The demand for the development of a light reconnaissance car was made by the US military in the 1930s, and in mid-July 1940 it announced a competition for a car for a three-member crew with all-wheel drive. Ford, Willys-Overland and the American Bantam Car Company entered the competition. The latter car, nicknamed the “Blitz Buggy”, was tested by the army in late September 1940.
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The car succeeded, but the Ministry of Defense feared that the winner did not have the necessary production capacity, and thus extended the deadline for the two remaining bidders to complete their models. It was unfair to the Bantam, and the competition had meanwhile gained access to the technical documentation of its car.
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War Willys in Siena, Italy during the 1944 campaign.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
The duel of manufacturers first ended in a draw, when the soldiers bought 1,500 cars from each of them. In the summer of 1941, however, the army announced a contract for 16,000 cars, which was won by Willys with its MB model. But neither did Ford come out completely empty. Some of the ordered cars were assembled in his factories, where he obtained a typical flat radiator grille with significant vertical ribbing.
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There are several theories about the origin of the name Jeep
According to one of the theories about the origin of the nickname, which later became its name, it originated from the designation GP (read “jij pi” in English), which carried cars of the original Ford design.
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Other researchers refer to the cartoon series about Pepk the Sailor, in which the character Eugene the Jeep appeared. The animal of indeterminate breed excelled in its dexterity and ability to get out of every mess, as well as the legendary terrain. And in the game is the slang term “jeep”, which soldiers referred to strange-looking and untested parts of the armament.
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In wartime conditions, the jeep proved its worth, and General George Marshall even declared it “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.” The military bought these cars in bulk, and a total of about 650,000 Willys MB and their identical twins, the Ford GPW, were produced. After the war, the civilian version of the jeeps also went well. The US military did not begin replacing the jeep with a brand new car until the late 1950s.
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Jeep Wrangler Rubicon model year 2020
Photo: Petr Hloušek, Právo
Today, the Jeep brand is part of the Chrysler Group. As in the past, its production program consists of classic off-road vehicles, to which fashion sports utility vehicles have been added. They retain some of the typical design elements of the Jeep.
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