The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-04-08
BY DAVID J. NILKIE

III TIC army Jcep dIteT the
war.
The somewhat rotund and
friendly directing genius of one
of the nations Oldest motorcar
companies said SO tooay in des-
cribing the little Army recon
raisSance car as lone OF the mos.
useful all-purpOse vehicles now
in production.
frazer went further than that.
An easing of the rubber and
gasoline situations, he ventured,
might bring the production of u
victory" model automobile by
the crstWhile car industry be-
tore the end Of the war. he was
extremely cautious In this state
ment, pointing out that accord
ing TO rubber coordlnatOr JEFF
ters, the year ahead promises to
be critical one with respect 10
rubber production.
Joe Frazer, as everybody in
the warbusy Willys-Overland
plants here knows linn, may be
somewhat prejudiced about the
Jeeps; thousands OF them have
poured out of the factories on
iOledo's northwestern outskirts
over the last couple of years.
multiple. production lines contin-
ue to roll them out by the scores
each day.
ALL-PURPOSE UNIT
Used on the farm" Frazer
explains, the jecp truly will be
an all-purpCse unit. 1t will take
the kids to school ard the old
folks to church; it will drag
plough and spread fertilizer; if
will do just about every job
where power is required"
rarm tests already made with
the car operating Us a tractor
have demonstrated its adaptable
ity, according to Frazer.
Frazer expects his company
to market the jeeps as post
war farm power unit through
regular dealers. He makes it
clear at the same time that re-
failing the Army miracle car"
as a peace-time vehicle is only
part of WHY'S Over,and's plans
tor the future.
I'VE intend TO stay in the dit
~tomobile business" he explains.
I'VE are not now designing our
postwar passenger automobile
but l believe some features of
the jeep will be introduced in
the car of the future. We will
utilize all the knowledge we've
obtained from war work to pro-
duce a small vehicle that will
appeal to the postwar econo-
N.Y."
IT'S AN OBSESSION
A small, low-priced passenger
automobile long has been an'oh-
session of Joe Frazcr's. He gave
up an assured lifetime position
among the top executives Of
ChrySler Corporation in 1899 to
take over the presidency of Will
lys-Overland, anything but pros
porous at the time.
Willys-Overland was well
started on the comeback trail
under his leadership when the
war came. In common with 9TH
Ell automotive companies its pro-
ductive facilities were swung ir-
to the armament production bat
tie. Today with its huge output
OF jeeps, trailers for amphibian
jeeps, shells, aluminium forg-
ings and several highly secret
devices, it is playing vital role
in the war effort Of the United
Nations.
Frazer, who was born in Nash
vile, Tenn, 81 years ago, is
as optimistic as he is friendly.
He doesn't profess to know ex-
actly what the postwar period
will bring to the one highly COM
petitive autonotive industry. He
sertion, that Wiliys-Overland
is positive, however, in his as.
whose beginning goes back to
1908, is going to have an i'm
portant place in that postwar
era.
He knows, too, that WHY'S
| Overland is in better financial
position than it has been for
many years.
I'VE are rot making a fabu-
lous amour. of money, for we
have cut our prices on war ma
terrell several times" he says.
But" he adds. I'VE don't owe
anybody anything"
SEE QUICK CHANGEOVER
Willys-Overland was one 81
the first of the automobile COM
panies to attain 100 per cent wal
materiel production in its factor.
iess Despite the variety of il:
war goods output-.'eeps, shells
breech housings, recCil cylinders
Cor anti-aircraft guns, aluminium
aircraft forgings and numbel
Of secret items-the factorie!
probably could get back into
passenger car production a!
quickly as any other manufact.
L