The world-famous military Jeep of World War II saved Willys-Overland Motors, and after the war, the Toledo automaker used that fame by expanding the Jeep into every conceivable civilian market, from agriculture to industry. Indeed, the company’s tagline in these years was “makers of America’s most useful vehicles.” This 1950 movie, produced for Willys-Overland by Wilding Picture Productions, was created to cement the notion that the Jeep was appropriate for nearly every job, and that there’s almost nothing a Jeep can’t do.
All these years later, it’s awesome to reflect that Jeep is no longer a niche brand trying to assert itself in specialty markets. Now, Jeep is one of the most familiar names in the automotive world, and easily the most precious brand in the portfolio of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which recently merged with PSA Group of France to become the world’s fourth-biggest automaker. All that came to pass because Willys-Overland visualized a small but secure place in the market for a rugged, go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle. And when, years and years later, the sport utility category burst into prominence, the Jeep brand was perfectly positioned to be its leader. See where it all started in this entertaining old video.