Restorer field note
The short-lived slat-grille Willys
The earliest mass-production Willys MB used a fabricated slat grille before the familiar stamped grille arrived, creating a tightly bounded and frequently misidentified restoration subject.
A production-phase clue
The grille belongs to an early interval, not a separate universal 'model.' Serial, body, and component evidence must agree.
Visible details can be replaced
A grille alone cannot establish a vehicle's origin; wartime Jeeps have been rebuilt, mixed, and restamped for decades.
Research is still open
The current serial cutoffs are sourced to specialist and registry evidence and remain marked partial pending stronger primary corroboration.