Fort Collins Dodge Chrysler Jeep

In 1940, the U.S. Army requested bids from automakers to develop what was to become the Jeep, what was called a "light reconnaissance vehicle" made to Army specifications in the event the U.S. was pulled into World War II. Three of the 135 U.S. automakers solicited responded - American Bantam, Ford, and Willys-Overland. The three actually worked together to create the first Jeep design, and Willys delivered a prototype in November 1940. It was called the Quad because of its 4x4 system.

The Willys MA (for "Military," model "A") was the next prototype delivered, and the few models produced were mostly sent to Russia and England for use by U.S. allies. It was the following Willys MB - what we know as the original Army Jeep - that led the Army to award their contract to Willys-Overland in July 1941. That contract called for 16,000 MB models to be delivered to the Army at a price of $738.74 each.

The GIs loved their Jeeps. The all-purpose MB could be fitted with .30 or .50 caliber machine guns for combat. They could be modified and used for long range desert patrol, telephone cable laying, and saw milling. Jeeps were used as snow plows, firefighting pump trucks, field ambulances, and tractors. With suitable wheels, they would even run on railroad tracks. MBs could be loaded into transport aircraft and deployed quickly and easily, and they were small enough to fit into the large gliders used in the D-day invasion of Europe.

So if the vehicle was officially the Willys MB, where did the name Jeep come from? No one really knows for sure, but if you scour the Internet, you come up with several possibilities, including:

•       The original Ford version of the Jeep was called the GP, "G" for government contract use and "P" to designate any passenger vehicle with a wheelbase of 80 inches. GP could have been shortened to a single syllable - Jeep.
•       A character in the Popeye comic strip of the 1930s was called Eugene the Jeep. He could go anywhere and do anything (go through walls, climb trees, etc.). Supposedly, U.S. soldiers were so impressed by the capabilities of the Willys MB they called the vehicle a Jeep after that character.
•       An article in the Washington Daily News that appeared in February 1941 as the result of a press event staged by Willys to demonstrate its vehicle's capabilities described the vehicle as a "jeep." That name was apparently passed along to the reporter by a test driver on the Willys development team who had heard soldiers describing the MB as a jeep.

Chrysler Group LLC, the manufacturer of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram cars and trucks, offers a 5-year, 100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty on the new cars and trucks we sell. The Powertrain Limited Warranty is the one you typically hear about in TV commercials or read about in ads, but unless you're well-versed in vehicle-speak, you may not fully understand what that means.

The powertrain is made up of the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. It's the system that powers the car (engine), then transfers that power to the transmission, which drives the wheels of the car or truck (drivetrain) and sends you on your way. The limited warranty covers the components of the power train if they are damaged or found to be defective within the warranty period. (A full warranty has no expiration time limit.) It excludes parts that will wear out as part of normal driving wear on your vehicle and expected to be replaced, such as clutches or CV joints and boots.

The Powertrain Limited Warranty on vehicles sold by Fort Collins Dodge Chrysler Jeep covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair a powertrain component listed below that is defective in workmanship and materials. It also includes the cost of towing your vehicle to our dealership or another authorized Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram dealer if it cannot be driven because a part that is covered by the warranty has failed. The warranty lasts for five years or 100,000 miles on the odometer, whichever occurs first.

The Powertrain Limited Warranty covers:

• Gasoline Engine, including cylinder block and all internal parts, cylinder head assemblies, timing case, timing chain, timing belt, gears and sprockets, and other engine parts.
• Transmission, including the transmission case and all internal parts, torque converter, drive/flex plate, speed sensors, and other transmission parts. It excludes all manual transmission clutch parts.
• Front Wheel Drive, All Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive, and Four-Wheel Drive component and parts.

When you're in need of a new car or truck - at least one that is new to you - many people find that buying a pre-owned car or truck is the most efficient way to go. Here are 10 steps for buying a car or truck from Fort Collins Dodge Chrysler Jeep to help making your purchase process go smoothly.

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