Jeep

Bantam BRC 40
Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of Chrysler. It is the oldest Sports utility vehicle (SUV) brand. Land Rover is the second oldest. The word "jeep" is often used as a generic term, uncapitalized, for any vehicle of this shape and function.

Contents

1 History

1.1 The origin of the term "jeep"
1.2 The origins of the vehicle: The first jeeps

1.2.1 The M715


1.3 The Jeep marque

1.3.1 AM General




2 Jeep model list

2.1 Historical models
2.2 Current models
2.3 Future models
2.4 Concept vehicles
2.5 Special vehicles


3 Jeeps around the world
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links

6.1 Official sites
6.2 Other links


7 Credits



It was use by the United States military during World War I that brought the Jeep to the world's notice. Subsequently, its off-road ability and its rugged but light characteristics have helped to open up inaccessible places, facilitating transport and communication in some of the most isolated locations in the world. It has often been the first type of vehicle to penetrate some terrains, where it provides an essential life-line for those who live there. A house-hold name across the globe, the Jeep is an example of a technology that can be put to good use, or to less ideal uses, according to the circumstances. In one location, it carried troops, in another emergency supplies. Here, it transports narcotics, there it carries medicine. However, it has perhaps been as widely used by humanitarian agencies to reach disaster zones as it has been by the military in the prosecution of armed conflict.

History
The origin of the term "jeep"
There are many stories about where the word "jeep" came from. Although they make for interesting and memorable tales, they are difficult to verify.


Did you know?The Jeep is the oldest Sports utility vehicle (SUV) brand
Probably the most popular notion has it that the vehicle bore the designation "GP" (for "General Purpose"), which was phonetically slurred into the word jeep. R. Lee Ermey, on his television series Mail Call, disputes this, saying that the vehicle was designed for specific duties, was never referred to as "General Purpose," and that the name may have been derived from Ford's nomenclature referring to the vehicle as GP (G for government-use, and P to designate its 80-inch wheelbase). "General purpose" does appear in connection with the vehicle in the WW2 TM 9-803 manual, which describes the vehicle as "… a general purpose, personnel, or cargo carrier especially adaptable for reconnaissance or command, and designated as ¼-ton 4x4 Truck," and the vehicle is designated a "GP" in TM 9-2800, Standard Military Motor Vehicles, September 1, 1943, but whether the average jeep-driving GI would have been familiar with either of these manuals is open to debate.
This version of the story may be confused with the nickname of another series of vehicles with the GP designation. The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, a maker of railroad locomotives, introduced its "General Purpose" line in 1949, using the GP tag. These locomotives are commonly referred to as Geeps, pronounced the same way as "Jeep."
Many, including Ermey, claim that the likelier origin refers to the character Eugene the Jeep in the Thimble Theater (Popeye) comic strip. Eugene the Jeep was dog-like and could walk through walls and ceilings, climb trees, fly, and just about go anywhere it wanted; it is thought that soldiers at the time were so impressed with the new vehicle's versatility that they informally named it after the character. The character "Eugene the Jeep" was created in 1936.
The term "jeep" was first commonly used during World War I (1914–1918) by soldiers as a slang word for new recruits and for new unproven vehicles. This is according to a history of the vehicle for an issue of the U.S. Army magazine, Quartermaster Review, which was written by Maj. E.P. Hogan. He went on to say that the slang word "jeep" had these definitions as late as the start of World War II.
"Jeep" had been used as the name of a small tractor made by Modine.
The term "jeep" would eventually be used as slang to refer to an airplane, a tractor used for hauling heavy equipment, and an autogyro. When the first models of the jeep came to Camp Holabird for tests, the vehicle did not have a name yet. Therefore the soldiers on the test project called it a jeep. Civilian engineers and test drivers who were at the camp during this time were not aware of the military slang term. They most likely were familiar with the character Eugene the Jeep and thought that Eugene was the origin of the name. The vehicle had many other nicknames at this time, such as Peep and Pygmy and Blitz-Buggy, although because of the Eugene association, Jeep stuck in people's minds better than any other term.
Words of the Fighting Forces, a dictionary of military slang, published in 1942, in the library at The Pentagon gives this definition:

Jeep: A four-wheel drive car of one-half to one-and-one-half ton capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty. A term applied to the bantam-cars, and occasionally to other motor vehicles (U.S.A.) in the Air Corps, the Link Trainer; in the armored forces, the ½ ton command car. Also referred to as "any small plane, helicopter, or gadget."[1]
Early in 1941, Willys-Overland demonstrated the vehicle's ability by having it drive up the U.S. Capitol steps, driven by Willy's test driver, Irving "Red" Haussman, who had recently heard soldiers at Fort Holabird calling it a "jeep." When asked by syndicated columnist Katherine Hillyer for the Washington Daily News (or by a bystander, according to another account) what it was called, Irving answered, "It's a jeep."
Katherine Hillyer's article was published on February 20, 1941, around the nation and included a picture of the vehicle with the caption:

LAWMAKERS TAKE A RIDE—With Senator Meade, of New York, at the wheel, and Representative Thomas, of New Jersey, sitting beside him, one of the Army's new scout cars, known as "jeeps" or "quads," climbs up the Capitol steps in a demonstration yesterday. Soldiers in the rear seat for gunners were unperturbed.
This exposure caused all other jeep references to fade, leaving the 4x4 truck with the name.
Willys-Overland Inc. was later awarded the sole privilege of owning the name "Jeep" as registered trademark, by extension, merely because it originally had offered the most powerful engine.

The origins of the vehicle: The first jeeps
 Dashboard of WWII jeep
The first jeep prototype (the Bantam BRC) was built for the Department of the Army by American Bantam in Butler, Pennsylvania, followed by two other competing prototypes produced by Ford and Willys-Overland. Design was said to have been inspired by the Spartan Army uniform. The American Bantam Car Company actually built and designed the vehicle that first met the Army's criteria, but its engine did not meet the Army's torque requirements. Plus, the Army felt that the company was too small to supply the number needed and it allowed Willys and Ford to make second attempts on their designs after seeing Bantam's vehicle in action. Some people argue that Ford and Willys also had access to Bantam's technical paperwork.
Quantities (1,500) of each of the three models were then extensively field tested. During the bidding process for 16,000 "jeeps," Willys-Overland offered the lowest bid and won the initial contract. Willys thus designed what would become the standardized jeep, designating it a model MB military vehicle and building it at their plant in Toledo, Ohio.
Like American Bantam, Willys-Overland was a small company and, likewise, the military was concerned about their ability to produce large quantities of jeeps. The military was also concerned that Willys-Overland had only one manufacturing facility: Something that would make the supply of jeeps more susceptible to sabotage or production stoppages.
Based on these two concerns, the U.S. government required that jeeps also be built by the Ford Motor Company, who designated the vehicle as model GPW (G = governmental vehicle, P showed the wheelbase, and W = the Willys design). Willys and Ford, under the direction of Charles E. Sorensen (Vice-President of Ford during World War II), produced more than 600,000 jeeps.
Besides just being a "truck" the jeep was a vastly multi-purpose vehicle.
The jeep was widely copied around the world, including in France by Hotchkiss et Cie (after 1954, Hotchkiss manufactured Jeeps under license from Willys), and by Nekaf in the Netherlands. There were several versions created, including a railway jeep and an amphibious jeep. As part of the war effort, Jeeps were also supplied to the Soviet Red Army during World War II.
In the United States military, the jeep has been supplanted by a number of vehicles (for example, Ford's M151 MUTT) of which the latest is the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or "Humvee").

The M715
 Jeep M715
In 1965, Jeep developed the M715 1 1/4 army truck, which served extensively in Vietnam. Today it serves other countries, and is being produced by Kia under license.

The Jeep marque
The marque 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 (AMC) purchased Kaiser’s money-losing Jeep operations in 1970. The utility vehicles complemented AMC’s passenger car business by sharing components, achieving volume efficiencies, as well as capitalizing on Jeep’s international and government markets.
The French automaker Renault began investing in AMC in 1979. However, by 1987, the automobile markets had changed and even Renault itself was experiencing financial troubles. At the same time, Chrysler Corporation wanted to capture the Jeep brand, as well as other assets of AMC. Chrysler bought out AMC in 1987, shortly after the Jeep CJ was replaced with the AMC-designed Jeep Wrangler, or YJ. Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler. DaimlerChrysler eventually sold most of their interest in Chrysler to a private equity company in 2007. Chrysler and the Jeep division now operate under the name Chrysler Holding LLC.
Toledo, Ohio, has been the headquarters of the Jeep marque since its inception, and the city has always been proud of this heritage. Although no longer produced in the same factory as the World War II originals, two streets in the vicinity of the old plant are named Willys Parkway and Jeep Parkway.
American Motors set up the first automobile-manufacturing joint venture in the People's Republic of China on January 15, 1984. The result was Beijing Jeep Corporation, Ltd., in partnership with Beijing Automobile Industry Corporation, to produce the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) in Beijing. Manufacture continued after Chrysler's buyout of AMC. This joint venture is now part of DaimlerChrysler and DaimlerChrysler China Invest Corporation. The current model is the Jeep 2500, an updated XJ Cherokee.
Jeep vehicles have "model designations" in addition to their common names. Nearly every civilian Jeep until the mid-2000s has an "xJ" designation, though not all are as well-known as the classic CJ. Chrysler has now changed to an "xK" designation.
A division of Chrysler Holdings, the most recent successor company to Willys, now holds trademark status on the word "Jeep" and the distinctive 7-slot front grille design. The original 9-slot grille associated with all WW2 jeeps was designed by Ford for their GPW, and because it weighed less than the original "Slat Grille" of Willys, (an arrangement of flat bars) was incorporated into the "Standardized jeep" design.

AM General
The history of the Humvee has ties with Jeep. In 1971, Jeep's Defense and Government Products Division was turned into AM General, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Motors Corporation, which also owned Jeep. In 1979, while still owned by American Motors, AM General began the first steps toward designing the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. AM General also continued manufacturing the DJ, which Jeep created in 1953.

Jeep model list
Historical models
Historical Jeep models:

 WWII Willys jeep
1940 Bantam Pilot—Prototype
1940 Bantam BRC-60—Prototype
1940 Willys Quad—Prototype
1940 Ford Pygmy—Prototype
1940 Budd Ford—Prototype
1941 Ford GP
1941 Willys MA
1941 Bantam BRC-40
1942 Willys MB (slat grille)
1942-1945 Willys MB (stamped grille)
1942-1945 Ford GPW
 WWII jeep built by Ford, using the Willys-Overland design
1942-1943 Ford GPA
1944 Willys MLW-1—Prototype (Never Finished)
1944 Willys MLW-2—Prototype
1944 Agrijeep CJ-1
1944-1945 CJ-2
1945-1949 CJ-2A
1946-1965 Willys Jeep Wagon
1947-1965 Willys Jeep Truck
1948-1950 VJ—Willys Jeepster
1949-1953 CJ-3A
1950 CJ-V35
1950-1955 M-38 (MC)
1950 X-98—Prototype
1950 CJ-4—Prototype
1950 CJ-4M—Prototype
1950 CJ-4MA—Prototypes
1952-1957 M38A1 (MD)
1952-1957 M38A1C
1953-1963 M170
1953-1968 CJ-3B
1953 B.C.E. Bobcat—Prototype
1954-1983 CJ-5
1961-1963 Tuxedo Park Mark III
1969 Camper
1969 462
1970 Renegade I
1971 Renegade II
1972-1983 Renegade Models
1973 Super Jeep
1977-1983 Golden Eagle
1977 Golden Eagle California Edition—limited production that were only available through California AMC Dealerships
1979 Silver Anniversary CJ-5 Limited Edition—estimated that perhaps only 1,000 were ever built
1955 USAF DJ
1955 M38A1D
1955-1975 CJ-6
1955-1964 DJ-3A
Surrey Gala Package
1955-1968 CJ-3B Long—Spain
1956-1965 Jeep Forward Control
FC-150
FC-160—Spain, India
FC-170
M676
M677
M678
M679
1959-1978 M151 MUTT
M151A1
M151A1C
M151A2
M718 Ambulance
M718A1 Ambulance
M825
1960-1968 Jeep M606
1960-1977 Jeep Rural—Brazil
1961-1975 Fleetvan
FJ-3
FJ-3A
FJ-6
FJ-6A
FJ-8
FJ-9
1963-1983 SJ Wagoneer
1963-1986 J-Series
Jeep Gladiator
Jeep Honcho
1964-1967 CJ-5A/CJ-6A Tuxedo Park
1965-1975 DJ-5
1965-1973 DJ-6
1966-1969 SJ Super Wagoneer
1966-1971 C101—Jeepster Commando
1972-1973 C104—Jeep Commando
1974-1983 SJ Cherokee
 1974 Cherokee S in action.
S
Limited
Classic
Chief
Sport
Pioneer
Laredo
1967-1975 DJ-5A
1970-1972 DJ-5B
1973-1974 DJ-5C
1975-1976 DJ-5D
1976 DJ- 5E Electruck
1976-1986 CJ-7
1982—Jamboree Limited Edition (2500 examples)
1977-1978 DJ-5F
1979 DJ-5G
1979—CJ-5 Silver Anniversary Limited Edition—estimated that perhaps only 1000 were built)
1981-1985 CJ-8 Scrambler
 1981 Jeep Scrambler
1981-1985 CJ-10
1982 DJ- 5L
1984-1991 SJ Jeep Grand Wagoneer
1991 Final Edition
1984-2001 XJ Cherokee
1984-2001—Base "SE"
1984-1988—Chief
1984-1990—Pioneer
1985-1992—Laredo
1987-1992/1998-2001—Limited
1988-2001—Sport
1991-1992—Briarwood
1993-1997—Country
1996-2001—Classic
1984-1990 XJ Wagoneer
1984-1985—Broughwood
1984-1990—Limited
1986-1992 MJ Comanche
1986—Custom
1986—X
1986—XLS
1987-1992—Base SE
1987-1990—Chief
1987-1992—Laredo
1987-1990—Pioneer
1987-1992—SporTruck
1987-1992—Eliminator
1987-1995 Wrangler YJ
1991-1993 Renegade
1988-1995 Wrangler Long—Venezuela
1993-1998 ZJ Grand Cherokee
 First generation ZJ
1993–1995—Base SE
1993–1998—Laredo
1993–1998—Limited
1995–1997—Orvis "Limited Edition"
1997–1998—TSi
1998—5.9 Limited
1993 ZJ Jeep Grand Wagoneer
1997-2006 Wrangler TJ
 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ
2002 TJ Long
2003 TJ Rubicon
2004 TJ Unlimited
2004—Columbia Edition
1999-2004 WJ Grand Cherokee
2002–2003—Sport
2002–2004—Special edition
2002–2004—Overland
2004—Columbia Edition
Current models
The Jeep brand currently produces five models, but 8 vehicles are under the brand name or use the Jeep logo:

Jeep Renegade BU: Subcompact Sport Utility Vehicle
Jeep Wrangler
JK: Standard wheelbase Compact Sport utility vehicle, 2-door version
JK Unlimited: Long wheelbase Mid-Size sport utility vehicle, 4-door version
J8: Mid-Size military sport utility vehicle; Produced by AIL, AAV, and AEV.
TJL: Compact pickup truck, 2-door version; Produced by AAV.
JL: Short (2-door) and long (4-door) wheelbase SUV; in production since November 2017
Jeep Grand Cherokee: Mid-size sport utility vehicle
Jeep Compass: Compact sport utility vehicle
Jeep Cherokee KL: Mid-size sport utility vehicle
Future models
Jeep Gladiator (JT): mid-size pickup truck, expected to go on sale in early 2019 as a 2020 model.
Jeep Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer: Full-Size SUVs expected for 2021
Concept vehicles
1958 DJ-3A Pickup
1970 XJ001
1970 XJ002
1971 Jeep Cowboy
1977 Jeep II
1986 Cherokee Targa
1987 Comanche Thunderchief
1989 Jeep Rubicon Wrangler
1990 Jeep JJ
1990 Jeep Freedom
1991 Jeep Wagoneer 2000
1992 Jeep Concept 1
1993 Jeep Ecco
1997 Jeep Cherokee Casablanca
1997 Jeep Wrangler Ultimate Rescue
1997 Fender Jeep Wrangler
1997 Jeep Dakar
1997 Jeep Icon
1999 Jeep Journey
1999 Jeep Jeepster Concept
2000 Jeep Cherokee Total Exposure
2000 Jeep Varsity
2000 Jeep Commander Concept
2000 Jeep Willys
2001 Jeep Willys 2
2002 Jeep Wrangler Tabasco
2002 Jeep Wrangler Patriot
2002 Jeep Wrangler Mountain Biker
2004 Jeep Treo
2004 Jeep Rescue
2004 Jeep Liberator CRD
2005 Jeep Hurricane
2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept
2005 Jeep Aggressor (the Rezo)
2007 Jeep Trailhawk
Special vehicles
1958 Oscar-Mayer Wienermobile
Jeeps around the world
Jeeps have been built and/or assembled around the world by various companies.[2]

Argentina—IKA Jeeps 1956-current; now owned by Daimler-Chrysler[3]
Australia—Willys Motors Australia 1940s-1980s[4]
Belgium[5]
Brazil—Willys Overland do Brasil, purchased by Ford 1957-1985[6]
Canada—Kaiser Jeep 1959-1969[7]
Columbia—Willys Columbia[8]
France—Hotchkiss and Auverland 1952-1962[9]
India—Mahindra & Mahindra Limited 1960s-current[10]
Israel[11]
Italy—1950s[12]
Japan—Mitsubishi Jeeps 1953-1998[13]
Korea—Asia Motors, Ltd and SsangYong Motor Company (does not use Jeep name) 1980s-current[14]
Mexico—VAM Jeeps 1946-1987[15]
Netherlands—Nederlandse Kaiser-Frazer 1954-1990s[16]
Philipines—Jeepneys[17]
Spain—VIASA, later sold to Nissan 1960-1990s[18]
Sweden[19]
Turkey—Tuzla 1954-1970s[20]
Venezuela[21]
Notes

↑ Clinton A. Saunders and Joseph W. Blackwell, Words of the Fighting Forces (1942).

↑ Jeeps around the world Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  IKA Jeeps in Argentina Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ History of Jeeps in Australia March 2, 2019.

↑ CJ-3Bs Built in Belgium Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Jeeps in Brazil. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Kaiser Jeep in Windsor, Canada, 1959-69. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Colombia Loves Willys Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Jeeps in France. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Jeeps in India: Mahindra & Mahindra Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Israel Jeeps Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Jeeps in Italy. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Mitsubishi Jeeps in Japan Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Jeeps in South Korea Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ VAM Jeeps in Mexico Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Jan Hogendoorn and Derek Redmond, NEKAF Jeeps in the Netherlands. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Jeepneys of the Philippines. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑  Los Jeeps in Spain. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Review of The Jeep in Sweden by Stig Edqvist Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Tuzla Jeeps in Turkey. Retrieved March 2, 2019.

↑ Jeeps in Venezuela Retrieved March 2, 2019.


ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
Allen, Jim. Jeep. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub. Co., 2001. ISBN 978-0760307977
Foster, Patrick. Standard Catalog of Jeep, 1940-2003. Iola, WI.: Krause Pub., 2003. ISBN 978-0873495226
King, Granville and Willie Worthy. The Jeep Bible 1941-1986, CJ History, Repair, Tuneup, Mods: Written Personally for the Jeep Cult! Holtville, CA: Quellen, 2004. ISBN 978-0961847395
Mann, Jim. Beijing Jeep the Short, Unhappy Romance of American Business in China. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989. ISBN 978-0671620271
Statham, Steve. Jeep Color History. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 1999. ISBN 978-0760306369
External links
All links retrieved July 30, 2022.

Official sites
Jeep Brand Official Web Site
Jeep Australia Official Web Site
Jeep Canada Official Web Site
Jeep Brand Official UK Web Site
Other links
G503
Concept Jeeps

Credits
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