Ren Bernier

Ren Bernier's interest in old jeeps began in 1975 with the purchase and rebuilding of a 1963 Willys cj5. As with many jeep enthusiasts, his focus turned to early military jeeps. In the ensuing years, Ren restored several early civilian and military jeeps, including cj2a, cj3a, M38, MB, and GPW jeeps. In 1998, Ren displayed one of his restored 1942 Ford GPWs at the 23rd International Convention of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania....See more

Ren Bernier's interest in old jeeps began in 1975 with the purchase and rebuilding of a 1963 Willys cj5. As with many jeep enthusiasts, his focus turned to early military jeeps. In the ensuing years, Ren restored several early civilian and military jeeps, including cj2a, cj3a, M38, MB, and GPW jeeps. In 1998, Ren displayed one of his restored 1942 Ford GPWs at the 23rd International Convention of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania. This jeep was later purchased by the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor, Maine. In 2001, another of Ren's restored 1942 Ford GPW's placed first in judging at the 2001 MVPA East Coast Rally at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.Ren served as an official judge of WWII jeeps at the MVPA East Coast Rally in 2002. His articles on early jeeps have appeared in "Willys World," "Army Motors," and "Strut and Axle" magazines. His website, www.rensjeep.com, serves WWII jeep restorers and enthusiasts.His interest in early jeeps has led him to many military vehicle meets across the country, from California to Maryland. In 2001, Ren and a colleague arranged a special visit to the Smithsonian Institution's storage facility to examine and document the Smithsonian's very early Bantam jeep #1007-the only known survivor of the first 60 jeeps built.Ren and his jeeps have participated in numerous parades, trail rides, car shows, and veteran events. He is a long-time member of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association and an exhibiting member of the Owl's Head Transportation Museum in Owl's Head, Maine. He lives in Topsham, Maine, with his wife, Stephanie, and three children. See less