After the massive success of last year's raffle, we have once more searched far and wide to find the ultimate prize for any military vehicle enthusiast, or anyone who fancies a talking point in their driveway..

It has been called UGLY, it has hand operated windscreen wipers, no heater, came only in drab green, was the cause of a recognised medical condition, starred in just about every movie that was made about World War 2 and even had a song written about it. It was much imitated yet never bettered and in its short life became a living legend…

What is it, you ask? ... the answer is simple, it is the JEEP

The ubiquitous Jeep was an instant success, the scepticism surrounding it soon turned to unanimous praise as the Jeep won the hearts of the every day soldier. It fought in every theatre of war in every role imaginable. It was dropped from aeroplanes, converted to an ambulance, was able to swim rivers and was required to operate faultlessly in some of the hostile places on earth.

Once its war service was over man found new roles for his friend converting it into the first go anywhere cars, used as amusement rides as well finding a new ally in the farmer. Yet strange to relate the Jeep was only ever built for five short years.

Its utilitarian design was in direct response to a set of strict criteria that was laid down by the American government. In a pre-war America the very nature of its design would have seen the Jeep condemned to the scrap heap long before it ever got off the drawing board.

Even the exact meaning of the word "Jeep" is shrouded in mystery. Officially its rather unglamorous title is TRUCK ¼ TON 4 x - no mention of Jeep here, so it must have come from elsewhere, but where?. Speak to any enthusiast and you will get any number of theories as to how the name Jeep was conceived, some say it stands for Just Enough Essential Parts, others will tell you that it is a derivative of GP appertaining to its "General Purpose" role or that it came from a 1942 American cartoon. How or why its name came into being seems irrelevant because over ½ million Jeeps were produced by "WILLYS OVERLAND" and FORD between 1940 to 1945 and as the first one was driven off the production line its place in history had already been assured, a living legend in its own time and unlike the movie stars of old, I doubt, if the sun will ever set upon this star!

Invicta Military-vehicle Preservation Society is once again holding its ever popular annual Jeep raffle. Last year's prize was an early production 1942 FORD GPW Jeep, and the IMPS team are currently searching far and wide to find this year's prize.

The prize draw will take place in the arena at the KM War & Peace Show at 3pm on Sunday 21st July 2002.

This raffle is organised and run by the Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation Society. Tickets are available at the show, or directly from them in advance.