Though there’s quite a bit of controversy over how the “jeep” got its name, there’s no denying its iconic status both in military and civilian circles. In June 1940, the U.S. Army sought to develop an agile lightweight vehicle to facilitate infantry and other troop movements; a project that resulted in a quarter ton four-wheel-drive “reconnaissance truck” prototype that made its debut at Camp (now Fort) Holabird in Baltimore, MD. on Sept. 23, 1940. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Sean Kilcarr is a former longtime FleetOwner senior editor who wrote for the publication from 2000 to 2018. He served as editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2018.