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Revision as of 22:27, 18 June 2003 by Kat (talk | contribs) (links, minor changes, needs more)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The jeep was invented by American armed forces as a "general purpose" (G.P., hence "jeep") automobile in World War II. More comfortable versions have been launched as farm or family vehicles (e.g., British Land Rover), and were the inspiration for vehicles such as the IH Scout and Chevrolet Blazer that were the roots of the SUV era in the 1980s.
The original prototypes were built for the Department of the Army by Bantam. The model MB military Jeep was first built in quantity by Willys Overland Motor Corporation in Toledo, Ohio.
The Jeep was widely copied in countries other than the United States.
Daimler Chrysler, the successor company to Willys, considers the word "Jeep" and the distinctive front grill design to be trademarks. It is said that the number of people worldwide who can recognize the distinctive grill design is second only to the number who can recognize Mickey Mouse.