Green Jeep Trivia

[Soylent]

Most early civilian jeeps developed from military models that were "demilitarized" to become civilian models, however, sometimes this went the other way.  Name four quarter tons that were developed first as civilian models before being drafted into the military.

[Rick_Bear]

I think I'll ad just one here and see how many others chime in...

Hmmm...Let's see...

M-715 from the Jeep Gladiator dropped later for the (Dodge) M-880

[Jeremy]

MB developed into the Cj2 and later the CJ2a

the M38 developed into the CJ3a

The M38A1 developed into the CJ5

The M170 developed into the CJ6

The J8 is a military development of the JK truck that may be released soon.

The M676-667-668-669 are military FC-150 and 170s

[Rick_Bear]

Jeremy,

You're answering backwards....Soylent wants civilian models that were later developed into military models.

[ddechri]

I think the M170/M171 developed out of the CJ-6.
There is a military version of the Commando (comes to the show) that was probably a derivative of the civilian.
The 3 cyl diesel FC 4 door van would have been a derivative of the civilian FC's.
There is also the ambulance version of the M715.

- Dave

[Soylent]

Jeremy,

You're answering backwards....Soylent wants civilian models that were later developed into military models.

True.  While we all know that the MB served as the basis for the CJ-2 and -2A and that the M38A1 (MD) morphed into the CJ-5 three years after its introduction, I'm interested in the several military models which started their life as the civvy version of the Jeep Universal/Universal Jeep.

Leave out the pickups, vans, station wagons, roadsters, and ambulances please.  We can work on those later...

[ddechri]

This same calendar has a picture of a brochure indicating the M606 was a CJ-3B "Modified" and what those modification are. So, the M606 would have been developed from the CJ-3B.

- Dave

[Soylent]

This same calendar has a picture of a brochure indicating the M606 was a CJ-3B "Modified" and what those modification are. So, the M606 would have been developed from the CJ-3B.

- Dave

Well, there's our first out of at least four.

[Soylent]

Actually, that was the second out of at least four.  But since the original answer was part of the shotgun approach, I'm not saying which one of the "guesses" is the correct one.  But it is indeed true that the M606 was developed from the CJ-3B.

[Soylent]

What I was looking for here, was quarter ton models that were developed from an earlier civilian model.

The CJ-3A was modified to become the M38 (Willys MC) and the CJ-V-35/U.

The CJ-3B was modified to become the M606.  (Forest Whitaker drives an M606 in Good Morning Vietnam!)

The CJ-5 was modified to become M606A1 (12 volt electrical system) and M606A2 (24 volt).

The J8 is a modified JK Wrangler built in Chrysler's Cairo plant.



But since some of the answers strayed from the "quarter ton" criteria, let's cover some of the other models.

FSJ/Gladiator pickups became M715 5/4 ton trucks, M725 Ambulances, and M726 Shop Vans.

FC-170 Forward Control pickups became the M676, M677, M678, and M679 cargo, van, and ambulance bodied military trucks.  None of these were based on the shorter wheelbase FC-150.

While it is certainly true that nearly every vehicle (car and truck) can get accepted at some point for military evaluation, I doubt you will find evidence that any Jeepster (VJ, VJ-2, VJ-3, C101, and C104) was commonly used in military service.

And I guess if we consider that the CJ-10 is a civilian model truck, then the CJ-10A Air Force tug is a military vehicle developed from that truck.