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The Jeep was left from the British during the days of liberation due to technical problems close to the town called Ringsted. All military personel were in a hurry to get into Copenhagen, just 20-30 kms away to participate in the celebrations. As the Jeep was not picked up by the Britsh troops it was moved to a nearby barn and kept for the next few months. As no military authorities claimed for the Jeep it was kept and later used in agricultural work. After that use for quite a few years, quita damaged thanks to the hard work it was moved to some relatives in Jutland (Horsens) and kept away for many years until it was found. As my dad and I had requested the wartime Jeep at Midtjyllands Reservedelslager in Viborg and was told that we should not expect to get any as they were hard to find these days (1981)we decided to wait instead of buying a 151´er.
6 month later they called us that they found this torn down Jeep in a barn and if we would buy it, they would prepare it roughly to become registrated. We accepted and was called again 4 month later that now it was ready.. we went to see it and was love at first sight! It was hardly finished but on Danish number plates for the first time ever! We decided to buy it and a few weeks later we went the 70-80 km to pick it up and already after 25 km we had the first problems... the petrolpump was filled with all the layer of mud e.t.c. from the petrol tank. However, we made it start and went home - still filled we love and attention to the Jeep I could hardly sleep the first night.
Since then it has been brought back to absolute original shape - almost changing everything... but is is still the original old body and chassis, but the motor has been restored once and the gearbox has been changed and from that almost everything has been restored and put back to original - but of course there are still plenty to do and make better or maybe change to original.... and basically its what its all about... My tension and love for the old Jeep is still as strong as the first time. In 1999 me and some very good friends went to Normandy in June to participate in the celebrations. We all brought our Jeeps and must say that I had a strong feeling, that the Jeep new that it was back on French soil for the first time since the days in fall 1944, it drove like a rocket and never let me down. It still carrýs the sand from the beaches and people think that I´m crazy that I dont take the sand away and clean it.... well thats a part of its own story.... is´nt it.
Thanks to my dad to introducing me to the world of old army vehicles.. and not letting me buy a 151 as a compromise. THERE IS ONLY THE REAL JEEP and I´m sorry to say, I think that that era stopped when they started to produce the Chrysler 151!
