Long before the first true Jeep logo came to be, t he U.S. Army contracted with the American Bantam Car Company, Willys-Overland, and Ford to create a general-purpose vehicle for the WWII effort.

Willys-Overland and the 77 went into limbo. ... In 1967 the Hill brothers in Ohio received it in return for placing the "Mr. Gasket" advertising logos on the car.

In 1940-45, Willys-Overland built 362,894 Jeeps; Ford 285,660; American Bantam 2,676. Bantam also built around 60,000 trailers to haul gear behind Jeeps.

Willys-Overland filed a trademark application for the name Jeep in 1943 and started selling "Civilian Jeep" CJ-2A, models in 1945, but it would be 1950 before the trademark was finally approved.

Just in time for Old Threshers and Yuma County Fair, the Orphanage has on display a 1938 Willys-Overland, Model 38, half-ton pickup. The Willys (pronounced Willis) is on loan from the Forney Museum… ...

Long before the first true Jeep logo came to be, t he U.S. Army contracted with the American Bantam Car Company, Willys-Overland, and Ford to create a general-purpose vehicle for the WWII effort.