The Jeep and its competitors
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The original Jeep was designed and developed by the American Bantam Co., a small company who produced the even smaller Austin Seven under licence in the U.S.A.
American Bantam could not produce the large numbers required by the Allied military, so Ford and Willys undertook the bulk of the production, using the more powerful Willys 4 cylinder engine. After World War 2, Willys saw the great potential of this rugged and versatile vehicle and developed it by adding enclosed cabins and larger engines. Jeeps were assembled in Rocklea, near Brisbane, in the 1960s.
The Jeep became the first of many popular four wheel drive vehicles used both commercially and by private individuals. Seeing the usefulness and popularity of the Jeep, especially for the military forces, several manufacturers developed similar four wheel drive vehicles, such as the Land Rover, the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Rolls-Royce powered Austin Champ.
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The original Jeep vehicle was created in only 49 days. During World War 2 Willys and Ford filled more than 700,000 Jeep orders. |
Last updated: 29th May 2008
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