Jeep History
During World War II the U.S. Army put out a call to manufacturers for a light weight, all terrain vehicle to transport troops. Willys-Overland and Bantam (The American Bantam Car Co) were the only ones to step up to the plate. Bantam beat Willys to the deadline and secured the first Jeep' contact in 1940.
The initial order was for 70 vehicles. The next 69 were slightly modified from the prototype and designated Mark II. Only one of the original 69 Mark II's has survived and is on display at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum in Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Willys, Ford, and Bantam all worked together and mixed and matched designs in the beginning. The Willys Quad and the Ford Pygmy were based on the Bantam design. The Quad had a powerful (for that time) 60 hp engine but was far too heavy for the Army's weight requirements.
Bantam would eventually be cut out of the picture and took issue with Willys-Overland pronouncing the awesome little vehicle was of their design. Bantam made it difficult for Willys to get the Jeep trademarked. This wouldn't occur until 1950.
Despite its weight, the Quad nevertheless was the closest to specifications and after the Army raised their weight limit, Willys-Overland was given the next contract. The contract was non-exclusive due to the high number of vehicles needed and Willys shared the design with Ford. Willys and Ford built more than 700,000 of these Army vehicles during WW II.
The first of the Ford GP's were born in 1941. The GP was thought by many people to have meant general purpose, but in truth it was just a manufacturing designation by Ford. The G stood for government and the P indicated the 80 inch wheelbase.
Jeep CJ's, two wheel drive Jeep station wagons (the first all steel) and trucks, and the Jeepster made their appearance right after WW II. Jeep would later make four wheel drive optional on the cars and trucks. Willys-Overland was bought by Kaiser in 1953. Under Kaiser, the CJ-5 made its debut in 1954 and went on to be produced for more than thirty years. The Wagoneer was born in 1962, and would be the predecessor of the Cherokee.
The American Motor Corporation bought Kaiser in 1970. AMC took the four wheel drive market and ran with it. Under AMC the Jeep would be given V-8 engines for the first time. The longer wheel base CJ7 was brought out in 1976 and for the first time; a CJ model was offered with a hard top and steel doors.
In 1987 the CJ series was discontinued and replaced by the YJ Wrangler series. The Wrangler answered the public call for a smoother ride and sharper appearance without sacrificing the Jeep's off road performance.
The Jeep/Eagle division of Chrysler came into being when AMC was bought by Chrysler in 1987. It has been under Chrysler's reign that the Grand Cherokee has become so popular. Right hand drive models were of course available in Jeep's early years but it was under Chrysler the mass production of right hand drive models sold to the U.S. Postal Service began.
The Jeep has been well known for its reliability and durability for decades. There is a model to suit any desire from mud bogging to a luxury ride. Here's to 60 more years of Jeep history. Oh, and of course a history of Jeep is incomplete without the burning questionwhere did the name Jeep come from? Sorry to disappoint but no one will ever know for sure. Believe in your favorite version, mine is the cartoon character from Popeye; Eugene the Jeep who could accomplish amazing feats.
The long and distinguished history of Jeep vehicles includes much more than can be included in one article. For more information make sure to visit the links provided below.
Petersens's 4 wheel & Off Road http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/thehistoryof/80558/index.htmlandThe Heritage Region Jeep Alliance http://www.hrja.org/jeep.htm
