Brief Jeep History

The United States Military needed light, fast, all terrain reconnaissance vehicles to replace the mules they were using. The need became apparent in early 1940 when Axis powers with mobility and ease had taken France. There were also intelligence reports that the Germans were about to convert the Volkswagen into a military vehicle. The Army put out a call to 130 companies to develop a running prototype in just 49 days.

Some of the original specifications were as follows:
Vehicle weight: approximately 1,300 pounds
Four-wheel drive
Engine: 85 pound-feet of torque
Wheelbase: not more than 80 inches
Tread: Not more than 47 inches
Ground Clearance: Minimum ground clearance of 6.25 inches
Payload: 600 pounds
Cooling System: Good enough to allow a sustained low speed without overheating the engine
(Almeida, 2003, http://www.off-road.com/~early/history.html)

The only companies that responded to the call were The Bantam Car Company and Willies-Overland. The 49 day deadline was impossible for either company and both asked for extensions. An engineer named Karl Probst patriotically went to work for Bantam without salary. In just two days he completed plans for the Bantam prototype, the precursor to the Jeep. Bantam’s first prototype was hand built in just 7 weeks meeting the Army’s 49 day deadline.
Bantam’s negative manufacturing and financial history made the Army officials nervous. Unfortunately for Bantam Willys and Ford both submitted vehicles based on BANTAM’S plans which amazingly were given to them by the Army. All the prototype vehicles exceeded the Army’s specified weight limit which was later deemed unrealistic. Although the Willys Quad exceeded the weight limit it’s “Go Devil” engine was far more powerful the either Bantam’s or Ford’s. The Army contract was awarded to Willys. The Army needed 700,000 vehicles so Willys and Ford produced them together with Willys willingly supplying Ford with their specifications. Bantam was frozen out of the war time effort producing a mere 1,200 vehicles for the Army. During WW II, The Korean War, The Viet Nam Conflict and other political disagreements the Jeep played an important role. Jeeps were used by every branch of the U.S. Military and also by the Allied Forces of Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Jeeps were an important part of all land action. They were used for nearly everything. Jeeps were used to lay communication lines, transport the wounded, and as taxis to transport commanders. I think we all remember General Patton and his ever present Jeep transport.

No one knows for sure how the Willys Quad became know as the Jeep. Some believe it came from a slurring of the acronym G.P. for General Purpose. Others believe “Jeep” came from a reference to “Eugene the Jeep” an old Popeye comic strip by E.C. Edgar. The most credible reference comes from the marketing exploits of a Willys test-driver named Irving “Red” Haussman. He picked the term up from some soldiers during extensive test driving at Fort Holabird Maryland. It is reported that later “Red” gave a demonstration of the “Jeep’s” performance to a group of dignitaries in Washington D.C.
During one of the demonstrations, driving up and down the Capital steps, a reporter asked “Red” what the vehicle was called where upon he said; “It’s a Jeep”. That name has stuck for sixty years. In 1950 Willys applied for and received a United States Trademark Registration for “Jeep”.

Before the end of WW II Willys recognized that the war time popularity of the Jeep could be marketed to civilians. The Jeep had proven itself as an excellent all purpose utility vehicle and had benefits far better than a team of horses. The first civilian Jeep the 1945 CJ-2A soon replaced horse teams as it predecessor did the mule before WW II. It was used as a delivery, work and recreational vehicle all over the United States and Canada. In 1946 Willys introduced the first sedan station wagon and delivery vehicles. This vehicle is the forerunner of the Jeep Cherokee. Willys-Overland’s Jeep production days were over when it was purchased by Henry J. Kaiser in 1953 for 60 million dollars.

Kaiser introduced the Jeep CJ-5 which had the longest, successful run of any Jeep vehicle stretching from 1954-1984. Kaiser made the Jeep CJ an international reality. During Kaiser’s ownership Jeep manufacturing facilities were established in some 30 countries. Jeep vehicles were sold in 150 countries around the world. Kaiser had truly established the Jeep as a world wide symbol of ruggedness and dependability. Jeep production had grown to 600 vehicles a day. In 1970 Kaiser Jeep was bought by The American Motors Corporation.

During the excessiveness of the early 1970’s American Motor Corporation put powerful AMC V-8 engines in the Jeep. They turned the Jeep into a high performance “Muscle Car” as many of the American Automotive Companies did with their own vehicles. Their slogan of “with the guts to come on stronger than ever” became with the guts to fall harder than ever. The Jeep wasn’t designed as a high performance vehicle or to be ‘height modified” as was popular in the early 1970’s. Later that decade an energy crisis and a new society fond of litigations put AMC’S financial situation in crisis. The roll over problems of the powerful Jeeps brought about a string of litigations quite a few of which were settled for millions of dollars. Even though AMC developed a safer Jeep with a wider wheelbase, the Wrangler YJ, it wasn’t enough to save them financially. A little more than a year after the Wrangler YJ was engineered AMC sold Jeep to the Chrysler Corporation.

Although Chrysler was purchased by Mercedes Benz Jeep wasn’t purchased away from them. Chrysler re-engineered the suspension of the Jeep Wrangler YJ to create an independent coil spring suspension and a comfortable ride relative to earlier models in 1997. They call this model the Wrangler TJ. Petersons 4-Wheel and Off Road named this Wrangler 4x4 of the year. This Wrangler model is still sold today and the 2006 model are little different than the 1997 ones. The Wrangler TJ has become popular with different socioeconomic and age groups. The popularity of the Wrangler has even created a Jeep Wrangler sub culture.

There is a fun and substantial Jeep culture that becomes evident when you buy your first Wrangler and notice all the other owners waving to you as you pass each other on the roads.
The Jeep Wave: An honor bestowed upon those drivers with the superior intelligence, taste, class, and discomfort tolerance to own the ultimate vehicle - the Jeep. Generally consists of vigorous side-to-side motion of one or both hands, but may be modified to suit circumstances and locally accepted etiquette. (http://www.dirtroad.com/jeepwave/) It seems Jeep owners are friendlier with one another than other vehicle owners. There is this Jeep camaraderie among Wrangler owners. People will approach and speak with you as if they have known you for some time. There are a lot of group activities and Jeep clubs around the world. Slogans have developed like”It’s a jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand”. “ If you can read this roll me over” placed upside down on a bumper. It’s interesting that an instrument of war created in 7 months but has lasted more than 60 years has over time become an object of fun and relaxation. We can only hope the rest of the world undergoes a like transformation.