UPDATE II: Here are pics of the Ford Pygmy and Ford Budd to use for comparison with the jeep in the movie. To me it looks like the film makers built a custom vehicle based on the Ford Budd, which Maury points out, in the comments section below, was in Hollywood at the time.
FORD BUDD:
FORD PYGMY:
Note the differences between the two above and the “jeep” below: Angle of the steering wheel, position of the front fenders vis-a-vis the hood, length of cowl at the step, the rolled edges of the body (same as Budd, Pygmy didn’t have them), short rear handle of the Pygmy (Budd had long hand), incorrect hubs .. I wonder if that is a Bantam chassis?
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ORIGINAL POST … these photos were sold on eBay: Thanks to Maury for spotting these pics from the Jeep Herders movie. There are a couple Ford GPs pictured. I’m not sure what’s going on with the side of the Ford GP. Looks like it is similar to the original Pygmy GP.
“Originally by Planet Productions, 1946, re-released by Astor Pictures in 1949. Story is returning vets use Jeeps to herd cattle.”
Dave, looks like that may be a 1940 Ford Pygmy (or other Ford Budd-bodied jeep), rather than a GP:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/12/07/worlds-oldest-jeep-prototype-the-ford-pygmy-to-go-on-national-historic-vehicle-register/
Maury
Sorry, my first comment should have read THE Pygmy as opposed to a Pgymy! There was only one…so maybe that jeep was the original Pygmy itself??
The Budd-bodied GP #2 had headlights over the fenders, which the jeep in the photo did not appear to have.
Also see the interesting post from jeep historian Todd Paisley here: https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?t=192328 Quoted from that thread:
“After the war, the Ford engineered bodied pilot model went into the Henry Ford Museum and the Budd-bodied pilot model dropped out of sight when it was believed to have been lent to Hollywood (it is believed to have been in the John Wayne movie “Flying Tigers”). For many years, jeep enthusiasts were searching for this vehicle with no success. 53 years later, this vehicle surfaced again in California.”
I didn’t realize the Budd appeared in the Flying Tigers movie.
Upon closer inspection, I do not believe that is a jeep at all. The lack of the proper hubs is the first big clue. What really got me thinking in this direction is that the end of the hood is much farther back than the back end of the front fenders. Compare that to both the Pygmy, which has the back of the hood and the back of the front fenders about at the same point. Meanwhile, the front fender of the Budd sits behind the end of the hood.
Compare that to the cowl length, the hood length and the position of the front fenders of the Jeep Herder prototype. The Jeep herder Jeep has a longer Cowl (and I think it improves the design look).
Now, compare the rolled edge of the jeep herder jeep and the cut of the side to the the Budd. They look very similar, more similar than to the Pygmy.
Finally, look at the position of the rear wheel and body vs. the Ford Budd. It’s shorter in the back than the Ford Budd.
My conclusion is that the film makers produced a custom built “jeep” on a car chassis based on the Budd. But, probably because of the power train design, they had to build the body a little differently.
I’ve added pics of the Budd and Pygmy to the post for comparison.
Just a note here…..the “Budd” bodied Ford pilot vehicle ( GP No. 2 ) did not appear in the Flying Tigers movie and the vehicle in this movie is not the “Budd” pilot either. The vehicle in the Flying Tigers was a made up “jeep” using a commercial chassis …most likely a Curtiss ( Kurtiss?) chassis and running gear and a “homemade” body. It appears that the jeep in this movie is the same one as the one in the Flying Tigers. The prop people made the body up using the Ford Pilot GP No. 1 ( so called Pygmy ) as a pattern.
Jim Gilmore
Jim Thorpe, PA.
Thanks Jim!