h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ah an interesting thought, no.

I reckon the Technical manual is the real key to cracking this question because while all the others are significant and mentioned for a reason, the tech manual exemplifies the thing I'm after where human lives are messy and complicated.

It is a kind of military vehicle, however.

As an ex-serviceman, I am all too aware of the complexities of service manuals. (We called them A.Ps., or Air Publications)

Each month, without fail, the dreaded 'amendments to A.P.******' came in. After a few years, the A.P. in use bore little or no resemblance to the original!!!


Anything to do with the Q, Clive??



GT

You ex-military GT? Didn't know that. I shall have to chose my questions more carefully in the future with you and Iago on the prowl on the geography side!

Well I have the TM-903 manual in my possession as a source and I can tell you that it was issued by the War Department in 5 January 1944 and supersedes the out-dated TB-9-803-4.

anything to do with acronyms

jeep was derived from GP, general purpose vehicle

Taff +3

Right answer wrong reason.

It's not an acronym. The G denoted 'government' use and the P was a code designation from Ford denoting the diameter of the wheel base. The actual vehicle code was MB.

The evidence suggests that the Jeep was not use for 'general purposes' by was put to specific uses. It's high degree of modification potential however meant it was deployable in a number of situations.

In the TM-908 the vehicle is referred to as the Willys-Overland Truck Model MB and Ford Model GPW

Willy-Overland were the 2nd biggest manufacturer and designer of civilian and military vehicles secondly only to Ford.

every piece of military equipment has a 13 diggit nato stock number

the number is made up of 4 parts

4digits-2digits-3digits-4digits

the 2 digit section is the country code

99 being the uk

66 being austrailia

00-13 being the usa

the first 4 refers to the type of equipment

the last 3+4 is the actual part number

Whatever you say chief.

So what's the connection?

Here is the technical manual in question if you want a browse (it won't help you. )

http://ia331403.us.archive.org/0/items/TechnicalManualTm9-803OperationMaintenanceMbGpw/MbGpw-Maintenance.pdf

just fishing for QI points

i need them after all have you seen the scoreboard

Okay then.

Be Interesting.

As a vote of confidence, I reckon you'll break even by the end of the year if you are careful.

Chevrolet, Pontiac, (One other!!!)

Is this General Motors. Did they produce the GP vehicle????




GT

(Lurks and awaits another klaxon)

Not that that little outburst swayed me at all () but on second thoughts that NATO stock referencing system is kind of Interesting - I didn't know that and now I do - so I'll be generous:

Taff QI Bonus +6

Ooooh GT's getting excited!

Excellent.

Remember the question is: What quite interesting fact links them?

And it's not GM.

they are or were in the detroit area

did you know that the country directly south of detroit is canada

I did know that and in a way Detroit is very relevant to this question is ALL SORTS of ways...

Right bed-time for me.

G'night.

Let's recap.....


Chief of Ottowa Indians changes name to Pontiac
Son of watchmaker was Chevrolet

Detroit, Michigan.

Laumet??

Try this. Detroit, Michigan is known as 'Motor City' Many US cars made there, including Pontiac, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Was Laumet's surname 'Cadillac'??? If so, that is the link.


If not, it is another klaxon for GT



GT

Was Laumet's surname 'Cadillac?

DGI +1

No his surname was Laumet.

But there's an extra step in there that you've omitted to mention which will garner a fresh pine scent one of the correct answers.

Addendum to above. If Ford is based in Detroit, that is the solution, as Ford made the Jeep, as previously stated!!





GT