Chicago Auto Show Photo: Jeep Metallic Logo

Jeep

Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler (itself a subsidiary of Fiat). The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle (SUV) brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second oldest 4-wheel-drive brand. The original Jeep vehicle that first appeared as the prototype Bantam BRC became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been created in other nations.

The original trademark brand-name application was filed in February 1943 by Willys-Overland. It is also used as a generic term with a lowercase (jeep) for vehicles inspired by the Jeep that are suitable for use on rough terrain.

As the only company that continually produced Jeep vehicles after the war, in June 1950 Willys-Overland was granted the privilege of owning the name "Jeep" as a registered trademark.

The name "Jeep" was also for many years used in Popeye as the odd critter Eugene from the King Features Syndicate television show of the 1960s, and for a 1960s group Jeep, in the same mold as The Merry-Go Round ("Live"), The Strawberry Alarm Clock ("Incense and Peppermint"), who had a flop single that got some airplay on the radio in the US, "Feep Feep".

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

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