So here’s some info about my jeep Hotchkiss M201 Sahara. After the war, the French army used Willys jeep and Ford GPW. Hotchkiss got a contract for spare parts and started producing JH102, which was a copy of the CJ3B but with a Go Devil engine. From 1955 till 1965, they build the M201, the French copy under licence of the Willys MB. The first models were 6V and nearly the same as the MB. From 1961, the models were equipped with a 24V electrical circuit to comply with NATO requirements.
From 1954 till 1962, France was involved in the independent war in Algeria. The south part of Algeria is the Sahara Desert where the French army installed military basis and test centers for special weapons, rockets and for the development of the French nuclear weapon.
They therefor decided to make some adaptation to the M201 to allow it to ride in the desert region. The M201 Sahara jeep was born. Only 400 were build, first in 6V, then in 24V.
Here are the main adaptations:
• A sand filter on the right front fender.
• Dual fuel tank to increase range
• A water jerrican between the 2 front seat
• A double fuel system, one part is with the normal mechanical fuel pump, the other has a Autopulse electrical fuel pump, to cope with vapour lock.
• Michelin XC 6.50x16 radial road tires, to drive in the sand
• A search light on the side
• A toolbox on the front
• Several hinge point on the tub.
Additional to that, a compressor can be put on the front part to modify the tire pressure.
After the war, the French Army could stay until 1967 in the Sahara, to use the test bases and experimentation centers. After that the Sahara jeep were brought back to France and all the Saharian equipment were removed. Today, only a few are still existing. Mine is not original, but all the equipment is. As model I took the Lieutenant-Colonel Sichler’s jeep. He was the boss of the “3ème Groupe de Transport” in Reggan in the 60ties.
Below you can find the original pictures of this jeep, and the reproduction I made, plus some details pictures.
Xavier