The original Jeep was not manufactured by Willys or even Ford. The small, bankrupt American Bantam Car Company won the original bid and built the first prototype in an amazing forty-nine days. The progression from concept to mass manufacture is the subject of Paul Bruno’s book “The Original Jeeps.” Paul is recognized as one of the foremost experts on the creation and evolution of the Jeep. He has conducted 25 years of research and written three books on the subject.
The origins of the venerable Jeep can be traced back to the period after World War I when military planners recognized that modern warfare would necessitate more mechanization – horses and mules would no longer cut it. They needed a maneuverable light platform to carry weapons and conduct scouting missions. Witnessing the new German “Blitzkrieg” method of warfare added urgency within the halls of the US War Department.
Paul decided to tell the Bantam story because he considers it one of the great underdog accounts in history. Much of his source material came from 3,547 pages of testimony and 527 exhibits that were a part of a 1944-45 lawsuit. The federal government sued Willys over their advertising claims that they invented the Jeep. Because most of the people involved in development of the Jeep were deposed as part of the court case, Paul says it is a massive oral history.
A rather heartbreaking aspect of this story is that even though Bantam created the first design, Willys and Ford would eventually deliver most of the Jeeps produced. Bantam would only deliver 2,600 vehicles while Willys would build 320,000 and Ford 270,00.
“The Original Jeeps” is a great read filled with extensive research and some intriguing twists and turns.
TAKEAWAY: General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the Jeep “One of the five pieces of equipment most vital to the success in Africa and Europe.”