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Army Jeep Trivia
How did the Jeep get its name? The term "Jeep" is a widely debated subject. The most common belief is that the name is derived from the GP designation that the Ford company gave the vehicle, where people blended the two letters together to make a word. Others believe that it came from the term that the Army used to designate untested vehicles – they simply referred to them as jeeps. A third alternative is that the name came from Eugene the Jeep, a character in Popeye. When was the Jeep first made? The Army Jeep was first introduced in 1941. The first Jeep rendition, however, was the Bantam BRC. Afterwards, the Army allowed Willys-Overland and Ford to make the Army Jeeps that were to be used for combat. How many variations are there? - There have been more than 74 different models of jeeps through the years, including Army Jeeps and Civilian Jeeps - There are currently 6 models of jeep in production. They include: the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Grand Cheerokee, the Jeep Liberty, the Jeep Commander, the Jeep Compass, and the Jeep Patriot - There are 37 different Jeep concept vehicles When was the first Civilian Jeep produced? 1944 by Willys-Overland. Designated as a CJ (civilian jeep), they retained the basic form and design of the Army Jeep until 1986, when it was revamped and became the Jeep Wrangler. Care to bet on that? By 1940, the Army set up a competition to all automotive companies in an attempt to quickly find a suitable vehicle for the war. With a bid end date of July 22, 1940, the companies who had decided to enter had 49 days to prepare and present a suitable prototype, and then had another 75 days to finish the required 70 vehicles. They also had to fit certain specifications: - four-wheel drive - a three person crew - a 75 inch wheel base or less - tracks of 47 inches or less - a windshield that could be folded down against the hood - a payload of at least 660 pounds - have a single engine that could reach 85 ft-lbf of torque, - have a total weight of no more than 1300 pounds (or, 590 kg) Needless to say, only three companies entered: Ford Motor Company, Willys Motors, and American Bantam Car Company. Although Willys offered the lowest price, American Bantam was the only entry that completed the prototypes in time. Unfortunately, it failed the torque test, and the competition was re-opened to Ford and Willys. Other Facts: ~ Jeeps have been produced and assembled worldwide over the years. Locations include: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey ~ Ford tried to sue Willys for the Jeep naming rights, and lost. When Willys was sold to other companies, the name Jeep went with it. Therefore, Chrysler is now in possession of the Jeep name. ~ There were a total of 647,925 Jeeps made during World War II. ~ "Good Lord, I don't think we could continue the war without the jeep. It does everything. It goes everywhere. It's as faithful as a dog, strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It constantly carries twice what it was designed for, and keeps on going. It doesn't even ride so badly after you get used to it." -- Ernie Pyle, Army Official Correspondent Happy Jeeping! Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com R. Harris has owned a Jeep since he was 16 and loves writing about his passion at Army Jeeps for Sale. |
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