Great Cars: JEEP

the Jeep is a legend but evokes images of freedom a distinctly American vehicle that gave us the ability to kill as and where we please it's rugged roots go back to World War Two where it's served on every battle fact the original Jeep designers would be amazed to see how much has changed and where it is today the Jeep has become an American night a part of history [Music] [Applause] [Music] every jeep is designed to be off-road capable even though hardly anyone uses the Jeep that way they could unlike most other sport utility vehicles that have spawned on the roads of America the Jeep can take it to the extreme it can also navigate the path to the grocery store office or mall being at home on any road is part of jeeps heritage the military started a search for an off-road vehicle to replace the horse just after World War one though the quest had trouble getting funded without the pressure of a looming war the army experimented with different vehicles light duty four-by-fours became popular trucks for military use there was stiff competition to win government contracts GM Ford and Dodge offered competing half-ton offerings dodge took the brass ring from its bigger competitors with its VC the BC series was often in command car pickup and to carry all body styles BC trucks began a dynasty and military transport had lost it nearly 30 years the VC was an adaptation of the civilian line of Dodge trucks take a one-ton chassis strip it of all the necessary body parts at 4-wheel Drive and military hardware and you have a successful army truck these vehicles especially the command car were often called jeeps by the soldiers who drove them it's thought Jeep referred to a general purpose vehicle GP or Jeep the type of vehicle changed but the name stuck the VC had its place but there was still a need for a lighter smaller more maneuverable combat vehicle the army did some experimenting on its own with a $500 budget Captain Robert Howie and Master Sergeant MC Wiley built a prototype machine gun carrier when it hit the ground in April of 1947 it was called the belly-flop ER the search continued by 1939 Europe was at war and the military needed to act quickly to find a combat vehicle they asked 135 companies to submit designs only a few replied one respondent specialized in building small vehicles the American Bantam car company in Butler Pennsylvania Benton held the license to produce a version of the small British family car the Austin Seven the baby Austin was a big seller all over the world but not in the United States the teetering Bantam jumped to the chance to win this lucrative government contract for a lightweight combat vehicle this could solve bantams financial worlds incredibly the army wanted a design in just 11 days at a prototype 49 days later the clock was ticking and the nearly bankrupt company twisted the arm of an ace engineer car approached to come to the rescue within five days the design was accepted by August 1st 1940 he had a small team working on the first prototype it had to be ready by September 23rd they made it Probst and plant manager Harold Crist set off in a prototype on the 250 mile drive to Camp Holabird Maryland and they were having so much fun they put another hundred and fifty miles on the car while traipsing through the countryside the army testers put it through a rigorous exam it had to be combat tough the vehicle was a little overweight but the army revised the requirements and the Bantam blitz buggy was accepted while the army liked the Benton they had doubts about the company's ability to mass-produce it Ford and Willis Overland had also entered vehicles in the competition these were companies with more capacity and better government connections than Ventus both Ford and Willis are awarded the contracts to build what would become known as the G the Bantam didn't lose out completely it was asked to build trailers [Music] over 125 jeeps a day started coming off the assembly lines at a cost of 739 dollars each there's some controversy about how the vehicle became known as a Jeep while most believe who was slang for general purpose others think it came from a comic book character whatever his origins Willa's president Joseph Frazier had the presence of mind to register Jeep as a trademark [Music] on December 7th 1941 just one month after G production began the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor America declared war started to mobilize soldiers were soon introduced to the Jeep most weren't sure what to make of the funny-looking convertible they didn't take long for the GIS to embrace the Jeep as a tough and able companion on the front lines general Stilwell as troops were among the first to test the Jeep they were trapped on the Burma Road between the advancing Japanese army and treacherous mountain passes leading to India the jeeps were lifesavers their four-wheel drive carrying the troops safely out of harm's way the Jeep served in every World War two theater as a litter Bearer machine gun firing mount reconnaissance vehicle pickup truck frontline limousine ammo carrier taxi and all-round utility vehicle you go up the track you turn the Jeep [Music] [Applause] all packed up and off you go [Music] it intercepted fuel tankers destined for Rommels armored forces in Egypt and help to turn El Alamein into a decisive Allied victory from the sands of the Sahara to Guadalcanal the Battle of the Bulge the liberation of Italy in Germany the Jeep showed he could get the job done high-ranking civilians rode in them when they came to see the troops King George Queen Elizabeth then Franklin Roosevelt became fans when they visited the front [Music] the jeeps fame spread when Hollywood's elite were enlisted for war bond beauties more than 1 million were built during the war the general Marshall called it the greatest contribution to modern warfare after the war Willy's decided to build a civilian version they called the new vehicle the CJ or civilian Jeep though similar to its combat cousin it had some new features like powered windshield wipers softer Springs and a choice of more colors than olive drab green there were special versions for farmers and others who needed a heavy-duty workhorse it could handle many tasks [Music] Willa's broadened its range when it introduced an Allsteel bodied Jeep wagon this ancestor of the modern SUV could haul seven people it was a bit sluggish with a top speed of only 65 miles per hour but it set the stage for things to come it was advertised as the common sense car that leads a double life in 1949 will ISM beefed it up by adding four wheel drive and a six cylinder engine this allowed it to go just about anywhere people who wanted to explore the back roads or whose jobs took them off the highways liked the new wagons however the average buyer wanted more amenities a few decades ahead of its time the Jeep was still evolving into the ultimate recreational vehicle for the time being it was consigned to be a workhorse and delivery wagon [Music] instead of just using the cheap name willies stamped its logo on these vehicles as part of its fights with Benton Bentham was in litigation over the origin of the Jeep trade name before the Federal Trade Commission Willy's finally won the right to use the chief name on its products and created a brand that had lasting value without a war to worry about and with the economy booming people were looking to have some fun the young stylists Brooks Stevens had something for them the Jeep State this 2-door roadster had some upper-class pretensions they called it the sport Phaeton while it was sporty it wasn't really in the same league as the flashy cars of rich Playboy's from the thirties marketing hood spur aside Stevens had created a lovely and fun new vehicle unfortunately not enough people were taken with the Jeepster at the time today one in excellent condition can bring almost $20,000 [Music] Willa's couldn't crack the suburban market but he had a good feel for drivers needing at rugged vehicles it was a workhorse that appealed to anyone who needed to handle oversize tasks its reputation kept growing the Jeep hadn't been completely snubbed by the urban elite in 1951 the Museum of Modern Art called it one of the world's automotive masterpieces museum officials said although it looks like a sardine can on wheels it has the combined appeal of an intelligent dog and a perfect gadget when the Korean War broke out the Jeep was back in action stars like Marilyn Monroe liked to pose in it when they visited the troops the name willys-overland had become famous but in 1953 a new owner took over Henry Kaiser Kaiser became rich building Liberty ships during World War two after the war he turned his attention to automobile manufacturing and eventually health care in 1953 shortly after Kaiser took over one of the most popular four-wheel drive vehicle models ever produced was launched the cj5 this was continually improved with more power better transmissions comfort and styling until it was replaced with a new model in 1983 Kizer poured money into research and engineering to broaden the reach of the four-wheel drive market he opened plants in 30 countries and sold jeeps around the world this growth set the stage for the 1960s boom in recreational off-roading Americans were looking for ways to get out and explore the world families jumped onto the Jeep bandwagon and headed for the hills off-roading gave them a way to see things they'd never seen before it was a chance to get back to nature and have fun Kaiser had some ideas about how to serve these adventurers in the fall of 1962 he introduced a breakthrough therefore the Wagoneer this is a completely redesigned station wagon that came in either two or four-wheel drive it was perfect for taking a big family on an outing or for hauling stuff around town many consider the introduction of the Wagoneer to be the real birth of the sport utility vehicle it was the company's first all-new civilian sport huge even offered an automatic transmission a first for any four-wheel-drive vehicle at the same time the company's name was changed from Willy's to the kaiser-jeep corporation Jeep was the one to beat [Applause] others scrambled to service market International Harvester introduced its 4x4 the Scout Ford launched the Bronco in August of 1965 this compact 4x4 has earned a cult-like following among four-wheel-drive and collector car enthusiasts the competition wasn't just from the United States Toyota's landcruiser was also transformed from a bare-bones back roads vehicle into a larger more family-friendly competitive [Music] in the 80s when land rover arrived with its Porsche Range Rover it was clear that luxury couldn't be ignored these expensive alternatives sent a signal but the Jeep had to change the Wagoneer was no longer the leader but Kaiser didn't have the money to transform Jeep in February of 1970 American Motors builders of the gremlin and pacer purchased the kaiser-jeep corporation with accommodation of cash stock and notes totaling 70 million dollars [Music] AMC knew it had to revamp the Jeep and set up two subsidiaries one for civilian jeeps and another one AM General for military vehicles by 1974 AMC was ready to launch the most successful Jeep ever the Cherokee at first the sporty Cherokee was similar to the more luxurious Wagoneer but it would eventually eclipse everything else called a Jeep and a half it offered what sports and recreation minded families wanted [Music] by the end of the decade the company was again facing cash problems to keep up with a competition it needed to update the charity and its other fair place [Music] a MC turned to the French company Renault for help Renault was looking for a way to broaden its reach into the American market and AMC needed money a cash injection from Renault enabled AMC to revamp the jeeps aging Toledo Ohio Factory and start work on a new model [Music] the result was the all-new Cherokee for the XJ series AMC had poured 250 million dollars into its vehicle modernization the two and four-wheel-drive Cherokees dominated the market for years unfortunately AMC's other vehicles didn't attract buyers this company one of the last American independence have been formed in the 1950s by combining Hudson and Nash they tried to stave off the power of the big three GM Ford and Chrysler but it was in a downward spiral and could no longer compete the only solution was to sell [Music] in August of 1987 after its own brush with corporate demise the Chrysler Corporation was in the market for acquisitions its chairman Lee Iacocca snapped up AMC he turned its car line into the Jeep Eagle division of Chrysler but the prize was cheap Chrysler knew it had bought one of the most valuable brands in the world and determined to make the most out of this all-american symbol it landed Jeep just as the sport utility market started to take off more people were thinking seriously about ditching the family sedan and jumping into an SUV Chrysler started to prepare its old plant in the heart of Detroit for a new Jeep this Phoenix like structure sprang from the ashes of a city that had been hit hard by decades of economic downturns the factory would produce a companion for the Cherokee the Grand Cherokee Chrysler wanted a new plant for its more luxurious SUV the birth of the Grand Cherokee in 1992 helped to change America's driving habits this car was a hit [Applause] but the overall boom in SUVs generated a backlash some critics protested there poor gas mileage and others pointed to safety concerns neophytes who bought these macho machines to tool around in didn't realize that most SUVs weren't designed to handle like passenger cars the high center of gravity was ideal for four ting streams and clearing boulders on a trail but it could make high speed cornering risky these were not low-slung sports cars consumers needed to be educated about the differences some learned how to handle their vehicles by taking part in organised outings like the Jeep Jamboree the jeeps were ideal for off-roading the drivers experienced life beyond the North American Road system it was a challenge to go where no traffic lanes were marked ruff uphill and downhill trails were all part of the fun getting back to nature took some skill but too many it was worth it interest in off-roading created a need to educate owners about the potential harm they could do to the natural areas they wanted to see Jeep sponsored programs like tread lightly to spread the word about driving responsibly and protecting the environment [Music] [Applause] to some off-roaders the fun isn't about forging trails in the backcountry it's about climbing rocks these folks refer is a challenge of the seemingly impossible they're highly modified jeeps are designed to go where mountain climbers should fear to tread it's quite a sight it's not a race but a slow painstaking inch by inch climb up crevices this is not a sport for the uninitiated while the Jeep was forging trails in the suburbs and parklands of the united states its former sibling am general was building a new military vehicle American Motors had sold AM General and it was hard at work on a direct descendant of the military Jeep the Humvee Jeep made a break with the army but hasn't severed the connection to its patriotic rules a new smaller Jeep is called the Liberty what the future will hold for Jeep is hard to say the company says it will always be a vehicle that never wavers from its go anywhere four-wheel drive heritage [Music] whatever direction Jeep has successfully traveled a rough road that was first conceived over a five-day map rush at the drawing boards hard to imagine perhaps that this crash effort could have produced something that's lasted for more than 60 years in the process the Jeep has truly become an American icon [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: King Rose Archives

Views: 148,719

Rating: 4.8549771 out of 5

Keywords: Bantam cars, Willys, Kaiser Jeep, WWII, American Motors, AMC, Chrysler, Fiat Chrysler, Off roading, four wheel drive, Jeep, Rubicon

Id: yL7FTB3Oi_k

Length: 25min 6sec (1506 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 23 2017