Jeep

Jeep

From the AuthorJeep is a word that gets instant understanding in every language. Even in countries where the national pastime is heaping abuse on America, Jeeps are a beloved tool. "Yankee go home, but leave your Jeeps!" This universal appeal is what inspires me to write about Jeeps. That and a rich history full of interesting people and vehicles. In Jeep, I took a few steps outside the traditional Jeep universe to show how the stage was set for the arrival of Americas favorite four-by. That timeline goes back to 1824, believe it or not, and Ive given you an overview of the people, events and vehicles that inspired the development of the diminutive little GI buggy that started all the hoopla. Ive also dug into the origins of the Jeep name and given you some perspective on where that term came from and the vehicles that shared that name before it was trademarked by Willys-Overland. I guarantee most of you a few surprises in Chapter 9! Besides the Jeep hardware youd expect to see, I went out of my way to illustrate elements of the Jeep story that you may not have seen. From the recently found Budd-bodied Ford pilot model, through the pre-standardized models from Bantam, Ford and Willys, the 6x6 Super Jeep of WWII, the elusive CJ-1, the first civilian Jeep, the CJ-4, the "missing link" between the flat-fender and round-fender CJs, the experimental aluminum bodied Willys coupe built on a station Wagon Chassis, and to the rare Jamboree Edition CJ-7, Ive hit many of the high, and sometimes weird, spots of Jeep history. The Jeep went from a single slapped-together pilot model built by a company with one foot in the grave to a vast line of sleek, superbly engineered all-wheel-drive vehicles built by a successful mega-million dollar company in just 60 years. Who would have thought? The times are a-changin, but there still always seems to be a spot in this world for Americas favorite four-letter four-by? Jeep. Hope you enjoy the book!Jim AllenAdapted from a spartan military design, Jeep is today an integral part of the DaimlerChrysler family and a major player in the SUV market. This color history profiles Jeep's remarkable evolution, from the delivery of the first Willys Overland model to Allied military services in 1941, through its years as the bedrock of American Motors, and on to its acquisition by Chrysler. Striking color photography and evocative archival images of classic Jeeps from throughout the years depict such popular and collectible models as CJs, pickups, Jeepsters, Forward Control trucks, military Jeeps, Wagoneers, Cherokees, and Wranglers.About the AuthorJim Allen has been a soldier, a sailor, an ASE Certified Master Auto Tech and an off-highway driving instructor. He's been writing for 4x4 magazines since the early 1980s and is the author of seven books on four-wheeling or technical topics. He's also a small-time farmer in the boondocks of Northwest Ohio.