Bantam Pilot Car

Watch a perfectly authentic re-creation of the original Bantam Reconnaissance Car Pilot (the world's first jeep) go on-road and off in a demonstration by builder Duncan Rolls. The Pilot Re-creation required over 3500 hours of work to build. The drive components are original Bantam and Continental parts, as are the gauge cluster and other parts (a total of 60 per cent of the vehicle). Duncan made the chassis and body completely by hand. The only original sheet metal was a stock Bantam cowl, but even that had to be widened by six inches, just like the original was. The original Pilot, delivered to the Army at Camp Holabird, MD on September 23, 1940, was lost to history after successful testing. Enjoy seeing this 4-year re-creation project come to life at the 41st Annual Trophy Meet of the Austin Bantam Society, held in Carmel Valley, CA, Oct. 16-17, 2009.

[@paulrbruno]

Mr. Rolls, Wow, what a great video! My wife and I wrote a screenplay American Triumph telling the story of the creation of the Bantam Pilot (in 49 days no less) and have tried for ten years to bring this story to the big screen. It brought tears to my eyes to see the vehicle in real life that I have only seen in pictures. What an amazing accomplishment! God bless you! Paul Bruno

[@u.s.veteransmemorialmuseum8585]

Outstanding work Duncan. Thanks for what you and Terry are doing to preserve these wonderful machines!

[@wenull3]

That is a beautiful recreation of the first Bantam! I love the front end better like that then what it changed in to and nothing beats vehicles that where made in Pennsylvania!

[@Immortalrounin]

This video is so underrated. What an amazing job 👏 keeping history alive

[@wrangleryjlobo]

A los los que amamos el Jeep, nos llena de alegría, esta Obra Maestra llevada a cabo por el Señor Rolls. Este es el Patriarca de todos los Jeeps y verlo marchando es como un sueño, ya que de este modelo se hizo una sola unidad, la que fue desmantelada después de un accidente cuando era probado y sus piezas pasaron a formar parte de otro Bantam (el BRC 60). Gracias amigo Rolls por devolvernos esta Joya. Alfredo Lafuente-Uruguay

[@JackFlemingFan1]

Excellent! Thanks for posting your video!

[@ggwhale]

What a fantastic reproduction by Mr. Rolls. I really enjoyed this video and seeing the car in person. I can now somewhat understand the exhuberance of the Army upon seeing this vehicle for the first time. They must have been grinning from ear to ear.

[@b1pig]

excellent! an otherwise forgotten and overlooked iconic vehicle.

[@chrismascre7151]

Faboulous work thanks !

[@RustOnWheels]

Super video! I really love that you let the car and video speak for itself without any extra music and voice over. Great job!

[@MrNelsonb2]

i live 20 minutes from butler seen a few of these around they are literally the first jeeps

[@FERNANDOTUBA]

MARVELOUS. FINALLY SOMEONE IMPLEMENTED THE IDEIA I HAD 10 YEARS AGO FAR HERE IN BRAZIL. CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!! HURRA......BEAUTIFUL Of couse for me it was only a dream, I could never do it so well here, so far away from necessary resources. I was told that someone was doing this recreation secretly. So good to see it was accomplished. I am very touched by this video. I love JEEP and I am writing a book in Portuguese about it. How nice would be to include pictures of it. Mario Williams

[@sportsflicvideo]

Outstanding restoration and recreation.

[@FireDropTechnologies]

Cool stuff! at leats the Grandfauther of the jeep is still remembered!

[@juannunez63]

really was a pitty that the Austin Motors Co. was broken by Willys and Ford after designed this car masterpiece

[@JOACOSGPW]

EXCELENT BANTAM JEEP BRC 40

[@WBACameraman]

The cost of building a replica BRC-40 far exceeds the cost of buying a restorable one. While a real BRC (or a restorable chassis with most parts) might run in the $40-$60 thousand range, it's hard to imagine building one from scratch for less than $150 thousand.

[@TheSiggib]

Like Bantam!!!

[@JOACOSGPW]

Podrian informarnos. Cual seria el costo DE UNA COPIA, el dia de hoy del BANTAM JEEP BRC-40.

[@fjholdenlover]

If you are interested in hearing an interview with Duncan Rolls, please visit the History Czar's website i could not post a link but if you Google History Czar you will find it!!

[@SecularTechnology]

@juannunez63 Ford's were before that (the broken up), with the GP which started the slot grille with an earlier off-road Model-T. The Bantam and Willy's military-Jeep debate was after. The GPW was not as revolutionary as it was just actually made by Willys. I can make a video of my dads Bantam BRC.

[@TomS-tq2tk]

Give credit where credit is due!

[@NotLost]

The only thing that could have made this better was a drive up the old ramps at Holabird! The model T was offroad cause, well, there weren’t many roads! Ford gets credit for the o|||||||o but the only reason they made the 100k some units they did was Henry was in politicians pockets - even while he was making trucks for the Nazis.

[@choppergirl]

Bahaha, you're funny, I know where at least 3 or 4 Willy's Jeeps are just rotting away on the side of the road in someone's yard. To say a WW2 jeep is in the any kind of thousands of range... is just laughable. They are rotting because... they are particularly valuable. You can't make them street legal, and they aren't really a lot of fun to drive, as the are geared and drive like tractors. We use to have one; traded it for a 3 cylinder cruiser motorcycle.

[@tomford5416]

bantam designed & built the "jeep" their design was taken by the government ~ willys & ford got the contract bantam got shafted & almost forgoten