Automaker Jeep – from military vehicles to powerful SUVs
As soon as we hear the word Jeep, we immediately associate it with the concept of an SUV. Every car company has its own history, the history of Jeep is deeply rooted. This company has been manufacturing off-road vehicles for over 60 years.
The Jeep brand is part of the Fiat Chrysler Avtomobile Corporation and is its property. The headquarters is located in Toledo.
The beginning of the history of the Jeep brand lies on the eve of World War II. At the beginning of 1940, the United States was actively preparing for war, one of the tasks of the American armed forces was to create a project for an all-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle. At that time, the conditions were extremely tough, and the deadlines were extremely short. Meogo, namely 135 different firms and companies with a certain specialization, were offered the implementation of this project. Only three companies responded satisfactorily, including Ford, American Bentam and Willys Overland. The latter company, in turn, prepared the first drafts of the project, which was soon realized in the form of a Jeep car, which soon became world famous.
It was this company that acquired the priority right to manufacture off-road vehicles for the US armed forces. A large number of machines were invented and tested in the field. This company was granted a non-exclusive license, as the army needed an incredibly large number of vehicles. In second place was Ford Motor Company. And by the end of the war, almost 362,000 and almost 278,000 copies were produced, and already in 1950 Willys Overland secured the right to the Jeep brand, after legal proceedings with American Bentam.
On a level with the military version of the car, Willys Overland decided to release a civilian copy, referred to as CJ (short for Civilian Jeep). There were changes in the body, the headlights became smaller, the gearbox was improved, and so on. Such versions became the foundation for recreating the serial type of the new car.
Founder
The first military SUV was created by the American designer Karl Probst in 1940.
Carl Probst was born on October 20, 1883 in Point Pleasant. From childhood, he was interested in engineering. He went to college in Ohio, graduating in 1906 with a degree in engineering. Then he worked for the American Bantam automobile company.
A world-famous name was brought to him by the project to create a model of a military SUV. Since it was developed for military needs, the deadlines were extremely tight, up to 49 days were given to study the layout, and a number of strict technical requirements for the creation of an SUV were prepared.
Karl Probst designed the future SUV with lightning speed. It took him two days to complete the project. And in the same 1940, the car was already being tested at one of the military bases in Maryland. The project was approved, despite some technical comments from the excessive mass of the machine. Then the car was upgraded by other companies.
Karl Probst ceased to exist on August 25, 1963 in Dayton.
Thus, he made a great contribution to the history of the automotive industry.
In 1953, Kaizer Fraiser acquired Willys Overland, and in 1969 the trademark was already part of American Motors Co, which, in turn, was under the total control of Chrysler in 1987. Since 1988, the Jepp brand has been part of the Daimler Chrysler Corporation.
The military jeep has awarded world fame to Willys Overland.
Emblem
Until 1950, namely before the lawsuit with American Bentam, the logo of the produced cars was “Willys”, but after the proceedings it was replaced by the “Jeep” emblem.
The Jeep logo was depicted on the front of the car: between the two headlights there is a radiator grill, above which is the emblem itself. The color of the emblem is made in military style, namely in dark green. This determines a lot, since the machine was originally created for military purposes.
At the present stage, the logo is executed in a silver steel color, thus characterizing the authenticity of the male trait. It carries a certain brevity and rigor.
