 In 1939, the United States War Department solicited bids for a universal military vehicle to replace the assortment of civilian vehicles specially modified for military use like the Ford Model T. The design produced by the Willys Overland Company won out over competing designs from Ford and the American Bantam Car Company. World War II had already broken out by the time Willys began full-scale production of what would become America’s first four-wheel drive, quarter-ton dedicated military vehicle. Over 350,000 Army Jeeps, as the vehicle was soon known, would be produced for the war effort and sold to the government for $738.74 per unit.
When the demands of combat in both Europe and the Pacific outstripped Willys Overland’s ability to supply, Ford also built Army Jeeps under license to Willys and in conformance with Willys specifications and blueprints. Though automotive legend and lore abounds regarding the exact origin of the nickname “Jeep,” one story suggests that it may have originated with Ford. For inter-company purposes, Ford classified the little car a “General Purpose” vehicle, abbreviated as “GP.”
In casual conversation, “GP” began to be pronounced “Jeep” and the moniker stuck. Even as Army Jeeps were being produced strictly for government issue, Willys was taking note of civilian interest in the vehicle and as early as 1942 began plans to market the Jeep as a work and recreation four-wheel drive for post-war America.
The Army Jeeps produced during the war were powered by a basic 2.2 liter, in-line four-cylinder engine with a cast iron cylinder head and block. Called the L-4 and derived from the same engine Willys produced for its Whippet passenger car, it delivered 60 horsepower at 3600 rpm. The CJ-2A was the first civilian jeep, produced in 1945. In 1948, Jeep introduced the CJ-3A which, like its predecessor, utilized the same wartime 2.2 liter engine installed in Army Jeeps. By 1953, Willys Overland had been acquired by Kaiser which made major investments in a new four-cylinder powerplant. Dubbed the Hurricane, it initially featured the same 132 cubic inch displacement as the Army Jeeps, but delivered 72 horsepower. The Hurricane was standard in all CJ-series Jeeps until 1962. In 1965, an optional 6-cylinder engine called the Dauntless was available for the CJ-5 with up to 160 horsepower. After Kaiser sold Jeep to American Motors in 1970, Jeep CJ-5s were equipped with 8-cylinder 304 or 360 cubic inch engines.
When Chrysler acquired Jeep in 1987, the CJ line — descendants of the original Army Jeeps of World War Two — was discontinued. Chrysler introduced the new Wrangler, available in 4-cylinder or optional 2.8 liter 6-cylinder models. The company also turned its focus to larger vehicles, with the Jeep Cherokee launching the SUV market that still thrives today. Now a subsidiary of Fiat, Chrysler continues to produce Wrangers and Cherokees. Though the DNA of the original 1941 “general purpose” Army Jeeps has been substantially altered in the 21st century, the name (even if nobody’s sure exactly where it came from) and the legend survive. |
