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Jeep, a car brand of automobile manufacturer Chrysler, takes pride in being the oldest Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) around.

There had been quite a lot of possible explanations going around as to the origins of the name, “jeep”, but none have been verified. One theory was that it came from GP, which was short for Gov. Purposes, a designation given to this type of vehicle. GP was then slurred in a way that it eventually sounded “jeep”. This claim, however, was argued by R. Lee Ermey who said that the vehicle was never intended to refer to GP at all.

This particular explanation might have been confusing especially when there was, at that time, another type of vehicle that was also assigned the designation GP. The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, known for manufacturing railroad automotives, came out with its General Purpose line, thus using also the GP tag, only that GP stood for General Purpose. Still the vehicles of the GP line of General Motors were constantly called Geeps, sounding the same as “jeep”.

Accordingly, the word “jeep” was initially used by soldiers during the first world war to refer to new recruits and to new vehicles that were not yet tested of their performance. Ermey, along with many others, felt that the soldiers during that time were so awed by this new line of vehicles that they developed a name for it — Eugene the Jeep.

Another definition of the term “jeep” was given by Clinton A. Sanders in his dictionary of military slang words entitled Words of the Fighting Forces. The book, published in 1942, defined “jeep” as a four-wheel drive car with one-half up to one and one-half capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty. The term also referred to the bantam-cars, and occasionally to other U.S.A. motor vehicles in the Air Corps, the Link Trainer; in the armored forces, the ½ ton command car. It also referred to as any small plane, helicopter, or gadget.

Then in the earlier part of 1941, Willys-Overland, Inc. tested the performance of the vehicle. Willys-Overland driver, Irving “Red” Haussman drove it along the steps of the Capitol of the United States. When Katherine Hillyer, a columnist for the Washington Daily News, saw him do that and asked him what the vehicle was called, Irving readily answered, “jeep”, a term he had overhead from soldiers at Fort Holabird.

Hillyer then wrote an article about it, publishing it on February 20, 1941 together with a picture of the vehicle. Since then, the term “jeep” meant to refer only to the 4×4 truck published by Hillyer.

In 1941, too, Willys-Overland Inc. became the first owner of the registered trademark, “jeep”, manufacturing the first Civilian Jeep or CJ. Then in 1953, Kaiser bought Willys-Overland, and in 1963, it became known as the Kaiser-Jeep. Seven years later, American Motors took over Kaiser’s jeep operations, which was already having financial troubles during that time. The vehicles were a perfect match to AMC’s passenger car business. They basically shared the same features and therefore efficiently produced cars in large volumes.

In 1979, Renault, a French automobile manufacturer, invested in American Motors. By 1987, however, the automobile industry had considerably changed, and Renault, too, was having some financial problems. Chrysler Corporation, which saw these rather unfortunate events as opportunities to buy the jeep trademark, came along and bought American Motors. At that time, the Jeep CJ had just been replaced by the Jeep Wrangler or YJ. The following year, Chrysler joined forces with Daimler-Benz, thus DaimlerChrysler was born.

The jeeps had exceptional off-road abilities, and for these they are famous for even up to this day. Jeep Wrangler is, in fact, the only vehicle in North America with solid front and rear axles, thus giving it considerable strength and durability. Another advantage of the solid axles is that lifting becomes easier and cheap. Lifting causes the distance between the center of the axle hub and the vehicle’s body to increase, thus, making it possible for larger tires to be installed. As a result from all these, the ground clearance of the Jeep likewise increases, and its ability to drive through obstacles also increases.

Jeep owners pay tribute to this very versatile vehicle by conducting jamborees throughout the year. These jamborees, which usually run for two days, provide an opportunity for owners of the Jeep to meet with each other, sharing stories about their passion, going on scenic trails, and testing the capacities of their vehicles. These jamborees are like family outings in a way, however, they are specific in their requirement for registration: only jeeps with low-range transfer case may be allowed; full-size jeeps may be allowed only after approval has been sought before the scheduled registration date. Participants to the jamborees need to be registered, too, in order to join the trail rides and other activities. The jamborees are therefore exclusive only to those who have registered. Once registered, participants may have the option to stay either at a local campground, a motel or somewhere else. The jamborees typically begin with a breakfast, which is then followed by a meeting.

Aside from the jamborees, there is another event that also honors the Jeep, and it is called Camp Jeep. Camp Jeep is held only once a year, and like the jamboree, runs for two days. Camp Jeep is filled with exciting activities that include mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, tubing, and many others. Participants, which may include children as well, may also engage in arts and crafts and enjoy getting entertained by top performing bands. Camp Jeep also offers courses for jeep owners who are just starting out and still on the verge of familiarizing themselves with the vehicle. The courses, which usually include actual demonstration of proper driving techniques for this 4×4 versatile truck, are very helpful, indeed, especially for those who want to get the best out of their vehicle.

The Jeep is viewed by many to symbolize freedom. Because of its versatility, it can go practically anywhere it pleases.