Ford GPW Overview: Generations, Specs and Which One to Buy
The Ford GPW is an suv cabriolet built from 1942 to 1945, offered with a single 60 hp 2.2-liter engine, manual gearbox and 4x4 drive.
The Ford GPW is an suv cabriolet produced from 1942 to 1945, with every version rated at 60 hp. It comes exclusively with a manual gearbox and 4x4 drive, which makes it a choice for collectors and enthusiasts of wartime-era off-road vehicles rather than for daily commuting.
Ford GPW generations
1 generation
The first and only generation of the Ford GPW was built from 1942 to 1945 in a single body style, the suv cabriolet. The entire lineup consists of one modification: the Ford GPW 2.2 MT (1 generation) with a 2199 cc engine producing 60 hp, paired with a manual gearbox and 4x4 drive. No automatic transmissions or alternative drivetrain layouts were ever offered, so the range is as simple as it gets — one engine, one gearbox, one drive type across the full 1942–1945 production run.
Which Ford GPW to buy
- 2.2 MT (1 generation): the only modification in the lineup, with a 2199 cc engine producing 60 hp, a manual gearbox and 4x4 drive — there is no alternative version to weigh it against.
Every Ford GPW on the used market dates from the 1942–1945 production window, so the choice comes down to the condition of a specific car rather than picking between years or trims. The single-modification lineup with one engine and one gearbox also means parts compatibility questions are limited to production-date details, not to sorting out different drivetrain combinations.
Summary
The Ford GPW offers exactly one configuration: an suv cabriolet with a 2.2-liter, 2199 cc engine rated at 60 hp, a manual gearbox and 4x4 drive, built across a short 1942–1945 run within a single generation. The Ford GPW 2.2 MT (1 generation) is therefore both the entry point and the top of the range at the same time. Buyers comparing examples should focus on originality and completeness of a particular car, since the specification sheet is identical for every Ford GPW ever made: 60 hp at the top and 60 hp at the bottom of the power range, with no automatic option and no two-wheel-drive variant in the catalog.