for which you have waited so long. Others are coming soon. Watch our announcements.” The 38C Lagonda had already been designed before the war and announced in the June 1939 issue of Meccano Magazine, but hadn’t yet been produced, so it wasn’t entirely new after the war. The description of the 153A Jeep read “A wonderfully realistic miniature of the most famous car of the war. On all fronts, in all countries, the Jeep was ready to go anywhere and do anything.” The models were apparently not yet available for sale, because the announcement “Now ready!” was repeated monthly until September 1946 when 153A Jeep, 38C Lagonda Sports Coupe and 70A Avro “York” Air Liner were announced in Meccano Magazine as “Now available!” This was the start of the new post-war Dinky Toys series, made by Meccano Liverpool.
Advertisements for the Dinky 153A Jeep in the April 1946 (“Now ready!”) and September 1946 (“Now available!”) issues of Meccano Magazine.
Meccano Liverpool used the well known name “Jeep” for model 153A without a brand or model designation. I described the Willys MB as the prototype of the 153A Jeep as depicted in the U.S. War Department Technical Manual TM 9–803, because only Willys-Overland got permission to produce the U.S. Army Jeep, while Ford received a permit to produce the truck under license for Willys-Overland as the Ford model GPW (W = Willys-Overland). However, both models are identical. This makes it in fact impossible for Meccano Liverpool to select a specific brand name for the Dinky Toys model name because the Jeep was manufactured by both companies. According to Mike and Sue Richardson’s Great Book of Dinky Toys, model 153a was produced from 1946 to 1955, but from 1950 onwards only as a U.S. export model. So the production run of the 153A for the U.K. was very short. The last mention of 153A in the U.K. catalogs I found was in the Meccano UK price list from September 1948. The 153A didn’t appear in U.K. catalogs from 1950 onwards.
Dinky 672 U.S. Army Jeep export model
In 1950, Meccano Liverpool changed the name of the 153A to U.S. Army Jeep which was exclusively intended for export to U.S.A. and Canada. This was followed by a similar change of name in catalogs and trade boxes which better describes the real identity of the vehicle. In 1954, model 153A was renumbered to 672, but as mentioned, it was only intended for export to U.S.A. and Canada. Exports were crucial to the survival of large companies after the collapse of the economy caused by World War II. “Export or die!” was the government’s motto. According to Keith Harvie, from 1952–55 a new body casting was released as the export 153A and 672, with modified front inner hood strengthening points and flush casting gates, a raised hood, and a paint ring. Because the Dinky 672 is an export model and the last issue, they are hard to find.
Dinky Toys USA 1951 catalog showing the 25J Civilian Jeep (left) and the 153A U.S. Army Jeep with the U.S. Army star (right).
The 153A U.S. Army Jeep renumbered to 672 in the Dinky Toys USA 1954 catalog.
The Jeep model 153A was also released in civilian versions as model number 25J with the same casting as the 153A. However in this article, I will limit myself to the original military version 153a/672. Many military vehicles ended up in the army dump after the war. Due to a shortage of vehicles after the war, the remaining Jeeps were used for all sorts of civilian purposes. Meccano Liverpool continued to produce the 25Y/405 Universal Jeep with the spare wheel mounted on the right in various civilian versions. Willys-Overland also continued to produce civilian Jeeps after the war.
My Dinky Toys Jeep collection on Keith Harvie’s 1999 “The Binns Road Gazette” magazine, issues 1 to 6.
In a 1999 article in the first issue of the unfortunately short-lived magazine Binns Road Gazette, U.S. publisher and editor Keith Harvie described all the versions of the Dinky Toys Jeep and presented them in black and white photographs that included factory drawings. His description includes the following six versions:
- 1946: First casting with flat hood and solid steering wheel, no painting ring and smooth hubs.
- 1947: As above but with open steering wheel and ridged wheel hubs.
- 1947 — 1948: Raised hood center, flush ejector marks.
- 1948: As above but with raised ejector marks. (The ejectors were too short or worn.)
- 1948 — 1952: As above but with circular painting ring.
- 1952 — 1955: Final U.S. only export issue. As 153A-672 above but with strengthening under the hood, flush ejector marks, crimped or domed axles, blued or regular axles, pointed raised hood in center line, and paint ring.
All issues were sold to dealers in trade boxes of six and didn’t receive an individual box.
Front and rear view of the first issue Dinky 153A trade box of six (1946). Note the closed solid steering wheels. Image: Vectis Auctions.
The first issue 153A (1946) with closed solid steering wheel and smooth hubs, and U.S. Army star on the left rear only.
Front view of the first issue 153A showing the flat hood, grill and sunken headlights.
Top view of the first issue 153A showing the encircled U.S. Army Star on the hood.
Base of the first issue 153A without the painting ring in center. Note the rare metal rings around the axles between the hubs and axle support. Axles of the Jeep usually lacked these metal rings.
My four first issue Jeeps, all with smooth hubs but different tires, and three solid and one open steering wheel.
The final issue Dinky 672/153A U.S. Army Jeep in a U.S. export issue trade box (1952–55). Image: J K Diecast Models.
Dinky 153A/672 U.S. Army Jeep 1952–1955 final issue U.S. export model with strengthened inner hood area, painted insignia, convex raised hood and crimped axle ends.
Left side of the Dinky 153A/672 U.S. Army Jeep export issue. Note the fine cast details of the shovel, handles, windshield, hood latch, top bow front and rear brackets for a canopy, with canvas and side reflector.
Front view of the Dinky 153A/672 U.S. Army Jeep export model showing the grill, sunken headlamps and hood with raised center.
Rear details of the Dinky 153A/672 U.S. Army Jeep export model showing the spare wheel, jerry can, bumpers and reflectors.
Underside of the Dinky 153A/672 U.S. Army Jeep export model showing the reinforced inner hood area and painted central ring.
L: Blue crimped axle ends. R: Last issue with regular domed axle ends.
Dinky 153A with raised ejector marks.
L: 4th version without painted ring. R: 5th version with painted ring.
Dinky 153A Jeep base with flat ejector marks (L) and raised ejector marks ®.
Evolution of the base of the Dinky 153A, with the oldest to newest shown R to L.
Side view of the evolution of the hood of the Dinky 153A/672, going from flat (earliest version) to raised (latest version) shown R to L.
Front view of the evolution of the hood of the Dinky 153A/672, going from flat (earliest version) to raised (latest version) shown R to L.
L: Dinky 153A first issue with flat hood and crimped axles.
R: Dinky 672 last export issue with raised hood and domed axles.
