Five History Facts Every Jeep Owner Should Know

If you’re a longtime Jeep fan, chances are you’ve heard more than a few stories about the brand that you’ve found a little questionable. Much like any great icon of history, Jeep too has found itself at the center of some pretty wild tales over the years. The trouble is, deciphering fact from fiction can become rather time consuming, unless you’re as big a history buff as you are a Jeep fan.

Luckily, there are folks who have a passion for both, like Lon Allan, the proud owner of a 1946 Willys Jeep. In a story from The Tribune, Allan helps dispel a few myths about Jeep. We’ve compiled some of the more interesting tidbits in a list below, featuring five historical facts every Jeep owner should know.

1. Ever heard the rumor that there are some Jeeps stored in a crate with a protective product call Casmoline? Well, not true, says Allan.

2. Jeep was invented by the American Bantam Car Co. at the request of the military, not Willys Overland Motors.

3. The first Jeep prototype was built in 49 days.

4. While it would later be called Jeep, that first military vehicle built by American Bantam Car Co. was actually called a “4-wheel drive truck,” says Allan.

5. Willys, however, was the first company to officially register the name “Jeep,” which took place in 1950. Before then, the name was simply “jeep” in lowercase.

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Via [The Tribune]