Although the Ford Pygmy placed third in the Army tests, an order was placed for 1,500 of a developed version. Approximately 3,650 of this configuration were eventually produced by Ford Motor Company. Most went to Great Britain and Russia under Lend-Lease.
Compared to its competitors, the Willys MA had a more powerful engine, and lower unit cost. These factors were among the reasons Willys was chosen as the company that would produce the 1/4 ton 4x4 truck. The better features of all the pre-production and prototype vehicles were incorporated into the Willys MB.
Without question, the crown jewel of museum's collection is the Ford Pygmy, the oldest known surviving example of the vehicles that became the jeep. Ford was one of three companies competing to fulfill the Army’s requirement for a 1/4 ton Reconnaissance Car.
