70 years of Jeep: Part 1
As more manufacturers add 4WDs to their product lines, Jeep stands out as the only US brand that has been producing four-wheel-drive vehicles for 70 years.
Grand Cherokee is the flagship of the brand, offering distinctive exterior cues that add appeal for luxury vehicle owners while maintaining a proper measure of Jeep ruggedness to keep brand loyalty strong among current owners. Wrangler is the icon of the Jeep brand, maintaining popularity with its fun and freedom, "go-anywhere, do-anything," image. A direct descendant of the "original" Jeep, it possesses a very rich heritage unique to Jeep - long imitated, but never replicated. Cherokee is the vehicle that started the modern sport-utility boom in 1984, and now the latest Jeep Cherokee continues the Jeep tradition of ruggedness and off-road capability, while adding new levels of on-road durability and refinement.
THE ORIGIN OF THE JEEP NAME
One of the most often asked questions is just how the Jeep name came into being. Many believe it came from slurring the acronym G.P., which could have stood for General Purpose - the U.S. Army's designation for its quarter-ton reconnaissance vehicle. Others say that the Jeep name was used in Oklahoma as early as 1934 for specially equipped trucks used for drilling oil wells.
Others have said that the origin of the Jeep name can be traced to a 1930s Popeye comic strip character, Eugene the Jeep, an impish-looking character from another dimension that had the power to go anywhere and tackle any situation - just like a Jeep vehicle.
But while the origin of the Jeep name is open for debate, what is unquestionable is that the Jeep brand name has survived decades of corporate and market changes, testimony to its brand equity and worldwide recognition. Following is a decade by decade look at the history and heritage of Jeep, its vehicles and brand.
THE BEGINNING OF JEEP: 1940-1946
Willys-Overland wins U.S. Army contract
First Jeep is huge success in World War II service
As early as 1938, as hostilities began to flare in Western Europe, the United States Army put the word out to all automobile manufacturers that they were searching for a new vehicle to replace the motorised tricycle/side-car combination traditionally used for messenger and advance reconnaissance duties. By the summer of 1940, the Army had refined its ideal to a general-purpose vehicle that should be light, manoeuvrable, tough, reliable and agile. Detailed specifications were to be met, and three companies took up the challenge.
Ford, Bantam and Willys-Overland worked feverishly until each company had produced 1500 models for field tests. Ultimately, it was the Willys-Overland model that got the nod (especially at its $738.74 price), with a few improvements adapted from the Ford and Bantam models. Thus, the Jeep began its journey on July 23, 1941, when Willys-Overland of Toledo, Ohio, landed the contract with the US Army to produce the Willys MB during World War II.
The troops loved the MB. Renowned Army correspondent Ernie Pyle said, "I don't think we could continue the War without the Jeep. It does everything. It's as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It carries twice what it was designed for, and keeps on going." The Jeep was so versatile that new uses for the vehicle and its various parts were always being found.
The Jeep served in every WWII theatre as a litter bearer, machine gun firing mount, reconnaissance vehicle, pickup truck, front-line limousine, ammo bearer, wire layer and taxi. The vehicles carried the wounded to safety and hauled .37mm anti-tank cannons to firing sites.
Testimony to the vehicle's success is the fact that during the war period, more than 600,000 Jeep vehicles were produced.
