Okla-homey
11/13/2007, 07:40 AM
November 13, 1940: Willys-Overland completes original Jeep prototype
http://aycu22.webshots.com/image/33901/2005118773037562541_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005118773037562541)
In 1939, the U.S. Army asked America's automobile manufacturers to submit designs for a simple and versatile military vehicle. It would be two full years before the official U.S. declaration of war, but military officials, who knew this declaration to be inevitable, recognized the need for an innovative general purpose vehicle for the global battlefields of World War II.
The American Bantam Car Company, a small car manufacturer, submitted the first design approved by the army, but the production contract was ultimately given to Willys-Overland, a company that had a larger production capability and offered a lower bid.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/32842/2005120189277676632_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005120189277676632)
The Willys Jeep, as it would become known during the war, was similar to the Bantam design, and featured four-wheel drive, an open-air cab, and a rifle rack mounted under the windshield. Additionally, the windshield folded down onto the hood so jeeps could be easily stacked aboard ships in large numbers for transport.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/34924/2005102753808390105_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005102753808390105)
67 years ago, on this day, the first Willys-Overland Jeep prototype was completed, and submitted to the U.S. Army for approval. One year later, with the U.S. declaration of war, mass production of the Willys-Overland Jeep began.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/32253/2005130082458998777_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005130082458998777)
By the war's end in 1945, some 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines and onto the battlefields of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Additionally, several thousand were built by Ford under license.The efficient and sturdy four-wheel drive Jeep became a symbol of the American war effort--no obstacle could stop its advance.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/31602/2003232660574605829_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003232660574605829)
The WWII jeep could be loaded aboard a glider for airborne assaults
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/34752/2003299089495257361_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003299089495257361)
And emerge ready to rock and roll after landing in the combat zone
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/34686/2005160646982196296_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005160646982196296)
Vietnam War era jeep fitted w/105mm recoiless rifle
Somewhere along the line the vehicle acquired the name "Jeep," likely evolving from the initials G.P. for "general pupose" vehicle, and the nickname stuck. That's one theory anyway.
The other theory is the "G.P." nomenclature sounded like "Jeep," Popeye's funky and exotic pet that debuted in 1936. Popeye's pet jeep (named Eugene) could go anywhere and American G.I.'s who grew up reading Popeye comics before the war may well have applied the name to the go anywhere car because of Eugene.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/34917/2001122698132956375_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001122698132956375)
Millions of GI's were exposed to the vehicles during the war years, so it was only natural those guys would constitute a potential market for a civilian version sold to the public when the war ended. Apart from the war-surplus Jeeps sold, the company quicly developed a civilian jeep or "CJ".
In 1945, Willys-Overland introduced the first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A--the forefather of today's sport utility vehicles.
http://aycu32.webshots.com/image/33471/2005145260448040823_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005145260448040823)
The Willys-Overland Company was eventually acquired by American Motors. American Motors later became Chrysler. Daimler-Chrysler now owns the marque and sells Jeep's around the world.
http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/32899/2005181714705690907_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005181714705690907)
The latest incarnation of the jeep...the 2008 Jeep Wrangler
http://aycu22.webshots.com/image/33901/2005118773037562541_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005118773037562541)
In 1939, the U.S. Army asked America's automobile manufacturers to submit designs for a simple and versatile military vehicle. It would be two full years before the official U.S. declaration of war, but military officials, who knew this declaration to be inevitable, recognized the need for an innovative general purpose vehicle for the global battlefields of World War II.
The American Bantam Car Company, a small car manufacturer, submitted the first design approved by the army, but the production contract was ultimately given to Willys-Overland, a company that had a larger production capability and offered a lower bid.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/32842/2005120189277676632_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005120189277676632)
The Willys Jeep, as it would become known during the war, was similar to the Bantam design, and featured four-wheel drive, an open-air cab, and a rifle rack mounted under the windshield. Additionally, the windshield folded down onto the hood so jeeps could be easily stacked aboard ships in large numbers for transport.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/34924/2005102753808390105_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005102753808390105)
67 years ago, on this day, the first Willys-Overland Jeep prototype was completed, and submitted to the U.S. Army for approval. One year later, with the U.S. declaration of war, mass production of the Willys-Overland Jeep began.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/32253/2005130082458998777_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005130082458998777)
By the war's end in 1945, some 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines and onto the battlefields of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Additionally, several thousand were built by Ford under license.The efficient and sturdy four-wheel drive Jeep became a symbol of the American war effort--no obstacle could stop its advance.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/31602/2003232660574605829_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003232660574605829)
The WWII jeep could be loaded aboard a glider for airborne assaults
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/34752/2003299089495257361_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003299089495257361)
And emerge ready to rock and roll after landing in the combat zone
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/34686/2005160646982196296_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005160646982196296)
Vietnam War era jeep fitted w/105mm recoiless rifle
Somewhere along the line the vehicle acquired the name "Jeep," likely evolving from the initials G.P. for "general pupose" vehicle, and the nickname stuck. That's one theory anyway.
The other theory is the "G.P." nomenclature sounded like "Jeep," Popeye's funky and exotic pet that debuted in 1936. Popeye's pet jeep (named Eugene) could go anywhere and American G.I.'s who grew up reading Popeye comics before the war may well have applied the name to the go anywhere car because of Eugene.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/34917/2001122698132956375_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001122698132956375)
Millions of GI's were exposed to the vehicles during the war years, so it was only natural those guys would constitute a potential market for a civilian version sold to the public when the war ended. Apart from the war-surplus Jeeps sold, the company quicly developed a civilian jeep or "CJ".
In 1945, Willys-Overland introduced the first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A--the forefather of today's sport utility vehicles.
http://aycu32.webshots.com/image/33471/2005145260448040823_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005145260448040823)
The Willys-Overland Company was eventually acquired by American Motors. American Motors later became Chrysler. Daimler-Chrysler now owns the marque and sells Jeep's around the world.
http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/32899/2005181714705690907_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005181714705690907)
The latest incarnation of the jeep...the 2008 Jeep Wrangler