Jeep CJ-5 Limited Edition 1960-1975

Jeep is one of the most recognised brands in the business, not just the automobile business but all business internationally. It's up there with Coca-Cola, IBM & Shell. Not bad for a brand that evolved out of a war-time demand by the US military for a compact go-anywhere multi-purpose kind of vehicle that quickly became a favourite of the American GIs as well as Allied troops. Such was the fascination with the wartime workhorse that Willys Motors of Toledo, Ohio decided to continue production with a civilian version that became a sales success. The styling, such as it was, remained virtually unchanged as did the four-cylinder side-valve engine and the three-speed manual gearbox with attached transfer case and the semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension front and rear. Most early sales were to the agricultural and exploration industries who quickly came to appreciate the Jeep's ability to go anywhere with complete reliability even if comfort levels were rudimentary and operating the four-wheel drive system was somewhat crude. The world soon began to appreciate its cheeky character and its indominatable spirit. However, as the 50s came and went the engine was modernised to feature an F-head (overhead inlet valves, side exhausts) for greater efficiency and there were mild styling changes. By the end of the decade the CJ-5 appeared to replace the Jeep Universal that had basically been in production since the end of the war. As an advertising man once said, When you're on a good thing, stick to it. And Jeep was a master of that. Despite ever stronger competition from other manufacturers Jeep continued to be the standard-setter in so many ways to those who understood and appreciated what it represented and the fascinating history behind it. 29 articles cover road tests, new model reports, touring, off-road & comparison tests, history & owner's survey. Models covered: Universal, Renegade, CJ-5, 4 cyl, V6 & V8. 96 pages, 200+ B/W illus. SB.