A 1940s Willys jeep, built in the immediate aftermath of its counterparts stationed in Europe and the Pacific helping to secure victory for the Allies in World War II, is still capable of a having mid-century off-road fun in the modern era. Leave it to a pair of YouTubers to re-discover the joy of slow crawling around a variety of off-road obstacles in a skinny-tire open-top bathtub on wheels.

In a United States where sports cars were still quite rare at the time, a Willys was perhaps the best way to have fun on four wheels, essentially creating the off-road hobby as soldiers familiar with their capabilities pushed them into services as recreational trail runners. With over 600,000 built during the war, there were plenty of surplus units to go around, and they could be had for cheap.

In 2025 a Willys MB is maybe among the least expensive ways to get into vintage vehicle ownership. While a vintage Willys like this one will get its backside handed to it in direct competition with a small side-by-side, there's something to be said for driving a 4x4 with this much flair.