"Jeep" or "jeep" in Indonesian, is a term to describe one type of vehicle for the purposes of war. However, the origin of the naming of "jeep", until this very day are not known with certainty.
Some have said that, the name comes from the Ford car factory, to name one of its products as "GP" (read: ji-pi). Uniquely, the abbreviation of "GP" was still being debated, there is a theory that believes that the GP letter was an abbreviation of the general purpose (multi purpose). But verily it is the letter G stands for government, and P is the class code to indicate that the vehicle has a wheelbase of its 80 inches (2meter), having a 4-wheel, and weighs 250 kilograms.
I do not know which theory is right, certainly the history of United States combat vehicles began in 1939, when the Army (Army) United States opened a tender for 135 companies in the domestic car to make special vehicles for military purposes.
To speed up time and ease of design, the U.S. Army liberating forms of war vehicles, but still meet several technical requirements are:
* Has a carrying capacity 600 lbs (273.15 kg).
* Distance of front-rear wheel (wheelbase) does not exceed 75 inches (1.9 meters).
* The windshield can be folded (laid down in the future).
* Gross Weight 1200 lbs (544.31 kg).
* Must be having a 4-wheel.
Of the 135 companies that were invited, only three of which meet the requirements namely: Bantam, Willys Overland, and Ford. To 3 companies, the U.S. Army gave a deadline until 23 September 1940, to design the combat vehicles to the specifications requested.
Bantam was the first company to come up with a prototype vehicle called war Blitz Buggy. Then on November 11, 1940, following the Willys that comes with a design that is named Quad. On November 23, 1940, Ford's turn that hand over the vehicle design called the Pygmy. The third form of prototypes that resemble one another. It happened because the Willys and Ford did get full access to the prototype Bantam.
At the time of testing, the third prototype proved unable to meet the requirements requested, for example:
* Blitz Buggy is considered too high from ground level and less powerful engine.
* Quad too heavy, but the big engine power.
* Pygmy easily be steered, but the engine power is too weak.
Due to the increasingly urgent needs, the United States Army finally chose a prototype Quad because it was considered to have the greatest power compared to other models.
Quad, using a machine called a "Go Devil", which can generate power (strength) 60 PK and maximum torque of 14.5 kilogram-meter (kg-m) or 145 Newton-meters (Nm), above the standard of the United States Army ( 12 kg-m). For comparison, the maximum torque on the Blitz Buggy and Pigmy only 11 kg-m.
Another consideration for choosing the Quad is a cheaper price than its competitors, which is 739 U.S. dollars. Heavy weight of the Quad, which is 1089 pounds, was reduced to 981 pounds, although still heavier than the Blitz Buggy is only 922 pounds.
Willys Quad that has been perfected to begin production in 1941. However, production capacity can not meet U.S. Army needs very much. And the Bantam and Ford was asked to create a vehicle of war in accordance with the specifications of the Willys.
Vehicle war made by Willys, given the production code "MA" and "MB", Ford named it as "GP" and "GPW". While Bantam products referred to as "BRC-40".
In subsequent developments, jeeps had made a watertight (waterproof). In fact, Ford in 1942 to make an amphibious jeep called SEEP. Shape the bottom of the SEEP much like ships, including the addition in the rear propeller. In the water, all four wheels can be folded and propeller enabled. In 1950, Half Safe, which is a sophisticated modification of the SEEP, successfully crossed the Atlantic.
Since manufactured in 1941, the United States Army War vehicles shipped to Allied countries. Even 1,000 units Bantam BRC-40 was made for the Russian Army.