You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Military’ tag.
2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Freedom Edition
- New Jeep Wrangler Freedom edition harkens back to Jeep brand’s military roots
- Red, White and Blue Jeep Wrangler Freedom edition now available in Jeep showrooms
- All 2012 Jeep Wrangler models powered by 3.6-liter V-6 engine producing 285 horsepower, with fuel economy up to 21 mpg
- $250 from each Jeep Wrangler Freedom edition sold to be donated to military charities
- Chrysler Group LLC offers a $500 cash allowance to eligible consumers through its ‘Military Bonus Consumer Cash’ program
- Jeep Wrangler sales up 34 percent in 2012 with all-time record in May
Under The Pentastar
“Under the Pentastar” is a weekly recap of some of the major stories at Chrysler Group LLC. This week’s stories include: Awards for 2013 Dodge Dart and Chrysler 300 Luxury Series interiors, new discounts for members of the military, the latest in devices to assist physically disabled drivers, and Michigan’s governor pays a visit to Chrysler Group LLC headquarters to hear from employees.
Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence
At the 2011 Moab Easter Jeep Safari preview Thursday morning, Mopar® brand unveiled a new JK-8 kit that will allow four-door Jeep® Wrangler owners to transform their ride into a Wrangler pickup.
With “excitement” in the marketpalce for pickup trucks, and more than 500,000 Jeep Wrangler vehicles on the road, Mopar CEO Pietro Gorlier said the kit will meet a this growing demand.
Wrangler JK8 Independence
Head of Mopar Sales & Marketing Jim Sassorossi said the JK-8 kit also was “inspired” from Jeep enthusiasts’ reaction to past pickup trucks, like the Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 from the mid 1980s, the Jeep Nukizer unveiled last year, and the J-8 military Jeep currently in operation.
Sassorossi said DIYers can transfrom their four-door Wrangler using the JK-8 kit in as little as a weekend. (Though, Sassorossi said they’d have to hurry to do so.) Or, Wrangler owners can have a dealer do it. During the Easter Jeep Safari preview, the JK-8 kit was showcased with a Wranger JK-8 Independence.
Wrangler JK8 Independence Bed
Sassorossi said Mopar is still getting feedback from its dealer network on pricing, and looking for more feedback from the 2011 Moab Easter Jeep Safari before finalizing all details — with planned release during late summer.
The bed length (right) is 50 inches and the width between wheel wells is 44 inches. The Mopar team created body panels to cover the second-row entrance and removed all of the interior parts behind the front seats—transforming the vehicle into a two-seater with just enough room for gear inside, and a pickup style bed to be used for outside cargo.
JK-8 drivetrain is fitted with a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, both spun with 4.88 gears. Linking the axles to the frame is a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit and 37-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires make the connection to the ground.
JK-8 kit includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead.
I’ve also included some photos below from the 2011 Moab Easter Jeep Safari Preview. Mopar kitted out a handful of Jeeps as well as setup one of the new Ram 1500’s with the Mopar Ram Runner Package. Check out Chrysler Media’s Blog Post for more info about the Special Moparized Jeeps and Ram. As always, click any of the photos to see more photos of Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Vehicles.
Mopar Ram Runner
Jeep Compass Canyon
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Wrangler "Pork Chop"
Jeep Wrangler Renegade
Built For Export 2011 Jeep Cherokee
Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Today we’re going to look a little bit into the history of Jeep vehicles, and how the whole thing got started. These Jeeps have come a long way to where they sit on Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Dealers‘ lots today.
1940 Willys Quad Original Pilot (J-0109)
In July 1940, the U.S. military informed automakers that it was looking for a “light reconnaissance vehicle” to replace the Army’s motorcycle and modified Ford Model-T vehicles. The Army invited 135 manufacturers to bid on production and developed a lengthy specification list for the vehicle, including the following:
- 600-lb. load capacity
- Wheelbase less than 75 inches
- Height less than 36 inches
- Smooth-running engine from 3 to 50 miles per hour
- Rectangular-shaped body
- Four-wheel drive with two-speed transfer case
- Fold-down windshield
- Three bucket seats
- Blackout and driving lights
- Gross vehicle weight below 1,300 lbs.
1941 Willys MA (J-0273)
At first, Willys-Overland and American Bantam Car Manufacturing Company were the only two companies answering the call. Soon, however, Ford Motor Company entered the picture, and competition began among the three over which company would receive the lucrative government contract.
Each company delivered its prototype to the Army in the summer of 1940 and received approval to build 70 sample vehicles. The Army took possession of these vehicles in November 1940 at Camp Holabird, Md.
Each of the three designs exceeded the Army’s specification of 1,300 lbs., but the Army soon realized that limit was far too low and raised it for the next round of vehicles. Further testing and evaluation led to the Army’s selection of Willys vehicle as the primary manufacturer.
Jeep Willys MB (J-0272)
Willys MA/MB
With modifications and improvements, the Willys Quad became the MA, and later the MB. But the Army, and the world, came to know it as the Jeep®.
Some claimed that the name came from the slurring of the letters “GP,” the military abbreviation for “General Purpose.” Others say the vehicle was named for a popular character named “Eugene the Jeep” in the Popeye cartoon strip. Whatever its origin, the name entered into the American lexicon and, for a while, served almost as a generic title for off-road vehicles, while the Jeep itself became an icon of the war.
1941 Jeep CJ-2A
The Willys MA featured a gearshift on the steering column, low side body cutouts, two circular instrument clusters on the dashboard and a hand brake on the left side. Willys struggled to reduce the weight to the new Army specification of 2,160 lbs. Items removed in order for the MA to reach that goal were reinstalled on the next-generation MB resulting in a final weight of approximately just 400 lbs. above the specifications.
Click Here for a more in depth look at the actual Jeeps themselves. To see more pictures of the vintage Jeeps, simply click any of the photos in this post. Thanks for checking out Chrysler Catchall!
1949 Jeep Willys
1947 Jeep Station Wagon advertisement. Roominess, comfort and safety were all solid selling points for the Jeep Station Wagon.
Chrysler Catchall 