Marshall Foundation Talk / WARBABY born at last

[Polar Roller]

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Someone asked that I post a cite to my recent talk to the Marshall Foundation at the Virginia Military Institute, so, for better or worse, here it is. Way outside my comfort zone, and hardly a spellbinder but, I managed to choke it out, and it gives a reasonable thumbnail of the first part of the story anyway...A lot of things had to be skimmed over and generalized and if you want the detail you will have to get the book. Lexington is really a refreshing place to visit, and the people at the Foundation are first rate.

http://marshallfoundation.org/blog/true ... inal-jeep/

Speaking of which(the book) I got my first (and only) advance copy today, which means they are printed and only a long boat ride prevents being able to begin distribution. It looks great...not a "digital" book of fuzzy content that will fall part in five years but real old fashioned book with off-set printing, and sewn folios, hard cover with dust cover, color and about 400 11.5x 8.5 pages on heavy paper. It weighs over 5 pounds which means you better plan on book rate. They are going to cost you 75$ plus shipping. I did a thousand copies, and a second printing is not guaranteed unless the demand seems apparent. Not sure what to say to off shore folks except that shipping is going to be pricey. You probably know better than I do.

I doubt I will be able to deliver before about 2 months so don't count on Christmas presents, but, if you want an early "signed and numbered" copy you can let us know what number, or names/messages etc. we are making a list and will call or text or email when we have them and you can pay us, or not, then. This is just a heads up, and the info below is just for future information..the website is just a placeholder for now for instance...

http://warbaby.wmspear.com
nine oh seven seven two three 74 ninety-eight

[Polar Roller]

second picture

[Joe Friday]

I just watched the video. Well Done!

[cblynch]

this is a MUST WATCH video for ANY G 503er..............

[MATT]

Bill,

I am so proud to say my daughter and I were lucky enough to get a ride in your Bantam. Mine is coming along and hopefully we will be able to give future generations rides in ours. You are such a treasure to our hobby. Great job and please keep it up!

[Bob W]

I watched the video, nice job! Wish I could have been there. I did send a close friend and his wife in my place

[Polar Roller]

Okay..we have this Beta website up, sent to a few friends who have ordered successfully so I will open it up to you guys and see what glitches occur. First of all, here is the website..but read the rest first.

http://warbaby.wmspear.com

Yes, I misspelled "original" on the web home page, but it is okay on the bok!

I am expecting the books to arrive on Dec 6, and will get my 1941 forklift (with a Continental 112! ) cranked up and put them in the hay mow of the barn. 1000 books at six pounds each, do the math! On the seventh..PEARL HARBOR day to us...I hope to mail the first tranche of books out to people who have pre ordered. You can be one of those people if you go on site and sign up. We won't charge your credit card til we ship, but, the only books going out that first day are solid pre orders. So, if you are buying yourself a Christmas present, there is some chance you will get it in time.

I'm a cheap skate, but, unless time is of the essence..think about media rate. For 7 bucks it is a couple of days slower but has a tracking number and insurance. Suit yourself. Foreign orders, I don't know what to say..postage is almost more than the book. Even if I brought them over personally seven books in a suitcase would be it. Two pounds over...No toothbrush or underwear even....to compensate for you early true believers, I figured we can have an introductory price since I have not gotten into wholesaling yet, so, nobody gets hurt if I charge 60 instead of 75 bucks which will be the retail price sooner or later.

I have no idea of what the future holds. I guess we have about A hundred orders, but I could be sitting on 900 til I die. Or, they could sell out quickly. Maybe i would do a second printing or not...too far in the future to consider. If I keel over, and Susan doesn't feel like messing with this, you can try eBay I guess :~)

Glad to sign and number...but, if you ae buying it as a gift, let me know so I don't put some gushy dedication to you in it.
Cheers
S

[cblynch]

Dr Spear, please note that one of your 20 myear old PINS just sold on E Bay for $250...... by the time these books get to E Bay, they may fetch $500! just sayin'

[Polar Roller]

One sold for 330$ last week. I thought artists weer supposed to die first before their stuff became wrth anything!..better go check my pulse! Just to stay on topic, how much will first edition copies of WARBABY be selling for aftr you guyshave bought them all up?

[DannyP]

Just ordered my copy... Figured I'd better get one before this giant price spike! Now I just need to find a Bantam project to buy

[Polar Roller]

Danny...one of my big hopes for this book is that once it gets a little circulation that it will start people outside out little group looking around in barns and attics for information, and, who knows, maybe scare up a car or two! Thanks for the order.

[DannyP]

I'm sure there are some still out there. I've been looking. Had lunch with George Hollins a couple weeks ago. Eventually one will pop up for sale. I have to say after driving all three prototypes for a couple hours in the same day the Bantam is my favorite. It really drives differently than the GP and MA. Like a lil sports Jeep.

[Polar Roller]

It's hard to "prove" anything, ..and this is ALL, or mostly just opinion and speculation...but I like to imply at least that the original jeep owes almost as much to midget dirt track racing of the 30's as it does to any real military design.The guy most directly responsible (Harold Crist) for its design and build was not strictly speaking a "car designer" although he did a lot of experimental engineering both at Stutz and Bantam. ..the cars he actually built (and raced) were racers not production civilian cars, and he was a 'made guy' in the Indianapolis racing fraternity, going to its annual banquets etc, and a friend, and at Bantam at least briefly, a working colleague of Harry A Miller. Much is made of the larger Willys engine in later advertising, but in fact, when the first jeeps appeared they were mentioned in the press as a kind of 'hot rod', at least one describing them as "overpowered" midget trucks. Small size is the key to Todd Paisley's intriguing question about what is "jeepness", but small size is not enough..this low power to weight ratio is key as well, otherwise the Kurogane for instance would have been a jeep.

I love this picture (LIFE)..cropped here to make weight for the Gee post, which I believe shows more than words ever can what I am talking about. Look at Captain Moseley in the passenger seat, hanging on for dear life, while one of his sergeants, driving, tries to look casual before he rolls it over. That bottomed out suspension on a banked dirt track says it all...with all deference to brands X and Y, this is what (I think) they didn't really get about the jeep in their initial prototypes..they were thinking military/civilian/agricultural' while Crist was thinking racer. Neither the Quad nor the Pygmy had what I would call the "racers edge" sensibility. Finally forced to be more like the Bantam and shed a lot of weight, the MA finally turned out well (although three on the tree?!:~))..and Ford looked like a Bantam, but no matter how you dressed it up, they had a tractor engine (which Crist had specifically rejected early on for the Bantam).

[Jim Gilmore]

Bill wrote,

".....with all deference to brands X and Y, this is what (I think) they didn't really get about the jeep in their initial prototypes..they were thinking military/civilian/agricultural' while Crist was thinking racer. Neither the Quad nor the Pygmy had what I would call the "racers edge" sensibility............and Ford looked like a Bantam, but no matter how you dressed it up, they had a tractor engine (which Crist had specifically rejected early on for the Bantam)....."


Aw gee Bill......come on....that photo is supposed to prove what an awesome powerhouse the Bantam was??? Now it is a neat photo......but lets not show one side only....

Here are two photos of the GP No.1 Ford pilot being tested at the same place...........

"....and Ford looked like a Bantam......".....really???? It sure looks different than that Bantam you showed.......in fact...it looks more like the WW II jeep than the Bantam...but it does have 4 wheels , three seats, axles and motor ...but from the dashboard forward I think anyone would be hard pressed to say they both look alike....

".....but no matter how you dressed it up, they had a tractor engine....".... Yes, a powerful tractor motor.......why just look at the first photo....the guy in the back is hanging on for dear life while his hat is flying off.....look at the "rooster tails" of dirt from the front and back tires accelerating ..the guy in the front seat is leaning forward against the wind and the driver is holding on to the wheel in a death grip to keep from flying out of the vehicle ......

And....talk about power......look at the second photo...the GP has so much power that when it gets to the top of the testing hill it just keeps going up and does a wheelie right over the top of the hill.....Man..that's power brother.......

Ok....now it's your turn to post photos of the Bantam pilot doing wheelies over hills and such....

Jim

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[jeepjop]

Hope I didn't steel anyone's thunder by posting this first.