The Fiat takes it easy, but the eager little MB is keen to learn a lesson in drivability.
The Jeep’s torquey ‘Go-Devil’ sidevalve offers the most punch here
The 60bhp 2.2-litre ‘Go-Devil’ sidevalve ‘four’ feels remarkably energetic, its 105lb ft of torque ensuring that even in hairpins there is no need to trouble the three-speed ’box with a downshift.
The steering is indifferent, but easy enough to place, and the brakes have no trouble slowing little over a ton of car.
There is fun to be found in driving any of this trio, a joy in the very rudimentary experience that each one of them provides.
But while the Fiat is the workhorse and the Alfa Romeo is the choice of the sophisticate, this whole genre was invented and remains defined by the original Jeep.
Words: Johannes Riegsinger
Images: Thomas Starck
Off-road pioneers
The Series One carried on evolving for seven decades after its introduction
Land-Rover Series One
Not the original, perhaps, but arguably the best – so much so that it continued to be developed for nearly 70 years in production following its 1948 introduction.
The Land-Rover Series One begat SII, SIIA and SIII before the first major change with the Ninety/One-Ten in 1983, which in turn evolved into the long-serving Defender.
The Toyota has been almost as long-lived as the Landie
Toyota Land Cruiser BJ
Another model to which a current incarnation can trace a direct lineage, and another that is developing cult-hero status with prices on the up.
First appearing as a Jeep clone in ’51, albeit with a six-cylinder engine, the Toyota Land Cruiser BJ was conceived for military use, but swiftly developed for civilian applications as Japan’s Land-Rover equivalent.
The 4x4 system in the Munga evolved into that used for Audi’s quattro
DKW Munga
Auto Union’s answer to the Jeep, the DKW Munga was launched in 1956 and quickly found favour with the West German army, police and civilians after a rugged all-purpose vehicle.
It went out of production in 1968, but a decade later formed the basis of Volkswagen’s go-anywhere Iltis, whose 4x4 system would be adapted for the Audi quattro.
The Austin mostly saw military use, and had disappeared by the end of the 1950s
Austin Champ
Mostly built for the British Army from 1951-’56, but with a few civilian exceptions, the Austin Champ was a cheerful-looking machine with plenty of power courtesy of the Rolls-Royce B-series engine.
Capable but expensive to build, it was phased out in favour of the more cost-effective Land-Rover-alike Austin Gipsy, launched in 1958.
The Goliath had a fleeting lifespan of only three years
Goliath Jagdwagen
Competing alongside the Munga and Porsche’s short-lived 597 for a German military contract, the Goliath used a four-stroke 1093cc flat-four for the production Type 34 (in place of the two-stroke unit from the prototype Type 31).
Unfortunately it lost out to the DKW, and fewer than 100 examples were built from 1957-’60.
Factfiles
Fiat 1101 Campagnola
- Sold/no built 1951-’73/39,086
- Construction steel ladder chassis, steel body
- Engine all-iron, ohv 1901cc ‘four’, single Solex carburettor
- Max power 53bhp @ 5300rpm
- Max torque 94lb ft @ 2500rpm
- Transmission four-speed manual with transfer box, 4WD
- Suspension at front independent, by double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar rear live axle, leaf springs; telescopic dampers f/r
- Steering worm and roller
- Brakes drums
- Length 11ft 11¼in (3640mm)
- Width 4ft 10¼in (1480mm)
- Height 6ft 4½in (1945mm)
- Wheelbase 7ft 4½in (2250mm)
- Weight 2844lb (1290kg)
- Top speed 62mph
- Mpg 19.5
- Price new Lire1.6m
- Price now £15,000*
Willys MB
- Sold/no built 1941-’45/359,489
- Construction steel ladder chassis, steel body
- Engine all-iron, sidevalve 2199cc ‘four’, single Carter carburettor
- Max power 60bhp @ 3600rpm
- Max torque 105lb ft @ 2000rpm
- Transmission three-speed manual with transfer box, 4WD
- Suspension live axles, semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic dampers f/r
- Steering cam and lever
- Brakes drums
- Length 10ft 11in (3327mm)
- Width 5ft 2in (1575mm)
- Height 6ft (1829mm)
- Wheelbase 7ft 6in (2032mm)
- Weight 2453lb (1112kg)
- Top speed 60mph
- Mpg n/a
- Price new c$900
- Price now £30,000*
Alfa Romeo 1900M AR51
- Sold/no built 1952-’54/2161
- Construction steel ladder chassis, steel body
- Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 1884cc ‘four’, Solex 33P BIC carburettor
- Max power 64bhp @ 4400rpm
- Max torque 90lb ft @ 2500rpm
- Transmission four-speed manual with transfer box, 4WD
- Suspension at front independent, by double wishbones, torsion bars rear live axle, leaf springs
- Steering worm and roller
- Brakes drums
- Length 11ft 6½in (3520mm)
- Width 5ft 1¾in (1570mm)
- Height 5ft 11¾in (1820mm)
- Wheelbase 7ft 2½in (2200mm)
- Weight 2756lb (1250kg)
- Top speed 65mph
- Mpg n/a
- Price new n/a
- Price now £50,000*
*Prices correct at date of original publication
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