Badge of Honor: Jeep's heroic 75-year campaign

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Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

Vehicles stormed through war and battles that followed

Not much that is truly groundbreaking in this world was created by committee.

Innovation simply doesn't work that way.

But in the automotive realm, we have one giant exception, and it is Jeep -- a vehicle forged in the crucible of war that grew into one of the world's most recognized brands, automotive or otherwise.

Jeep is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the brand this week. The birth of Jeep is a complicated story that is subject to many interpretations. But on July 16, 1941, Willys-Overland Motor Co., of Toledo, Ohio, received the first contract to produce the Willys MB for use by the American military.

A public celebration will follow next month, but this weekend, thousands of Fiat Chrysler workers in Toledo will gather for a private company picnic to commemorate the beginnings of the brand.

Jeep's early history is legendary. Its role in helping defeat the Axis powers during World War II is undeniable.

On the battlefield, the Jeep was fast, nimble and tough. It could handle nearly any terrain, and when it did get stuck, it was light enough for soldiers to lift free. It towed anti-tank weapons that could be deployed quickly, and it could mount a machine gun for fighting infantry.

The Jeep also served as an ambulance on the battlefield. It forded rivers and traversed lakes, it came ashore on D-Day, and it carried the Allies all the way to Berlin and onto Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima and, eventually, onto the mainland shores of a defeated Japan.

But Jeep's postwar life has been a decades long trail of both rousing successes -- and abject failures.

One weak corporate owner after another failed, yet Jeep has soldiered on. Today, Jeep carries Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as the automaker struggles to compete with more powerful, profitable global competitors.

Prewar baby

Jeep had a complicated birth, and much controversy remains about its origin. But some facts are undisputed.

As World War II began to ravage Europe and Asia, the War Department realized the armed forces needed a small reconnaissance vehicle. It put out requests for proposals to U.S. automakers on an extremely aggressive timetable.

Initially, only two poorly financed small-car specialists responded: American Bantam Car Co., of Butler, Pa., and Willys-Overland, of Toledo, Ohio.

The first prototype military Jeep was developed by Bantam. Designed in 18 hours by Karl Probst, a freelance auto designer from Detroit, the 1,840-pound Bantam exceeded the Army's expectations during initial testing in September 1940.

The War Department, however, had concerns about Bantam's ability to meet the military's capacity needs. As a result, it invited Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Co. to bid on the reconnaissance vehicle contract, this time using Probst's design as a guidepost and allowing engineers from the two automakers to inspect and measure the Bantam.

Each automaker crafted a vehicle that was intended to meet the War Department's specifications -- but with varying success. The Willys Quad had the most powerful engine -- the 60-hp Go Devil four-cylinder, which gave it a significant power advantage. The Ford Pygmy had superior craftsmanship, and it featured a flat hood and flat fenders that the War Department judged as useful improvements. The Bantam, now updated from its original design, was the lightest and most fuel-efficient.

After conducting rigorous testing in Maryland, the War Department sought final bids and awarded the first production contract to Willys-Overland. A second production contract for the same design later was awarded to Ford to meet demand.

More than 637,000 Jeeps were built by Willys and Ford during World War II, while Bantam was awarded a contract to build quarter-ton trailers that were pulled behind the MB. Even today, remnants of Jeep's birth by committee exist on the MB's descendent, the Jeep Wrangler. For example, the "T" latches still used to hold down the hood were a Ford innovation, as was the single-piece, stamped slotted grille with round headlights that Jeep also uses as a logo.

Civilian Jeeps

Jeep's wartime history is well-documented, but the transition to civilian life is less so.

As World War II began to wind down, Willys executives began thinking about the Jeep's postwar existence. It didn't have to look far for a design. Willys took the MB and modified it, improving the headlights and seats and giving it a tailgate. The production version became the Willys CJ-2A. It also introduced other innovative vehicles, including the 1946 Willys Station Wagon -- the first such station wagon to be built completely of steel -- and the 1947 Jeep pickup.

The company had two secret weapons, argues Patrick Foster, author of four books on Jeep, including 2014's Jeep: The History of America's Greatest Vehicle.

"Willys-Overland had always had a policy to sell at least 15 percent of its production for overseas sales, even way back into the 1920s," Foster said last month. "But the other thing that helped was that, what Willys did was really the ultimate free sample: When World War II ended, the Army left Jeeps all over the world."

In the decades following World War II, Jeep retained a small but loyal civilian following and remained largely reliant on its military contracts for volume and profitability.

It continued to develop innovative civilian designs -- such as the 1957 FC-170 (for Forward Control), the 1963 Wagoneer SUV and 1963 Gladiator pickup -- while further developing its line of Jeep military vehicles.

However, Jeep's ownership structure wasn't stable. Willys-Overland was purchased by Kaiser Manufacturing Co. in 1953. In 1963, the company dropped the Willys name, becoming Kaiser-Jeep Corp. Six years later, in 1969, the company was acquired by American Motors.

AMC was not in strong financial shape when it acquired Jeep. In 1978, French automaker Renault purchased 25 percent of the struggling domestic automaker.

Jeep sales were a strong point in the AMC lineup, and it was under AMC's ownership that one of the most innovative and popular Jeep vehicles, the XJ Cherokee, was developed. Designed by Roy Lunn and Bob Nixon, the XJ Cherokee that debuted for the 1984 model year was a unibody SUV, something no other automaker had ever done. The XJ's simple, boxy shape drew classic styling cues from Jeep's heritage, but its design was elegant, and its off-road capabilities were unmatched by anything short of a Jeep CJ.

Though modifications were made over its long production life, the XJ Cherokee's production ran for 18 years -- through two subsequent ownership changes -- until 2001 and totaled over 2.7 million vehicles.

That next ownership change came in 1987, when AMC was acquired by a newly resilient Chrysler Corp. and its boss, Lee Iacocca.

"Jeep Curse'

Jeep's string of owners tended to struggle, giving rise to an unflattering explanation for their collective failures: the "Jeep Curse." From Bantam to Willys to Kaiser to AMC, each corporate entity that had acquired Jeep had subsequently failed -- more often than not for reasons that had little to do with Jeep.

Yet Iacocca coveted Jeep. He recognized that the off-road brand complemented Chrysler's offerings. "We aren't just combining our strengths. We're increasing them," the former Chrysler chairman declared when Chrysler purchased AMC for $1.5 billion.

Former Delphi CEO Steve Miller negotiated Chrysler's deal to buy AMC from Renault in 1987. In his 2008 book, The Turnaround Kid, Miller recalled the reaction at Chrysler after it had acquired Jeep.

"Sixty days after we acquired the company, almost every executive at Chrysler had replaced his car with a Jeep," Miller wrote. "The parking lot outside our office looked like a Jeep dealership."

In most respects, Iacocca was right: The addition of Jeep -- along with key executive additions such as Francois Castaing -- made Chrysler a more valuable company. Chrysler used its resources to improve existing products such as the XJ Cherokee, and in 1992, introduced the ZJ Grand Cherokee by driving it through a plate-glass window at the Detroit auto show.

And as Jeep's popularity grew, so did Chrysler's profitability. The No. 3 U.S. automaker had become a potent global player with the addition of Jeep and consumers' nearly limitless demand for SUVs.

Ultimately, Chrysler drew interest from Daimler AG, which, in 1998, combined with Chrysler in a $38 billion "merger of equals."

The DaimlerChrysler era saw some of the best-ever Jeep decisions, including new, modern assembly plants as well as the addition of two rear doors to the Wrangler to create the Wrangler Unlimited.

But it also witnessed some of the worst, including development of the carlike, Jeep-in-name-only Compass and Patriot, which featured front-wheel drive and continuously variable transmissions.

Less than a decade later, Daimler paid $675 million to Cerberus Capital Management to take Chrysler -- and Jeep -- off its hands. And two years after that, Chrysler -- including Jeep -- sought bankruptcy protection and had to be rescued by the government.

The curse, it seems, had struck again.

And again.

Jeep world

Yet Chrysler was able to emerge from its 2009 bankruptcy in large part because Fiat S.p.A. CEO Sergio Marchionne recognized the value of Jeep as well as its global potential.

Marchionne first set out to fix problems in Jeep's lineup. He improved the Compass and Patriot and invested in the Grand Cherokee, improving its interior, electrical architecture and powertrain. He killed the Jeep Commander -- which he once described as "unfit for human consumption" -- and greenlighted replacement of the unloved Liberty with the revived Jeep Cherokee, the first Jeep built on a Fiat platform.

Under Fiat, Jeep has added a subcompact to its lineup, the Renegade, and looks to expand Wrangler into a family of derivatives, including a pickup. The brand also is bringing back its Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer names to once again compete against luxury SUV makers.

The results speak for themselves. In each of the last four consecutive years, Jeep has set a record for global shipments.

In 2012, the brand topped its previous best-ever year from 1999 by posting 701,626 shipments. In 2015, the brand finished with 1,237,583 shipments.

And Jeep brand head Mike Manley said last month that the brand was on track for a fifth consecutive record in 2016.

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The engine that drives FCA

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

Jeep barrels into global markets

In its 75-year history, Jeep never has been in better shape than it is right now.

The reason? Current owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has accomplished what a succession of previous owners only dreamed of: truly globalizing one of the world's most storied automotive brands.

Worldwide, Jeep's deliveries in 2015 topped 1.2 million vehicles, its fourth consecutive record year for global production and sales.

Jeep Renegades are now built in Europe (Italy), South America (Brazil) and Asia (China) for sale in those regional markets. By the end of the year, production of the replacement for the Jeep Compass will begin in Brazil and China, as well as Mexico. Jeep-branded vehicles also will soon begin rolling into India, with local production slated to begin in 2017.

Meanwhile, sales in Jeep's largest and most profitable market, the United States, are up 17 percent through June over record 2015 sales.

Jeep's lineup also is expanding. Brand head Mike Manley said last month that luxury full-size SUVs under the storied Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer names will return with the development of a redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2019. On the other end of the size spectrum, a micro-segment Jeep, smaller than the Renegade, is under strong consideration, primarily for markets outside North America. 

Meanwhile, FCA is expanding production capacity of its profit-rich Wrangler by at least 50 percent, allowing the brand to fulfill what it sees as unmet domestic and international demand. The added capacity also will allow for the return of a pickup to the Jeep lineup for the first time since 1996. 

CEO Sergio Marchionne says Jeep is the engine that keeps his company going, no matter how tough the economic circumstances become. 

"One of the things that we've always faced in the United States in the production of Jeeps is to make this unfortunate Sophie's Choice about whether we sell in the U.S. or whether we sell overseas," Marchionne explained this year. "In the last probably three or four years especially, we've been forced to make choices about which markets get allocated product. 

"Even if there were to be a contraction of the U.S. market, there is unexplored potential in terms of outside U.S. markets, especially where we have not established local production," he said. 

"Anything which relates to either a Cherokee or a Grand Cherokee and eventually a Wagoneer or Wrangler will have additional means of expression in international markets."

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Why it's a 'Jeep' and not a 'Leaping Lena'

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

Name's mysterious origins may trace back to Ford

It's one of the eternal mysteries surrounding Jeep: Where does the name come from?

There is no shortage of theories.

Was the name in homage to a character in the "Popeye" comic strip from the 1930s or perhaps the pronunciation of the acronym for General Purpose? Some suggest it was a soldier's acronym for Just Enough Essential Parts.

In his book Jeep: The History of America's Greatest Vehicle, Patrick R. Foster says the name came from veteran Willys test driver Red Hausmann. In February 1941, Hausmann was driving journalist Katharine Hillyer in one of the early prototypes of the Willys Quad across some extremely steep hills when she asked the name of the vehicle. In her story, Hillyer quoted Hausmann saying, "It's a Jeep."

But one explanation that would seem to have a lot of credibility is that the name originated at Ford Motor Co., which built about 277,000 Jeeps during World War II.

Ford's nomenclature for its vehicles used GP as the two-letter code for the Ford Pygmy, its entrant in the Army's request for bids to build a reconnaissance vehicle. When Ford was awarded a contract in October 1941 to build the approved Willys-Overland versions, it stamped those vehicles as GPW (GP-Willys).

The magazine Scientific American published a full review of the military's new wonder buggy in its January 1942 issue. The author of that review, journalist Jo Chamberlin, had visited an Army base in Louisiana in September 1941 to try out the military's new "midget combat car" and came away duly impressed.

Chamberlin made two mentions of the origin of the name, writing:

"Our Army's youngest, smallest toughest baby has a dozen pet names such as jeep, peep, blitz-buggy, leaping Lena, panzer-killer. The names are all affectionate, for the jeep has made good. Only a year old, it stole the show in Louisiana. Now the Army plans to have 75,000 of them."

In a prescient footnote, Chamberlin wrote: "Some army men call the bantam a "peep,' reserving "jeep' for the larger command car in which the brass hats ride. However, the term "jeep' (born of GP, an auto manufacturing classification) is used by newspapers and most soldiers, and apparently will stick."

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The industry's most copied brand

Richard Truett, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

Jeep inspired Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, Broncos and Scouts

Jeep can claim many milestones. But here's one you may not have thought of: It's the most copied brand of American vehicles.

The World War II military Jeep -- the forerunner of today's Wrangler -- spawned the Land Rover in 1948 and, in the early 1950s, Toyota's BJ and FJ, which morphed into the Land Cruiser.

Later the civilian Willys Jeep CJ series was the inspiration for all other competitors, from the International Scout and Ford Bronco of the 1960s to the Suzuki Samurai and Daihatsu Rocky of the 1980s.

Then there's the 1984 Jeep Cherokee XJ -- the first unibody SUV -- which is the template for the modern SUV and has been copied universally.

Early competitors tore apart the military Jeeps while creating their own versions. The first Land Rover prototype, built in 1947, had a Jeep chassis.

In the book Land Rover: The Unbeatable 4X4, authors Ken and Julie Slavin document the creation of the first Land Rover, which over the years has proved to be the Jeep's toughest competitor.

"Using the Willys Jeep as a jumping off point, the design team had to scrutinize every detail of the American product and drive it in all possible conditions to learn its limitations," the Slavins wrote. "Two Jeeps were acquired early on, solely for dissection purposes, but although certain of its stronger points were without doubt copied in the Land Rover, the Rover team maintained vehemently that there was nothing on the Land Rover that corresponded exactly to the Jeep."

Today, the Wrangler, with its fold-forward windshield, exposed hinges, round headlights and other design cues, has no real competition. But the same cannot be said for all the other vehicles in the Jeep lineup, especially the Grand Cherokee, which traces its DNA back to the 1984 Jeep Cherokee and slugs it out in one of the most competitive market segments.

Roy Lunn, Jeep's former director of engineering, led the team in the early 1980s that created the XJ. Lunn said the inspiration for the unibody SUV came from the fuel shocks of the 1970s.

"Other companies didn't do it by choice. They said, "We'll make an SUV-type vehicle and what is the nearest vehicle to base it on?' They chose their light truck to derive it from. But the light truck line had a separate frame and normal heavy construction," Lunn said. "I chose unitized because it is stronger pound for pound and it is lightest for meeting fuel economy requirements."

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Jeep's 75-year campaign of global conquest

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

It is the most American of brands, one whose influence on competitors and popular culture is undeniable. Yet surprisingly, Jeep’s 75 year traverse through history has often been as rough and rugged as the terrain it always crosses.

July 18, 1940

Karl Probst, a freelance designer from Detroit, working for American Bantam Car Co., of Butler, Pa., designs an all-new reconnaissance car for the Army in 18 hours.

July 22, 1940

Willys-Overland of Toledo, Ohio, and Bantam deliver the only two bids for the Army reconnaissance car. Bantam is awarded the contract on Aug. 5.

Sept. 23, 1940

Bantam delivers its finished prototype. Probst drives it 300 miles to Camp Holabird, Md., arriving 30 minutes before deadline.

November 1940

Army contracts awarded to Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Co. to build competing models using Probst's design. Willys produces the 60-hp MA; Ford makes the 46-hp Pygmy, or GP. Full testing begins.

July 16, 1941

Willys-Overland awarded first contract for 16,000 copies of the MB, later increased to 18,600, to be delivered by Jan. 18, 1942.

Oct. 4, 1941 

Ford signs contract to build 15,000 units of the GPW (essentially copies of the Willys MB design).

Dec. 7, 1941 

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; U.S. enters World War II. 

Mid-1944 

Willys begins designing civilian vehicles for postwar period. With no auto stamping capacity, designs are limited to those that can be stamped by appliance manufacturers, resulting in a boxy, flat appearance. The first is the CJ-2A, a civilian version of the MB. 

Aug. 15, 1945 

Japan surrenders, marking the end of World War II. During the war, Willys produced 368,000 Jeeps and Ford another 277,000. 

July 1946 

Willys-Overland begins producing 1946 Jeep Station Wagon, the first all-steel station wagon, with seating for seven. 

April 1947 

Willys begins producing the first full line of Jeep pickups, with three-quarter and 1-ton versions and three available beds; later included delivery version. 

1948 

Jeepster phaeton convertible introduced.

1949 

Jeep CJ-3A goes on sale; 4x4 Willys Jeep Station Wagon introduced (first-ever SUV) 

1951 

Willys-Overland begins production of the M-38-A1 for the military, its last high-volume military Jeep. 

April 1953 

Willys-Overland assets sold to Kaiser Manufacturing Co. for $60.8 million; becomes Willys Motors Inc. 

Fall 1954 

Willys introduces the CJ-5, the civilian version of the M-38-A1 

1956 

Willys introduces the CJ-6, adding 20 inches to the wheelbase of a CJ-5. 

1957 

Forward Control delivery trucks, the FC-150 and longer FC-170, introduced. 

1960 

International Harvester introduces the 1961 Scout, a direct competitor to the CJs. 

1962 

Willys introduces the 1963 Jeep Wagoneer, a four-door, four-wheel-drive family SUV, and the 1963 Jeep Gladiator full-size pickup. 

March 1963 

Willys Motors changes its name to Kaiser-Jeep Corp. 

1965 

Ford introduces a direct competitor, the Bronco SUV. Jeep introduces the Super Wagoneer, a luxury version of the Wagoneer SUV. 

1966 

Jeep wins contract for the M-715 and M-725 truck and ambulance, military versions of the Gladiator pickup. 

1967 

Production begins for a new Jeepster, a 4wd two-door convertible, and the Jeepster Commando. Henry J. Kaiser dies Aug. 24. 

1969 

American Motors buys Kaiser-Jeep for $70 million in cash, debt and stock. 

1971 

AMC spins off Jeep's commercial, postal and military vehicle line into a new subsidiary, AM General. The company later would develop the M998 Humvee. 

1972 

The Jeep introduces Quadra-Trac full-time 4wd; each wheel can operate at its own speed. 

1974 

The Jeep Cherokee two-door SUV is introduced to take on the Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco. 

1975 

The Jeep Cherokee Chief appears at the Detroit auto show. 

1976 

The Jeep CJ-7 replaces the CJ-6 in North America. Jeep crosses 100,000 civilian units annually in global sales for the first time. 

1977 

Four-door Jeep Cherokee introduced. 

1978 

The 1978 Jeep Wagoneer Limited becomes the first domestic SUV with leather interior. AMC factory in Brampton, Ontario, converted to build Jeep CJs. Negotiations begin between AMC and Renault on a strategic alliance.

1981 

The Scrambler, a mini-pickup-based version of the CJ-7, appears. 

1982 

Selec-Trac debuts; allows user to switch from full-time 4wd to two-wheel drive. 

1983 

Debut of the smaller, lighter Cherokee and XJ Wagoneer, the first unibody SUVs, featuring new Quadra-Link front suspension. SJ Wagoneer name changed to Grand Wagoneer. Jeep also begins new joint venture in China, becoming the first American vehicle produced in China since before World War II. 

1985 

The Comanche pickup, based on the Cherokee, is introduced. Jeep's global sales top 200,000 for the first time. In November, company announces the end of the CJ line. 

1986 

Jeep Wrangler introduced as 1987 model; is immediately controversial in part because of its square headlights. AMC introduces optional 173-hp, 4.0-liter, inline-six-cylinder engine for XJ-based Jeeps. 

1987 

Chrysler Corp. buys AMC from Renault for $1.5 billion to obtain Jeep. Chrysler ends production of the J-series pickups. Chrysler dealers offered Jeep franchises. 

Jan. 7, 1992 

Chrysler executive Bob Lutz drives a ZJ Grand Cherokee from Jefferson North Assembly through a plate-glass window at Cobo Center during the Detroit auto show. 

1992 

Grand Wagoneer production ends after a 30-year run. 

1993 

Jeep sales top 400,000 globally for the first time. 

1996 

Redesigned Wrangler returns to the CJ's traditional round headlights, among other upgrades. Jeep sales top 500,000 globally for the first time.

1997 

Toledo successfully campaigns to win construction of an assembly plant to replace the ancient Jeep Parkway site. 

1998 

Chrysler and Daimler AG join to form DaimlerChrysler. 

1999 

Jeep introduces Quadra-Drive in redesigned Grand Cherokee, allowing vehicle to move even if only one wheel has traction. Jeep global sales hit a record 675,494. 

2001 

Toledo North opens and begins building the 2002 Jeep Liberty, with independent front suspension; XJ Cherokee production ends after 17-year run and 2.7 million units. 

2002 

The first Jeep Wrangler Rubicons are introduced for the 2003 model year. 

2005 

Jeep shows the Wrangler-based Gladiator concept pickup to wild enthusiasm, but the vehicle is never produced; the three-row Jeep Commander seven-passenger SUV debuts at the New York auto show. 

2006 

DaimlerChrysler brings out four-door Wrangler Unlimited for 2007 model year; introduces the carlike Compass and Patriot twins, which share a platform with the Dodge Caliber. 

2007 

Daimler sells Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm with no experience as an automaker. Daimler pays a $675 million premium. Bob Nardelli, former CEO of Home Depot, named CEO. 

2009 

Chrysler Group seeks bankruptcy protection; its assets are acquired -- with government financing -- by Fiat S.p.A. and the UAW Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association health care fund. 789 dealers are eliminated as part of the deal. 

2010 

Commander production ends. CEO Sergio Marchionne called the SUV "unfit for human consumption." 

2012 

Liberty production ends; Toledo North down for nearly a year for retrofit for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Global shipments top 700,000 for the first time, the first of four consecutive annual records. 

2013 

Cherokee production begins, but vehicles are held for months by shift quality concerns. Debuts in October, months behind schedule. 

2014 

Production begins in Italy of the subcompact Jeep Renegade. Jeep tops 1 million units annually in global sales for the first time. 

2015 

Jeep tops 1.2 million units in global sales. Production expands to Brazil and returns to China.

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Lutz: Buying Jeep was 'turning point' for Chrysler

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

Bob Lutz, who was president of Chrysler Corp. when it purchased American Motors in 1987, says getting Jeep in the deal "marked a strategic turning point for Chrysler."

"We acquired an iconic brand which had been undernourished," he said.

Adding the Grand Cherokee to Jeep's lineup in 1992 was the first big move by the brand's new stewards.

Lutz said the Grand Cherokee "was originally intended to replace the Cherokee but turned out too large and too costly, so we promoted it to "Grand' and kept the Cherokee underneath it. Between the Grand Cherokee and the Cherokee we suddenly had an additional 500,000 high-margin units."

Chrysler "had people who understood the [Jeep] brand," said Lutz. "The only semi-slip-up was the Compass" because the "car-like" design is wrong for the brand.

"Now, Jeep is over 1 million units, recognized the world over, respected universally, perhaps the strongest brand in the U.S. industry, one of the strongest globally," the retired Chrysler and General Motors executive said.

"Without Jeep, FCA (Fiat-Chrysler Automobile) would die. The Jeep brand is worth more than FCA as a whole."

 

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Jeep designer has history on his side

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 11, 2016

As the head of Jeep design since 2009, Mark Allen is charged with both moving the brand forward and keeping it tied to its historic roots.

Allen, 53, is a lifelong Jeep enthusiast and off-roader. Each spring, he and his co-workers design a stable of one-off Jeeps that they take out to the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, where they interact with Jeep enthusiasts from around the globe. Allen spoke to Staff Reporter Larry P. Vellequette.

Q: You started with Jeep as a designer in 1994. How have things changed?

A: When I started here, all the attention went to cars and minivans. Trucks were even kind of disregarded a little bit, and Jeeps were maintained; they weren’t really pushing it. They would get somebody that was working on whatever and put them in Jeep for a little while, and then move them out. We weren’t branded the way we are now under Fiat.

We had three products for a long, long time: We had Wrangler, which was something that we built and sold in the summer months. Honestly, without the four-door, we would have probably killed that car. It was never seen as a real big design challenge. The XJ, which was around forever and ever, was just updated, and the Grand Cherokee, which was still pretty new when I came on, was initially meant to be a replacement for the XJ.

What’s your favorite Jeep design?

That’s easy: the CJ-5 (which debuted in 1954). I have a real affection for the (1966) M-715 truck, but as far as design goes, the CJ-5. And I say that because, the flat fender, as lovely as it is and it’s the template for everything we do, was never designed. It just sort of happened. It was engineers putting things together; the body was really just there to cover the hood and hold the headlights up and keep mud off of people. But that created an image that is really ingrained in us: that classic Jeep shape that we use. The CJ-5 was really the first time that the people from my craft were really invited to the party. They got the clay out and they shaped the hood and cared about the fenders.

What was the craziest thing that Jeep ever did?

The craziest thing was the weird cart (the 1957 Mechanical Mule), where the guy sat in front of the front wheel. They made postal trucks. The Forward Control — what was cool about that was that it was really a tractor with doors, honestly. They re-used the underpinnings from the CJ, and it was all about space efficiency and size. That thing was actually pretty crazy, and no one else made a four-wheel-drive forward control vehicle like that, except maybe the Unimog.

As you sit with a blank sheet of paper to design a new Jeep, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?

It’s really highly dependent on what the project is. A good example was probably the Renegade. The Renegade came out really well in my mind, but it was kind of a horror show to start because we were presented essentially an existing car package to design over. It makes sense now, but when we were doing the Renegade, we didn’t know which way to go, because nothing existed in that space for us. There were a lot of different proposals, but the Renegade was the one that kept speaking to us – it was the one that had the most charisma.

How defensive do you feel about Jeep’s heritage when you’re working on a design, or are you OK stretching it?

Obviously, I’m OK stretching it, but I always have the historical side of Jeep in my mind. That truly is in our soul; we think about that all the time. There’s a little bit of Wrangler heritage in everything that we do. We pick up design cues now, and in the future, from our very first car. Very few companies still do that: Porsche still does that, and Harley-Davidson. There’s always a direct link in the design that’s picked up in some of the details. But the Cherokee was a bit disruptive, and that worked out pretty good for us. The Renegade, too, was a bit disruptive.

And Wrangler that has been redesigned for 2018?

We’re neck-deep in that thing, but there’s no discussion: It’s going to look like a Wrangler. We had to do all the exercises [when designing Wrangler]. Although in our hearts, we knew what it would be, but we had to do all the wrong answers, too, visually. We did things that were Wrangler-like and the things that were disruptive to Wrangler styling, but in the end, we made the right call.

What attracts you to Jeep?

I like the weird engineering side of Jeep. It was never set up to be a car company. It was never set up to be a brand. They just put things together and somehow it worked. Look at the M715 truck. I love that thing to death. It’s not sexy. It’s not cool. It’s dorky. But I just think it looks so rugged and tough. Had we gotten involved in the styling department, we would have ruined it! But it gets by on all of its warty proportions. When they established Jeep as a brand and they were trying to scrap things together, they needed a station wagon, and they invented the SUV, for crying out loud, with the Willys Wagon. That lack of funding and lack of elasticity drove them into some really creative solutions, and I just think that’s so cool. 

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Next-gen Wrangler to respect tradition

Larry P. Vellequette, Automotive News  /  July 9, 2016

Manley's mandate for brand icon: Don't screw it up

Mike Manley, the head man at Jeep, regularly refers to the Wrangler as the "icon" and "anchor" of the brand, the vehicle that lends its rough-and-rugged, off-road DNA to all other Jeeps.

And as Jeep finishes work on its first major overhaul in a decade on the Wrangler -- the lone vehicle that traces its lineage back through the brand's 75-year history -- Manley has a clear mission.

Don't screw it up.

For the new Wrangler -- expected to go on sale next summer or later -- it is rumored that Jeep explored all-aluminum construction, fuel-saving suspension changes and even leaving its historic production home in Toledo, Ohio. Now it is clear the next-generation Wrangler will keep its defining characteristics -- although in modified form.

The 2018 Wrangler, a descendant of the Willys MB and decades of Jeep CJs, will retain its solid front and rear axles, its body-on-frame construction and its utilitarian boxy appearance.

But under that clamped-down hood will be more efficient engine choices and a fuel-saving eight-speed automatic transmission. A lighter, stronger frame will underpin its construction, while aluminum will replace steel on many hang-on body parts, reducing weight.

Spy photos confirm a more aerodynamic next-generation Wrangler with a much steeper rake for the windshield and seven-slot grille.

But, Manley said: "You have to be very careful with the aero of Wrangler, because at the end of the day, it needs to be recognizable as a Wrangler. To some extent that restricts you on some of the aero that you can do. But with weight and a number of the changes that we've made, you're going to see that we've really pushed that vehicle forward in terms of its fuel economy."

Manley said last month that additional Wrangler production capacity that will come from retooling part of Fiat Chrysler's Toledo Assembly Complex will be used domestically and internationally.

"We're obviously hoping to continue the success of the next-generation Wrangler," Manley said. "We've push-ed this vehicle forward in many areas -- fuel economy being one of them and that's going to help us in many of the international markets."

 

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As many here know, the Kaiser-Jeep M715 was introduced to replace the Dodge M37 during the late 1960s (Vietnam war).

Toledo built 33,000 M715s from 1967 to 1969.

However, owing to problems with the overhead camshaft Tornado engine and other, the Dodge M37* was actually superior in many ways to its replacement.

* http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2011/04/From-Zero-to-Hero---Jeep-M715/3697821.html

The M715 was a militarized variant of the 1-ton J-3800 civilian Jeep “Gladiator” pickup with a Dana 60 front axle and Dana 70 rear axle (5.87).

Today, the defense vehicles unit of Hyundai Group’s Kia division produces a modern diesel-powered M715 called the KM450 under a license from the U.S. government. .

http://military.kia.com/en/kia/vehicles/km45-series/km450-cargo-truck.do#

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[kscarbel2]

A little known fact is that the "Jeep" name was really created by Minneapolis-Moline.

http://www.farmcollector.com/farm-life/the-real-jeep-story.aspx

http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2010/06/The-Industrial-Jeep---1943-NTX/3396821.html

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[mowerman]

they had a lotta good looking models through the years always liked most of them especially the CJ 3-4 and 5...thanks for sharing ...bob