Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-07-20

was explained by Charles E..
Sorensen, president of Willys,
consumates a conviction held by
company engineers over the past
three years that the military
Jeep. which they designed in CO.
operation with the u. S. Army,
could be utilized, following GER
tain changes and revisions, as an
efficient and practical unit on
the farm with revolutionary
range of uses.
He pointed out that the peace
Jeep embodies the same sound
e g / N erin g principles -
unique balance of power, weight,
size, four wheel drive, depend
ability and ruggedness-which
have made the scout car famous
the world over It is driven by
the WHY'S "Jeep" engine, the
power plant used in more than
100000 Jeeps produced for the
armed forces.
The peace Jeep, according to
Mr.. Sorensen, has maximum
power at low vehicle speed, and
in addition can do up to so on
the road, but it has a capacity
for sustained work requiring
heavy drawbar pull which was
not demanded of the military
model.
improvements in the transmits
sion include wider gears, better
fabrication and larger bearings.
In the transfer case, a special
device has ben placed between
the shift levers, making it neces-
sary for the driver to utilize all
four wheels when in low or
gear ratio. This safety measure
protects the rear axle from over
load and saves wear on the four
ply tires under conditions where
four wheel drive is required.
Conduct Nationwide Studies
The decision to develop a
basic peace Jeep with farm spe-
cialization and the ability to per-
from variety of industrial and
general uses, Mr.. Sorensen said,
was made after Willys-Overland
completed two nationwide stu
dies-one among farmers and
another among the general pub
lic--in an effort to establish the
sr ecific tasks which these groups
believed. the unit could perform
as civilian vehicle.
Results of the survey disclosed
that farmers wanted it for some
50-odd jobs, sportsmen visual
lied the Jeep on hunting and
fishing trips; municipal govern
ments planned to use it for fire
protection, street and plant re-
pair and general light truck
duties; industries both for power
and truck and tractive jobs, pub
lie utility companies for string
ing and repairing electric light
wires, and other segments of the
population for a list of uses
rivaled only by the Jeep's war
time versatility. The field of uni
versal economic use ahead of 1t
thus became apparent.
Supplied with this informa-
tion, Willys-Overland conducted |
tests to determine what changes,
if any, would have to be made !
In the standard military model |
10 enable it to handle postwar |
Jobs. These studies were made
in close cooperation with the
Army, the Department of Agri-
culture, the War Food Admins
tration and number of leading |
state farm universities both in
The United States and Canada.
II was established, Mr.. Sorensen
said, that the Jeep had tremen-
dous potential as revolutionary |
type of vehicle for farm, indus
Try and other peacetime jobs.
Although the military Jeep |
was able to discharge many farm
1uties, he continued, it was de-
,ided that, if the versatile scout |
,ar was to perform the basic
of the tractor, light
truck, mobile power unit and |
passenger car, some changes |
would have to be made.
Adequate Accessories
The comfort features of the
military Jeep have been i'm
proved and many new ones
added for the peace version of |
the vehicle. The peace Jeep has
shock absorbers and |
springs. Front and rear seats are
cushioned, heater has been in
stalled and there are front and
rear tops to give the driver pro-