![]() Toward the middle of the year, an additional model was introduced, the VJ3-6, powered by Willys' new L148 Lightning I-6 engine. The price was lowered to $1,495, with some previously standard features returning as extra-cost options. The 1949 Jeepster began production with a one-model/one-engine offering. The flat-topped rear fenders were taken from the Jeep truck line. The Planadyne single transverse leaf spring independent front suspension, entire drivetrain, front end, rear suspension, steering, and four-wheel drum brakes were from the Willys Station Wagon. The Jeepster's I-4 engine was rated at 63 hp (47 kW 64 PS) and coupled to a Borg-Warner T-96 3-speed manual transmission with an overdrive unit as standard. ![]() Sales were also limited by sparse advertising and an insufficient dealer network. However, the Jeepster did not catch on with the intended market segment. Its distinctive boxy styling and performance were praised by automotive journalists. The car was only offered with rear-wheel drive, thus limiting its appeal to typical Jeep customers. The Jeepster had Willys' World War II-proven 134.2 cu in (2.2 L) straight-4 " Go Devil" engine, and plastic side curtains, but its US$1,765 (equivalent to $21,498 in 2022) price was about the same as a Ford Super DeLuxe Club convertible with roll-down windows, fancier styling, and a V8 engine. These included, among many others, whitewall tires, hubcaps with bright trim rings, sun visors, deluxe steering wheel, wind wings, locking glovebox, cigar lighter, and continental tire with fabric cover. The basic 1948 Jeepster included numerous deluxe features and interior fittings in addition to a high level of standard equipment that cost extra on other automobiles. 1949 Jeepster standard Continental kit 1950 Jeepster Some leftover models were sold under the 1951 model year. The Willys-Overland Jeepster ("VJ" internally) was introduced in April 1948, and produced through 1950. Industrial designer Brooks Stevens styled a line of postwar vehicles for Willys using a common platform that included the Jeep pickup and station wagon, as well as a sporty two-door open car that he envisioned as a sports car for veterans of World War II. Willys-Overland lacked the machinery to form deep-drawn fenders or complicated shapes, so the vehicle had to use a simple and slab-sided design. The new sporty rear-wheel-drive-only model was to have a "dual personality for city and country driving" and marketing emphasized it as "America's greatest value in sports cars!" ![]() It was to expand its Jeep work truck focus and thus broaden Willys' customer base. Seeing a gap in their product lineup, Willys developed the Jeepster to crossover from their "utilitarian" trucks to the passenger automobile market. The company also began producing the Jeep Wagon/Panel Utility/Pick-up in 1946, and the Jeep Truck in 1947. The Jeepster name was revived in 1966 on a new model, the C-101 Jeepster Commando.Īfter World War II, Jeep trademark owner, Willys (pronounced "WILL-is"), began producing and marketing the "CJ" (for Civilian Jeep) to farmers, foresters, and others with similar utilitarian needs. A total of almost 20,000 were manufactured. The Jeepster initially included numerous deluxe features and interior fittings in addition to a high level of standard equipment that cost extra on other automobiles. It was developed to fill a gap in the company's product line, crossing over from their "utilitarian" proto SUVs and trucks to the passenger automobile market. The Jeepster is an automobile originally produced by Willys-Overland Motors from 1948 to 1950.
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