![]() Was faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. ![]() World War II reporter Ernie Pyle sums up what made the extremely versatile Willys MB great in a better way than anyone else: "It did everything. Adjusted for inflation, that’s around $15,000. The revised MB used to retail at $738.74 back in July 1941 when the Army called for the production of 16,000 units. Around 30 examples of the breed are believed to exist nowadays. Most of them saw action in Russia and the United Kingdom under the Lend-Lease program. Derived from the Quad, the MA flaunts rounded door cutouts, a hand brake on the left side, two circular instrument clusters on the dash, as well as a steering column-mounted shifter. Only three out of 135 automakers responded, the ones mentioned earlier. well, Jeep.īack in 1940, the Army solicited bids from the automotive industry for a quarter-ton reconnaissance vehicle. That said, let’s go through 10 of the models that made Jeep. The undisputed champs are the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. As incredible as it may sound, Jeep sells more vehicles in the U.S. The latter comprises Peugeot, Citroen, DS, and former General Motors-owned brands Opel and Vauxhall. It’s necessary to mention that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is presently a part of Stellantis, as in the cross-border merger with Groupe PSA. If it weren’t for the WWII military vehicle and the CJs that started production in 1945, we wouldn’t have had the likes of the Land Rover Series, Toyota Land Cruiser, and FCA. Over the course of 80-plus years since the World War II command and reconnaissance vehicle entered production, Jeep proved that a four-letter name is more than simply the business card of an automotive brand. That being said, the 4x4 military vehicle would go into mass production in 1941, the same year Irving Hausmann - a test driver on Willys’ payroll - coined the term Jeep during a press event in Washington D.C. Bantam’s limited manufacturing output forced the government to award procurement contracts to Willys and Ford.Īfter producing a limited number of BRC-40s, the Bantam Car Company was tasked with manufacturing trailers. By comparison, Ford named their variant GP, an acronym that stands for government pygmy. Quad is the name given to Willys' pre-production prototype, a name stemming from the four-wheel-drive system. Not only did it use fewer resources than Willys’ grille, but it also inspired Willys to adapt the nine-slot design into the seven-slot grille we all know and love. The Ford Motor Company is credited with the design of the vertical-slot grille. The BRC was further adapted by Willys-Overland and Dearborn’s favorite son. And good golly, the prototype met the United States Army’s criteria for a go-anywhere vehicle, with the notable exception of the engine’s torque. Jokes aside, those blueprints eventually became the Bantam Reconnaissance Car. It’s pretty crazy when you think about it, more so if you remember that certain people take longer to muster up the courage to out of their pajamas. The first glimpse of the go-anywhere-do-anything ethos came in 1940 when a freelance engineer by the name of Karl Probst penned the blueprints for a military reconnaissance vehicle in just two days. ![]() Even the all-electric Avenger and Ram 1500-based Wagoneer twins have that certain something about them, a certain something that only Jeep could pull off. A brand linked to adventure, freedom, and high spirits, Jeep continues to show an unwavering commitment to doing everything in its own way. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |