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Willys-Overland Jeep Cj Attachment and Truck Platform Showcase "The Universal Jeep " Xd43374 (1953)

1953 · Short film · 19 min

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Synopsis

This silent, color film demonstrates the various attachments available for the Willys-Overland CJ model Jeep (a civilian version of wildly successful Willys MB U.S. Army Jeep of World War II fame), as well as the trim levels of the Willys Truck platform, and the Willys Cargo-Personnel Carrier. Filmed in 1953 in Ohio and Texas, the vehicles and their accessories are put through the paces tilling fields, digging tenches, transporting injured motorists, hauling cargo, and clearing snow. Each attachment featured is preceded by a peek at the item’s description in the Willys printed catalog. Founded in 1908 and Headquartered in Toldeo, Ohio, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the 1910’s (second to Ford Motor Company). The company struggled to keep up that pace in the 1920’s and into the Great Depression, however. In 1940, Willys–Overland was one of several bidders when the War Department sought an automaker that could begin rapid production of a lightweight truck based on a design by American Bantam. Production of the Willys MB, better known as Jeep, began in 1941, and was shared between Willys, Ford, and American Bantam. In total, 653,568 military Jeeps were manufactured. After the war, Willys chose to concentrate on Jeeps and Jeep-based vehicles. The Jeep CJ was among the first civilian vehicles of any kind to be equipped with four-wheel drive from the factory, and it gained popularity among farmers, ranchers, hunters, and others who needed a lightweight…

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Details

Running time
19 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

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