my 201 Hotchkiss

[BenM3A1]

My dear friends,

This is me again, Benny, the guy who posted the initial message.
Being proud of my jeep, and the work I've done over 2 years, I just wanted to share my information and my pictures with the G community. This was my only intend.

If I knew, that this would end up in such a discussion where words like "coward" would show up, and where people where "blamed" for their nationality ... sorry I regret to have posted the message.
All this is coming from my neighbors in Holland and Italy ... come on guys .. you're much wiser than this !
( note that : the world is looking at you , so you can imagine what image you've created on yourself )

I'm surprised, and also disappointed, that these reactions are coming from people who share the same passion : the Willys jeep ! ( if you like it or not : the W in WOF stands for Willys )

From my side : lessons learned !

As I was the initiator of this thread, I will take the right to stop this (silly) discussion..
so : discussion closed !

NO need to reply, as I will NOT answer

regards, out of Belgium,
Benny

... AMEN ...

[lucakiki]

Benny, no matter if you will not answer!
Do however accept the explanation.
No one called coward anyone.

It is that old joke/wisecrack/you -name-it that I felt the need to attack.
It is a stupid old joke, that was used against Italians, French, British Armies by people from the respective other side who do not know better.
The fact is that while no one has doubts on which side was the rightful one in WWII or in any other conflict, implying that an Army, any army ,is made up of cowards is simply wrong.
The joke is also coward, because the supposedly coward soldiers from whichever army are not there anymore to defend themselves from such an accusation.
Generalisations are always misleading, and often stupid.
That is all!

[raptor]

Hello Benny,

I am with Luca on this ?

The winning side always knows best

Luca and I just had a little language problem .
I am reading his post just like you and i didn't see any hazard in my comment !

I think that i did post something that i had to think over
In my eyes it was a joke ,In Luca's eyes it was an attack !

I regret that offcourse !

By the way (BTW) I always thought that WOF stands for Willys Or Ford

Hope you are accepting our apologies ?

kind regards René

[lucakiki]

Renè, I know that also that WOF thing is a joke, and I have been using it myself at times along with the old Notchkiss joke, but there is an unpleasing part of the story that is worth reminding.
I have personally witnessed how some unscrupolous sellers used it not as a joke, but rather to unload some French parts as if they were the real deal, allegedly made in U.S.A.to cater for Willys OR Ford: some newbies actually believed them and forked out real money.

[raptor]

Hello Luca,

I have heard that story before and I thought that everybody had heard that.
But I gues that newbees don't know the story.

So I really have to look out if i want to make a joke because not everybody understands the joke

Thanks for explaining my joke !

René

[andym201]

This thread seems to have gotten a little out of hand!
I am possibly one of the most passionate M201 owners in the UK - you may have come across my website http://www.m201.com/
For me the only way to 'restore' an M201 or any French jeep is actually as a French jeep with original markings as it served with the army.

I do accept though that it is up to the individual owner what they do with their M201s and whilst I would never encourage anyone to 'americanize' an M201, I accept that many do and there is even a section on the site for owners to display their americanized Hotchkiss jeeps.

So, Benny, check out the site and I would be delighted to add your M201 to the 'americanized' section.

I do object to M201s when I notice from the UK tax disc that it has been documented as a Willys MB jeep, though obviously it may not be the current owner's fault. This has no place in the serious collecting of military vehicles.

Re parts, correct me if I'm wrong but Hotchkiss became the appointed manufacturer of parts (by Willys) for WW2 jeeps in Europe before they obtained the licence to manufacture the M201. So even the US army were fitting Hotchkiss parts to jeeps during the 1950s

[thidisbogus]

Your website is super. Thanks for going to the trouble to put that all together. Congratulations on a great looking jeep!

[Halsey]

Very very very cool!

Thanks for posting, what a neat little jeep!


Chris