U.S. Military Jeep Turns 75 Years Old

In the summer of 1940, the U.S. Department of the Army contacted l35 manufacturers about building prototypes of a small, four-wheel-drive vehicle that soldiers could use in field and battle situations. Army officials saw the need for a small, reconnaissance vehicle more than a year before the Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that pushed the country into World War II.

This early, almost desperate request from the U.S. Army indicated the feelings among military leaders that America was destined to join the war being waged in Europe by Japan and Germany. The rugged, multipurpose Jeep started its production run eight months before the United States was attacked on December 7, 1941. This gave America a leg up on one critical piece of war machinery.

Only three vehicle manufacturers responded to the Army’s 1940 request for prototypes of what became the Jeep. The Army set an unrealistic deadline of 49 days for a working model that could be tested. The American Bantam Car Co. met the deadline and provided the first model the Army accepted. Willys Overland and Ford Motor Company won the other two contracts the government provided. The manufacturing began in August,1941.  Bantam pulled out early after producing 2,700 vehicles. Financial problems caused American Bantam to switch to manufacturing military trailers.

Working together, Willys provided Ford with the engine the Army insisted had to propel the vehicle at least 70 miles per hour. The Army’s short deadline included an impossible requirement for a weight limitation of no more than 1,300 pounds. Willys’ prototype weighed about 2,000 pounds because of the large engine needed to meet the speed requirements. The Army relented and accepted the heavier vehicle.

The versatile vehicle was used by all branches of American military as well as the country’s allies during WWII. After the war, civilian models have been sold since 1945. Jeeps had many updates and improvements that kept them in use well into the time of the Viet Nam war. Bigger, more sophisticated vehicles are part of the military inventory today.

The name Jeep became the unofficial designation long before the Willys Quad and the Ford Pygmy started production in August, 1941. Origins of the word jeep (with a small j) appear in military materials as early as the 1920’s. Jeep is a generic term for any unproven or experimental piece of military equipment.

Looking in a military material catalog, one would see the official description of the Jeep as a one-quarter ton, 4x4 Army truck. One explanation of the name Jeep is that it is the slurring of the descriptions government purpose or general purpose.

Another more colorful explanation comes from a character in the Popeye the Sailor cartoons and comic strip series. The Jeep was a magical, lovable character who could make himself invisible. The only word he spoke was “jeep.” His dependable and helpful personality made military people compare him to their favorite Jeep vehicle.

The civilian Jeep has had several owners. Today it’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Jeep remains headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, where it started as a civilian company.  

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