The Jeep was developed for the U.S. Army during WWII by the Willys Motor Company, and its tough four-wheel drive made it the first all-terrain vehicle. By 1945, more than 500,000 had been delivered to the Army and other branches of the armed forces, and allied armies also used it. Germans appreciated the rugged little workhorse and tried to capture them whenever possible. Four companies submitted bids: Willys, Ford, Bantum, and Checker Cab Company. Bantum's bid was too high, and Checker Cab Company had the lowest bid but was rejected because it lacked experience building this type of vehicle. Ford built some Jeeps when demand became so great that Willys could not keep up with production. General Eisenhower counted the Jeep, along with the bazooka, C-47, and atom bomb, among the four greatest contributions to the allied victory.