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68-623: In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company and in 1912 renamed it Willys–Overland Motor Company. From 1912 to 1918, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the United States after Ford Motor Company . In 1913, Willys acquired a license to build Charles Yale Knight 's sleeve-valve engine, which it used in cars bearing the Willys–Knight nameplate. In

136-638: A stroke after recovering completely from a previous heart attack that he had in May, at his home in The Bronx, New York City . He was interred in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York . Commerce, California Commerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California , United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census , up from 12,568 at the 2000 census . It

204-626: A teen center , an aquatics center, and a city-owned camp in the San Bernardino National Forest . Commerce is also one of the few cities in California that provides its residents with free bus service . Commerce operates five bus lines within the city, two routes running Sundays only, and one express bus between The Citadel shopping center and Downtown Los Angeles . Most of Commerce is served by Montebello Unified School District , while small portions are served by

272-621: A 52% share of Brazilian passenger car production in 1959. Willys held a market share of around 30% in Brazil from 1960 until 1966, its last full year as an independent, mostly Brazilian-owned company. Willys entered the Brazilian market in the hope of offsetting their shrinking market and losses at home. However, unlike in the case of the Argentinian Kaiser operations, which were essentially developed around hand-me-downs, Willys built

340-646: A controlling interest in Kaiser and thereby gained control of Willys–Overland do Brasil. The Aero-based Itamaraty continued in production until the early 1970s, in latter years wearing "Ford" badges. Dauphine production ended in 1968, but the Willys Rural/Pickup and its derivatives were built as the Ford F-75 until 1983. The only visual difference is that the post-1970 cars have a tailgate with "Ford" rather than "Jeep" stamped in it. The military version of

408-571: A few years, expanded into manufacturing his own line of bicycles. Willys' interest in cars came after an 1899 trip to Cleveland, where he saw an automobile for the first time, and knew they would quickly replace bicycles. Willys returned to New York and opened his first car dealership in Elmira , New York, selling Overland Automomobile brand automobiles. After changing the name to the Willys-Overland Motor Company in 1912,

476-539: A four-cylinder engine. A four-door sedan and a two-door hardtop were added for 1953 along with taxi models. The Aero cars were called Lark, Wing, Falcon, Ace, or Eagle depending on year, engine, and trim level, except for a small production run in its final year (1955) with models called Custom and Bermuda. The bodies for the Willys Aero were supplied by the Murray Body Corporation , which also made

544-501: A lightweight reconnaissance car based on a design by American Bantam . In 1938, Joseph W. Frazer had joined Willys from Chrysler as chief executive. He saw a need to improve the firm's 4-cylinder engine to handle the abuse to which the vehicle would be subjected. This objective was brilliantly achieved by ex- Studebaker chief engineer Delmar "Barney" Roos , who wanted an engine that could develop 15 horsepower at 4,400 r.p.m. and run for 150 hours without failure. What he started with

612-612: A major stake in AMC in 1979 and took over operation of the company, producing the CJ series until 1986. Chrysler purchased AMC in 1987 after the CJ had already been replaced with the Jeep Wrangler (also known as the YJ and later TJ ). The Jeep marque, owned by DaimlerChrysler and later Fiat S.p.A. and Stellantis , produces Jeep vehicles at a new Toledo Complex . DaimlerChrysler introduced

680-608: A new car, commonly referred to as the Chrysler Six . To raise cash needed to pay off debts, many of the Willys Corporation assets were put on the auction block. The Elizabeth plant and the Chrysler Six prototype were sold to William C. Durant , then in the process of building a new, third empire. The plant built Durant's low-priced Star , while the Chrysler Six prototype was substantially reworked to become

748-654: A new front-wheel drive car, called "Project M" and meant to replace the aging Dauphine. Developed in parallel with the Renault 12 , which it antedated, the car eventually saw light as the Ford Corcel . Early Corcels had "Willys" stamping in the glass, and the Corcel line (which continued in production until 1997 as the Ford Pampa ) always showed its French origins in its characteristic three-bolt wheels. In 1967, Ford took

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816-497: A new holding company that leased some of the properties back to W-O. The parent company was thus able to ride out the storm. In 1936, the Willys–Overland Motor Company was reorganized as Willys–Overland Motors. In 1937, Willys redesigned the 4-cylinder model. It gained a semistreamlined body with a slanted windshield, headlamps integrally embedded into the fenders, and a one-piece, rounded hood transversely hinged at

884-417: A phonetic pronunciation of the abbreviation GP, but Ford did not start manufacturing jeeps until February 1941, after news of "jeeps" made by "Bantam" had already been widely reported in the newspapers nationwide. The Ford designation "GP" did not stand for "General Purpose", supposedly the "G" signifying government contract vehicle and "P" indicating the 80-inch wheelbase reconnaissance car. Ford may have chosen

952-488: A very modern plant from the ground up in Brazil. The original promise was to build cars for export back to the United States, but such a situation never materialized. However, by late 1961, Brazilian-built Willys Jeeps began to be exported to Chile . Willys expanded into Brazil's impoverished northeast in the early 1960s, when they built an assembly plant for the Jeep in the state of Pernambuco . In 1962, Willys started building

1020-589: Is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department , which has its headquarters in Commerce. The LACFD operates Station #22 at 928 South Gerhart Avenue, Station #27, the battalion headquarters, at 6031 Rickenbacker Road, and Station #50 at 2327 South Saybrook Avenue, all in Commerce, as a part of Battalion 3. Ambulance transport is provided by Care Ambulance Service . The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates

1088-669: Is served by the Long Beach and Santa Ana freeways, as well as the Metrolink commuter rail service at the Commerce station . In the 19th century, the area was part of Antonio Maria Lugo 's Rancho San Antonio . Its conversion to an industrial area began in 1887, when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built its main line through the area. The ranch remained intact until Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker , reputedly once

1156-532: Is the Citadel Outlets mall, which occupies the site of a former tire factory. The owner of the Citadel, Steve Craig, hosts an annual Clean Up Commerce Day and enlists other businesses to work with the city and volunteers in beautifying a specific area of the city. With a major rail yard within its borders, Commerce has also benefited greatly from the huge expansion in international trade traffic through

1224-522: Is usually referred to as the City of Commerce to distinguish it from the common noun . It is bordered by Vernon on the west, Los Angeles on the northwest, East Los Angeles on the north, Montebello on the east, Downey and Bell Gardens on the south, and Maywood on the southwest. The Los Angeles River forms part of its southwestern boundary, and the Rio Hondo separates it from Downey. Commerce

1292-497: The 2010 census Commerce had a population of 12,823. The population density was 1,961.4 inhabitants per square mile (757.3/km ). The racial makeup of Commerce was 6,930 (54.0%) White (3.1% Non-Hispanic White), 96 (0.7%) African American, 161 (1.3%) Native American, 140 (1.1%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 4,886 (38.1%) from other races, and 601 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12,114 persons (94.5%). The census reported that 12,753 people (99.5% of

1360-619: The CJ series of civilian Jeeps. One variation was the Jeepster , which came with a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine, but only with two-wheel drive to the rear. In 1952, Willys re-entered the car market with a new compact car, the Willys Aero . At first available only as a two-door sedan, it was available with either an L-head or F-head six-cylinder engine. Export markets could get the Aero with

1428-832: The Duesenberg Motors Company plant in Elizabeth, New Jersey . The New Jersey plant was replaced by a new, larger facility in Indianapolis , and was to be the site of production for a new Willys Six at an adjacent site, but the depression of 1920–21 brought the Willys Corporation to its knees. The bankers hired Walter P. Chrysler to sort out the mess and the first model to go was the Willys Six, deemed an engineering disaster. Chrysler had three auto engineers: Owen Skelton , Carl Breer , and Fred Zeder (later nicknamed The Three Musketeers ) begin work on

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1496-632: The Los Angeles Unified School District . Elementary schools that serve Commerce include: Intermediate schools that serve Commerce include: K–8 schools: High schools that serve Commerce include: Los Cerritos Community News serves the city. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier , serving Commerce. Fire protection in Commerce

1564-604: The United States House of Representatives , Commerce is in California's 42nd Congressional District , Represented by Democrat Robert Garcia . Commerce residents have many civic services funded from taxes on the local card club, the Commerce Casino , which accounts for 46% ($ 19.5 Million for budget year 2005/06) of Commerce's tax revenues, and the Citadel. This includes four libraries, a senior center,

1632-536: The "Universal" brand of farm tractor and a line of Stephens cars. The following year he acquired control of the Duesenberg company primarily to get his hands on Duesenberg brothers' factory in Elizabeth, New Jersey where he planned to produce a new six-cylinder car. Labor difficulties began to emerge at the Willys-Overland Toledo plant that resulted in a violent strike in 1919, shutting down

1700-602: The 1923 Flint . Walter Chrysler and the three engineers who had been working on the Chrysler Six all moved on to Maxwell - Chalmers where they continued their work, ultimately launching the Chrysler Six in January 1924. (In 1925, the Maxwell car company became the Chrysler Corporation .) In 1926, Willys–Overland introduced a new line of small cars named Willys–Overland Whippet. In the economic depression of

1768-688: The 1930s saw numerous carmakers go out of business, and the Willys enterprises went into bankruptcy reorganization in 1933. In 2008, Willys was posthumously inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. Well respected in the business community, John Willys was a strong supporter of the United States Republican Party who had been an Ohio delegate to the 1916 Republican National Convention . Following

1836-614: The 1930s, a number of Willys automotive brands faltered. Stearns-Knight was liquidated in 1929. Whippet production ended in 1931; its models were replaced by the Willys Six and Eight. Production of the Willys-Knight ended in 1933. There was also a pickup truck version of the Whippet, called the Willys-Six C-113 (reflecting its wheelbase in inches). This was not a sales success, with a mere 198 units being built. This vehicle

1904-533: The 1933 Willys 77 . Only 12,800 were sold in 1933, 13,234 in 1934, 10,644 in 1935 (including a new panel delivery ), and 30,825 the company's final year, making it a puzzle why it became popular: it was neither cheap nor plentiful. After the company revived, the 1937–1942 coupés, sedans, and pickups were again popular with hot rodders and gasser teams, and again, comparatively low production leaves unexplained why they gained so much attention. Ollie Olsen's Wil-A-Meaner 1940 coupé (driven by Bob "Rapid" Dwyer) won

1972-408: The 1956 Plymouth Savoy and a Dodge truck there, in the hope of taking advantage of Willys' "Brazilian-made" credentials. Willys went through considerable effort to appear as a Brazilian company, even selling a large portion of their company to Brazilian stockholders to forestall a possible nationalist backlash, and to become eligible for various government incentives. The little tail-engined Dauphine

2040-464: The 1961 NHRA Nationals A/G title. John Willys John North Willys ( / ˈ w ɪ l ɪ s / ; October 25, 1873 – August 26, 1935) was an American automotive pioneer and diplomat. His company, Willys-Overland Motors , became the second largest carmaker in the United States after Henry Ford . Born in Canandaigua, New York , Willys began selling bicycles in his hometown and within

2108-584: The 1972 model year; its Los Angeles facility couldn't accommodate this change. Commerce is also the site of Williams Ranch, on which is the swimming hole that the Sleepy Lagoon Murder of José Díaz took place in 1942. The Sleepy Lagoon swimming hole was located near Slauson and Eastern Ave. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 6.5 square miles (17 km ), over 99% of it land. At

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2176-584: The French Alpine A108 as the Willys Interlagos. It was produced until 1966 and was the first Brazilian-made sports car. It was also the car in which many Brazilian racers cut their teeth, including greats such as Emerson Fittipaldi . Willys also designed and showed a larger sports car called the "Capeta" (Devil) in 1964, powered by the 2.6-litre six-cylinder Aero engine. In 1965, Willys–Overland do Brasil and Renault began collaborating on

2244-587: The Jeep Pickup was called the F-85. In America, the company had already changed its name in 1963 to Kaiser-Jeep Corporation; the Willys name disappeared thereafter. Kaiser-Jeep was sold to American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1970 when Kaiser Industries decided to leave the automobile business. After the sale, AMC used engines it had developed for its other cars in Jeep models to improve performance and standardize production and servicing. Renault purchased

2312-770: The Kaiser-Frazer takeover. The tooling for the Aero went to Brazil, where it entered production in 1960. In 1956–1957, Brazil's Executive Group for the Automotive Industry (GEIA) had approved Willys–Overland for production of the Aero, the Willys MB Jeep, a truck version of the Jeep called the Rural, and the French Renault Dauphine small car. Also, an abortive plan was made to create a company called Chrysler-Willys do Brasil SA to build

2380-577: The Overland name for a trim package on the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee . The badging is a recreation of the Overland nameplate from the early twentieth century. In 2014, the Willys trademark was acquired by Italian Carrozzeria Viotti , declaration of Emanuele Bomboi (head of design of Viotti). Carrozzeria Viotti together with Fabbrica Italiana Maggiora introduced at the Bologna Motor Show 2014

2448-600: The US Army in 1940. Ford, American Bantam , and Willys all manufactured jeeps for the US Army in 1941. Production of the Willys MB , commonly called a jeep, began in November 1941. Ford, American Bantam , and Willys together produced 8,598 units in 1940. Willys–Overland ranked 48th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. In total, 647,870 military Jeeps were manufactured by

2516-639: The Willys AW 380 Berlineta, a concept car inspired by the original Willys Interlagos assembled by Willys in Brazil under license of the French Alpine. Viotti and Maggiora plans to produce the vehicle in limited edition and relaunch the Willys marque. Stellantis reintroduced the Willys name as a trimline for the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck in the early 2020s. The 1933–1936 coupés and pickups were very popular gassers . The best-known would be

2584-617: The Willys-Overland plant in New Jersey was sold at auction to William C. Durant as was Willys' " New Process Gear Company ," in Syracuse, New York . With debt under control, Willys once again began expanding and in 1925 bought the F.J. Stearns Co. of Cleveland, Ohio that made a line of luxury vehicles. In 1926 Willys introduced the "Whippet" model line that sold in the U.S., Canada , and Australia . The Great Depression of

2652-452: The boards and produce two new models – the 4-cylinder Willys 77 and the 6-cylinder Willys 99 – but since the firm was once again on the verge of bankruptcy, only the 77 went into production. It was forced to sell its Canadian subsidiary, itself in weak financial shape, and started a massive reorganization. Only the main assembly plant and some smaller factories remained the property of Willys–Overland. The other assets were sold off to

2720-520: The bodies for the short-lived Hudson Jet . Also in 1952, CJ-3B Jeeps went into production. By 1968, over 155,000 were sold. In 1953, Kaiser Motors purchased Willys–Overland and changed the company's name to Willys Motor Company. The same year, production of the Kaiser car was moved from Willow Run, Michigan, to the Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio. Although Jeep production was steady, sales of the Willys and Kaiser cars continued to fall. Willys–Overland established its Brazilian operations in 1953, just before

2788-510: The city was $ 11,117. About 15.4% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. These were the ten cities or neighborhoods in Los Angeles County with the largest percentage of Latino residents , according to the 2000 census: Mexican (78.4%) and Irish (0.9%) were the most common ancestries. Mexico (83.4%) and El Salvador (4.7%) were

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2856-669: The communities of Bandini, Rosewood, and Laguna to encourage commerce. They changed the name to match that goal. The city was incorporated in 1960 to prevent neighboring cities such as Vernon and Los Angeles from annexing industrial land for tax revenue and elected its first city mayor, Maurice Quigley. In the 1970s and 1980s, Commerce successfully negotiated the turbulent period of deindustrialization that hammered nearby cities such as South Gate and Norwalk , maintaining much of its manufacturing and goods-distribution base and successfully converting former industrial land to lucrative commercial uses. The most notable example of this phenomenon

2924-557: The election of Herbert Hoover to the Presidency of the United States , in March 1930 Willys was appointed the first United States Ambassador to Poland , serving until May 1932. Willys and his wife had at least one daughter, Virginia, who married a rancher, Luis Marcelino de Aguirre, in 1929 when she was 18. The following year, John Willys and his wife of thirty-seven years divorced. He soon remarried. He died on August 26, 1935, of

2992-401: The end of World War II , 362,841 by Willys, 280,448 by Ford and 2,675 by American Bantam. The word "Jeep" was first used to describe US Army "midget cars" in a January 1941 newspaper article, mentioning "Bantam" as the manufacturer. In January 1941 American Bantam was the only manufacturer that had actually fulfilled purchase orders to deliver jeeps to the US Army. Some people believe "jeep" is

3060-510: The factory built aircraft assemblies for Lockheed Hudson bombers. When the war ended, the factory resumed automobile production and was one of two locations to build the first CJ2A, as well as the Willys Aero. The factory was closed in 1954. The location is now occupied by Prologis Eaves Distribution Center. Willys–Overland was one of two bidders when the United States Army sought an automaker that could begin rapid production of

3128-459: The letters GP because Bantam vehicles were already being called "jeeps", even in early 1941. The first documented use of the word "Jeep" was the name of the character Eugene the Jeep in the Popeye comic strip, known for his supernatural abilities ( e.g. , walking through walls). It was also the name of a small tractor supplied to the U.S. Army by Minneapolis-Moline in 1937. Whatever the source,

3196-832: The mid-1920s, Willys also acquired the F. B. Stearns Company of Cleveland and assumed continued production of the Stearns-Knight luxury car, as well. John Willys acquired the Electric Auto-Lite Company in 1914 and in 1917 formed the Willys Corporation to act as his holding company . In 1916, it acquired the Russell Motor Car Company of Toronto , Ontario , and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in Buffalo, New York , by 1917, New Process Gear , and in 1919 acquired

3264-432: The most common foreign places of birth. According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Kimlan Foods USA has its headquarters in Commerce. In the California State Legislature , Commerce is in the 32nd Senate District , represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto , and in the 58th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Sabrina Cervantes . In

3332-528: The name stuck and on February 13, 1943, Willys–Overland filed a trademark application on the use of the term "Jeep" with the U.S. Patent Office. After several denials by the patent office and appeals by Willys–Overland, the trademark "Jeep" was finally awarded to the company on June 13, 1950. Willys also built 1292 airframes for the JB-2 Loon . After the war, Willys did not resume production of its passenger-car models, choosing instead to concentrate on Jeeps and Jeep-based vehicles. The first postwar Willys product

3400-414: The next year John Willys acquired the Edwards Motor Co of New York which gave him a license to manufacture the patented Knight "sleeve valve" engine. Success saw his car company become the second largest carmaker in the United States and in 1915 he built a seven-story headquarters in Toledo, Ohio , that was the most modern of its day. Before the end of the decade, one-third of the city of Toledo's workforce

3468-399: The occupied units 1,619 (47.9%) were owner-occupied and 1,763 (52.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.8%. 6,631 people (51.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,122 people (47.7%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Commerce had a median household income of $ 48,729, with 16.5% of

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3536-621: The plant for several months. Willys hired General Motors vice-president Walter Chrysler to run the Willys-Overland operation at the then astonishing salary of $ 1 million a year. However, Chrysler tried to oust John Willys with an attempted takeover bid that backfired when the shareholders resisted his move and Chrysler left in 1921 to go into business for himself. Although very profitable, Willys' businesses were highly leveraged, expanded and/or acquired through massive borrowings. In 1921, Willys' nervous bankers forced him to consolidate in order to limit their exposure. To raise cash for debt reduction,

3604-538: The population living below the federal poverty line. At the 2000 census there were 12,568 people in 3,284 households, including 2,686 families, in the city. The population density was 1,913.6 inhabitants per square mile (738.8/km ). There were 3,377 housing units at an average density of 514.2 per square mile (198.5/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 44.8% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 46.9% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. 93.6% of

3672-408: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 3,284 households 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families; 15.5% of households were one person and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.80 and the average family size

3740-610: The population) lived in households, 2 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 68 (0.5%) were institutionalized. There were 3,382 households, 1,751 (51.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,693 (50.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 708 (20.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 308 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 248 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 23 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships ; 559 households (16.5%) were one person and 326 (9.6%) had someone living alone who

3808-420: The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach , albeit at the expense of severe air pollution caused by truck congestion on the Long Beach Freeway. Chrysler had an assembly plant in Commerce from 1930 through July 1971 located at 5800 S. Eastern Avenue and Slauson Avenue, called Los Angeles (Maywood) Assembly . It was closed at the end of the 1971 model year, as Chrysler decided to triple-stack its transport trains for

3876-448: The rear. For 1939, the Model 39 featured Lockheed hydraulic brakes, a two-inch increase in wheelbase to 102 inches and an improved 134 DID four-cylinder engine with power increased from 48 to 61 hp. The Model 39 was marketed as an Overland and as a Willys–Overland rather than as a Willys. In 1929, the company built a factory that built vehicles located at what is now 6201 Randolph Street, Commerce, California . During World War II ,

3944-449: The same engine and transmission, with clear styling influence from the CJ-2A Jeep. The next year came a "Jeep" Utility Truck with four-wheel drive. In 1948, the wagon was available in four-wheel drive, making it the ancestor of all sport utility vehicles . Willys planned to re-enter the passenger car market in 1947 with the Willys 6–70 sedan. Its name came from the fact it was powered by a 6-cylinder engine that produced 70 hp. The 6–70

4012-424: The wealthiest woman in Los Angeles, sold some of it around the turn of the 20th century. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (later the Union Pacific) both were built through what would become the community, as was the Pacific Electric Railway 's Whittier Line . By the 1920s, factories had arrived. In the late 1940s, industrial leaders banded together with residents in

4080-463: Was 4.17. The age distribution was 33.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median household income was $ 34,040 and the median family income was $ 36,572. Males had a median income of $ 27,738 versus $ 22,857 for females. The per capita income for

4148-586: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.77. There were 2,709 families (80.1% of households); the average family size was 4.17. The age distribution was 3,824 people (29.8%) under the age of 18, 1,458 people (11.4%) aged 18 to 24, 3,581 people (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 2,590 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,370 people (10.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males. There were 3,470 housing units at an average density of 530.8 per square mile, of

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4216-446: Was a result of Kaiser's Renault connection, and was produced by Willys do Brasil from 1959 until 1968. Willys–Overland was one of the first companies to enter the Brazilian passenger automobile market, and their early entry originally paid off, with sales spiking in 1954 when Willys became the number-one selling car. Being distributed by the family of Getúlio Vargas ' closest advisor Osvaldo Aranha also helped, and Willys–Overland reached

4284-431: Was an engine that developed 48 horsepower at 3,400 r.p.m., and could run continuously for only two to four hours ... It took Barney Roos two years to perfect his engine, by a whole complex of revisions that included closer tolerances, tougher alloys, aluminum pistons, and a flywheel reduced in weight from fifty-seven to thirty-one pounds. American Bantam was the sole manufacturer of serial production jeeps delivered to

4352-401: Was employed either at Willys-Overland or at one of the numerous small businesses providing parts and supplies. His automobile empire offered the consumer the choice of an Overland, Willys or Willys-Knight vehicle, each relative to a specific type of engine or price range. Through his holding company, in 1918 John Willys acquired the Moline Plow Company of Moline, Illinois , which manufactured

4420-402: Was picked up by International Harvester , who installed their own 213-cubic inch engine and offered it in 1933 as the International D-1. In 1932, Ward M. Canaday, who beginning in 1916 had done advertising for the company before becoming a full-time employee, had taken on the role of chairman. He helped guide the company through its current receivership . At this time, Willys decided to clear

4488-425: Was the CJ-2A , an MB stripped of obviously military features, particularly the blackout lighting , and with the addition of a tailgate. Willys initially struggled to find a market for the vehicle, first attempting to sell it primarily as an alternative to the farm tractor . Tractors were in short supply, having been out of production during the war. However, sales of the "Agri-Jeep" never took off, mainly because it

4556-414: Was too light to provide adequate draft. The CJ-2A was among the first civilian vehicles of any kind to be equipped with four-wheel drive from the factory, and it gained popularity among farmers, ranchers, hunters, and others who needed a lightweight vehicle for use on unimproved roads and trails. In 1946, a year after the introduction of the CJ-2A, Willys produced the Willys "Jeep" Utility Wagon based on

4624-416: Was touted as the 'first stock car' in America that offered independent suspension on all four wheels, but it never entered production. In 1948, under a contract from the U.S. Army, Willys produced a small one-man four-wheeled utility vehicle called the Jungle Burden Carrier which evolved into the M274 Utility 1 ⁄ 2 -ton vehicle. Willys later produced the M38 Jeep for the U.S. Army, and continued

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