What is the history of this iconic vehicle? In June 1940, with World War II on the horizon, the U.S. Army desperately needed a 1/4 ton light reconnaissance vehicle. Karl Probst accepted the challenge and felt patriotic enough to do the work with no pay. He started work on the vehicle on July 17, 1940. He had the plans ready in just two days! The prototype was delivered to the U.S. Army in November 1940. It remarkably only took 75 days to complete the design.
In ‘Hail To The JEEP!’ Written by A. Wade Wells, Major E.P. Hogan is quoted as saying, "Jeep is an old Army grease-monkey term that dates back to the last war and was used by shop mechanics in referring to any new motor vehicle received for test. Just when this generally used term was specifically applied to the vehicle it now describes is hard to say."
