The history channel series Modern Marvels did a fine show on the history of the jeep.  There’s some great bits of info, pictures and videos.  I think it’s worth watching, even just to watch the video of the experimental ‘jeep helicopter’.  The youtube version of this episode is divided up into 5 sections.  The nice feature is that once you start watching the first one, each successive video will be launched automatically.

My only contention with the show is that one narrator suggests that Willys invented four wheel drive.  Actually, four wheel drive had been around for about 50 years.   I wrote the following several months ago (though didn’t post it):

“A four wheel drive system for vehicles was patented 48 years before the development of Bantam’s BRC (Bantam Recon Car aka Mark I), the very first jeep (followed by 69 prototype BRC-60s aka Mark II), the precursor to the jeep and the decision behind the military to issue a call for prototype 1/4 vehicles (to which three companies responded:  Ford (Pygmy), Bantam (BRC-40) and Willys (Quad).   Porsche developed a four wheel drive electric car prototype in 1900,  2 Dutch brothers built a four wheel drive Spyker race car in 1904 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyker).  The Four Wheel Drive Auto company of Wisconsin built 20,000 four-wheel drive trucks for the British and American Armies during World War I.”

Now, maybe Bantam invented the modern transfer case.  Of this, I’m less sure.  I haven’t found any evidence that certifies the inventor of the transfer case.

Other links:

• Who invented four wheel drive?
• Mercedes:  81 years of four wheel drive experience
• Wikipedia’s attempt at the history of 4wd