How The Jeep got its name

How The Jeep got its name -

Where did the name Jeep coming? Not the original designer and builder, the Bantam Car Company. There was not Willys, the famous manufacturer of Willys MB , either. Ford did not pick the name when he did GPW , and the US military has never designated the term either. Actually, no one really knows how the name "Jeep" has arrived, but the common denominator is that all theories relate to a sort of general population adoption of the term.

There are a number of theories on the origin of the name. There are reports that the word "Jeep" was used in Oklahoma in the 1930s to describe specialized trucks used in oil drilling, and that was how the term was used later by those of the area in describing the Willys MB.

others believe that the name comes from the abbreviation slang term GP, which was an acronym that was for general purpose vehicle. The problem with this theory is that the term in general use have been used to describe a quarter ton reconnaissance vehicles of the US Army, not the Willys. In addition, the Willys MB was designated for specific functions and was not mentioned in army circles as a general purpose vehicle.

Similarly the theory goes that the name was a vowel slang word to replace the description of the vehicle Ford (the Ford GPW now commonly referred to as Willys GPW ), which refers to it as GP. The G was for government use and the P referred to its 80-inch wheel base size. When Ford began making these vehicles some people may have trouble calling a Willys since it was actually manufactured by Ford.

Another explanation of the name that it was based on a character from the Popeye comic strip in the 1930s was known as Eugene the Jeep . This little guy was from another dimension and was blessed with the ability to go anywhere and do anything. He went through walls, scaled huge trees, flew, disappeared, etc. There was nowhere Eugene the Jeep could not go. The theory is that US soldiers were so impressed by the Willys go anywhere performance that they began calling it Jeep after the character.

We will probably never know the answer to how the name Jeep began, but perhaps is a good thing because it adds to the mystical allure of this American icon. What we know for sure is that over 70 years later, the Jeep, not to mention a few Willys altogether, is still going strong!

There are many great sites that offer a wide range of spare parts Jeep including parts for the Willys MB and Ford GPW today as http://www.xtremeterrain.com

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