A PASSION FOR VINTAGE CARS

My name’s Antonio Gibertini and I’m the founder of G.I. Gibbo, which specialises in the restoration of classic military vehicles. The WILLYSG503.COM portal springs from my passion for vintage Jeeps. When I was a kid my father, a keen restorer of these vehicles, used to drive me around in a Dodge Apt, and he passed on to me all his love of these great trucks and the historic period when they originated.

I’ve been a collector for many years and in the constant search for parts and accessories for my Willys MBs and my American military vehicles, both in the USA and worldwide, I’ve got to know a large number of suppliers and collectors, and swapped a load of experience and knowledge with them. One day, I decided to make my passion into a career, setting up as a vintage Jeep restorer and founding my business.

I’ve made good use of the experience I’d built up in the field, restoring a wide assortment of vehicles over the years, including normal and composite body Willys “slat grille” MBs, Willys CJ2, M38, CJ3B, M38A1, FORD GPW, M151, AM GENERAL M825, Ford M825, M20 Greyhound, Dodge WC52, Dodge APT, M37, GMC CCKW, GMC DUKW, White Half Track, and White Scout Car.

I see the restoration of these vehicles as my contribution to conserving the memory of the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of Italy, which must be kept alive as a warning against repeating the mistakes of the past. Willys Jeeps are particularly significant in this mission, because their rugged construction, reliability and versatility helped to ensure the Allies’ victory.

WILLYS JEEPS, A SUCCESS STORY OF MORE THAN 50 YEARS

The Second World War is a period of great importance for the history of modern technology, because many of the technical inventions still in use today were evolved during the conflict. Willys Jeeps also originated in this historic period as light all-terrain reconnaissance vehicles. The American army ordered the construction of these 4X4 utility trucks, the Willys MBs, from automotive firm Willys Overland Motors. Since they were intended for use for almost anything, they were defined as “general purpose”. And the acronym GP morphed into the name Jeep, now in common use for this kind of light military vehicle. This reflects the great commercial success Jeeps went on to enjoy, as they been produced continually ever since 1941 and are now built under the major FCA brand, to which WILLYSG503.COM is not affiliated.

They are still very popular with car and military vehicle collectors. Some have been conserved intact while others are restored by experts and enthusiasts, and WILLYSG503.COM offers them its services for the supply of genuine parts and accessories for any model of vintage Jeep.