18 Feb 2008 08:50:32 | Shannon Brown
The jeep was originally a military vehicle built for the United
States Army during World War II, and later produced in a line of
civilian models. Although not Jeep-brand vehicles, the term is
sometimes used to refer generically to farm or family vehicles
such as the Land Rover, International Harvester Scout, Isuzu
Trooper, Ford Bronco, and Chevrolet Blazer. This category of
vehicles was the root of the SUV era in the 1980s
A road that is only suitable for off-road vehicles is often
called a jeep trail. The most famous is perhaps Black Bear Road,
made famous in the song of the same name by C.W. McCall.
History. The first prototype was built for the Department of the
Army by American Bantam, followed by two other prototypes
produced by Ford and Willys-Overland. Quantities of each of the
three models were then extensively field-tested with the Willys
prototype being chosen for its greater durability and engine
power.
The model MB military Jeep was first built in quantity by
Willys-Overland Motor Company in Toledo, Ohio. Due to their
inability to produce the vast number of vehicles required, the
U.S. government also allowed jeeps to be built by Ford Motor
Company and designated GPW. Combined production by Willys and
Ford during World War II was more than 600,000.
The Jeep was widely copied in countries other than the United
States, one version being made in France by Hotchkiss and in the
Netherlands by Nekaf. There were several different versions
created such as a railway Jeep and an amphibious Jeep. As part
of the war effort, Jeeps were supplied to the Soviet Red Army
during World War II.
In US military use, the Jeep has largely been supplanted by the
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ("Humvee").
A division of DaimlerChrysler, the most recent successor company
to Willys, holds trademark status on the word "Jeep" and the
distinctive 7-bar front grille design. It is said that the
number of people worldwide who can recognize the distinctive
Jeep grille is second only to the number who can recognize
Mickey Mouse and that the Jeep brand is the most famous brand
known worldwide other than Coke.
The mark has gone through many owners, starting in 1941 with
Willys, which produced the first Civilian Jeep (CJ). Willys was
sold to Kaiser in 1953, which became Kaiser-Jeep in 1963.
American Motors bought the company in 1970. The Chrysler
Corporation bought out AMC in 1987, shortly after the Jeep CJ
was replaced with the AMC-designed Jeep Wrangler. Finally,
Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form
DaimlerChrysler.
Jeep vehicles are also produced in Beijing, China, by Beijing
Jeep Corporation, Ltd., a joint venture between Beijing
Automobile Industry Corporation, DaimlerChrysler and
DaimlerChrysler China Invest Corporation, established on January
15, 1984.
Jeep vehicles have "model designations" in addition to their
common names. Nearly every civilian Jeep has a 'xJ' designation,
though not all are as well-known as the classic CJ.
See? So your usual jeep has a story to it.
About Author :
Shannon Brown is the editor of JeepnUsa.com. This site caters to
Jeep owners and
enthusiasts. You can visit the site at:
