David EilersFebruary 19, 2021

1944 Article Says the Big Three Automakers Are Tepid on the Post War Jeep

The April 27, 1944, article in the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis argues that Ford, GM, and Chrysler did not believe the post-war jeep would be as successful as hoped, due to (1) the hard suspension and (2) a lack of appeal to the "woman of the family". It seems they were right to be wary from a family perspective, but the big three didn't foresee the wagons, which attempted to address both of these issues.

1944-04-27-star-tribune-big-three-tepid-on-jeep

3 Comments

SE Pennsylvania SteveFebruary 20, 2021 at 1:46 AM
Let's see, GMC and Chrylser had no response to the initial WW2 government jeep contract. Ford responded half heartedly with a tractor engined vehicle with obvious shortcomings. Yeah, I'd say the big 3 car makers had no long term interest in jeep vehicles.
KeithFebruary 20, 2021 at 7:57 PM
Dave, That article is a great find. It is a significant example of their 'public' stance on the subject. What they are not telling you is that Chrysler is bidding to buy the Jeep in closed negotiations, and Chrysler, GM, and Ford, are trying to get the Automotive War Council to limit the number of Jeeps Willys would be allowed to sell after the war. George Romney, head of the AWC exchanged some pretty heated letters on the subject.
1. David EilersFebruary 21, 2021 at 6:05 PM
  Keith, Wow! I don't remember hearing about the big 3's efforts to limit post-war jeeps. What rational did they use to argue for the limits? - Dave