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First "JEEP"

Discussion in 'Early Jeep Restoration and Research' started by CJ-515438, Mar 13, 2008.

  1. CJ-515438

    CJ-515438 Banned

    View attachment 21676 Is this the first "jeep". its a bantam i think willys and bantam{dodge} combinded there designs and made the MB please comment if i'm wrong.:beer: p.s click to enlarge.
     
    CJ-515438, Mar 13, 2008
    #1
  2. sammy

    sammy Coca-Cola?

    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 13, 2008
    sammy, Mar 13, 2008
    #2
  3. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    The first "JEEP" as we call 'em around here was the '55 CJ-5. :D

    The first "Jeep"? Sammy was right on.

    If you don't know what I'm getting at, look at the lettering of Jeep on the side of yours compared to others. ;)
     
    sparky, Mar 13, 2008
    #3
  4. sammy

    sammy Coca-Cola?

    Oh, right capital difference vs. no stamping of "Jeep" on the MB. Just Willys IIRC.
    Was the MA not a slat grille?
     
    sammy, Mar 13, 2008
    #4
  5. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    sparky, Mar 13, 2008
    #5
  6. Vanguard

    Vanguard Take Off! Staff Member

    The first jeep was the Bantam Reconnaissance Car or BRC. Bantam developed the BRC under a design contract for the Army. The BRC passed the Army's testing at Camp Holabird and the Government subsequently ordered ~70 vehicles for futher testing.

    The Government then a small production contract to get pilot vehicles from three manufactures - Willys, Bantam and Ford.

    Finally, after the evaluations were complete orders were placed with Willys and Ford, due to their productions capability.
     
    Vanguard, Mar 14, 2008
    #6
  7. CJ-515438

    CJ-515438 Banned

    Oh ya thats right sorry for wastein ya'lls time
     
    CJ-515438, Mar 15, 2008
    #7
  8. Bill F

    Bill F Finally running

    Sparky, all early cj's and my m38 have jeep written on them. It is on the toolbox.
     
    Bill F, Apr 14, 2008
    #8
  9. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    ???? Ok, did I say they didn't?
     
    sparky, Apr 14, 2008
    #9
  10. Bill F

    Bill F Finally running

    I should have quoted your previous post about the cj5 being the first jeep because of it being stamped on the tub
     
    Bill F, Apr 14, 2008
    #10
  11. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    I said the first JEEP stamped on the tub, unless you have JEEP stamped on your early tubs not Jeep?
     
    sparky, Apr 14, 2008
    #11
  12. Fnord5

    Fnord5 El Jeepo Gigantico!

    The first Jeep was made in 1936.





































    [​IMG]
     
    Fnord5, Apr 14, 2008
    #12
  13. willytj

    willytj Jeep connoisseur

    I tend to believe that the first "jeeps" were farm tractors made by Minneapolis Moline in 1938. They were converted from farm tractors. They were not very practical and did not meet the Army's needs. The Army was looking for a small cross country vehicle, not a large tractor type of machine. However, they were created before the "jeep" as we know it and were called "jeep" before Bantam and Willys came along.

    http://www.rollag.com/pages/George_Yokiel-UTX_jeep_jpg.htm

    http://www.rollag.com/pages/1939_MM_UTX_Military_Tractor-George_Yokiel_TIF.htm

    From what I understand, Willys started to use the "jeep" name in their advertising and Minneapolis Moline (MM) took them to court. I have an article which explains the trial. Willys won and was awarded the Jeep name since they were the first to use it in advertising. Although the first vehicles to be called "jeep" were made by MM, Willys got the name since they "used" it first.

    Some consider Bantam to be the first "jeep" but I tend to think it was MM. Attached is an ad from 1944.
     
    willytj, Jun 23, 2008
    #13
  14. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    I don't know about that. MM didn't have any entries for a 1/4 ton light tactile vehicle which is what a Jeep is/was. They may have been called "jeeps" first but you yourself said they weren't what we know as Jeeps. That there would exclude them to me from being the first "Jeep" would it not? If it wasn't a Jeep how was it the first Jeep? I think in the context of this conversation the first Jeep was the Bantam. Now if you want to talk about the first vehicle that was called a "jeep" then you may have a point. Otherwise you're just stirring stuff up on a JEEP forum. ;)
     
    sparky, Jun 28, 2008
    #14
  15. Thunderpig

    Thunderpig Member

    Those MM things look like modified farm tractors to me and even if someone called them a jeep, I don't think it fits well at all.

    I have to say though that I really enjoy these types of threads and reading about the history of these vehicles.
     
    Thunderpig, Jun 28, 2008
    #15