The 4WD Willys Jeep Wagon is often considered the first production SUV. (Stellantis archive)
The Willys Jeep Station Wagon, Jeep Utility Wagon, and Jeep Panel Delivery were produced by Willys and Kaiser Jeep in the United States from 1946 to 1964, according to Wikipedia. Production in Argentina and Brazil continued until 1970 and 1977 respectively. They were the first mass-market all-steel station wagons designed and built as a passenger vehicle.
“After the 1949 introduction of a four-wheel drive option, the 2WD was sold as “Station Wagon,” while the 4WD was marketed as “Utility Wagon.” The 4WD Willys Jeep Wagon is often considered the first production sport utility vehicle.
“With over 300,000 wagons and their variants built in the U.S., the Willys Jeep Station Wagon was one of Willys’ most successful post-World War II models.
A 1947 print ad for the Jeep Station Wagon. (Stellantis archives)
“The Jeep Wagon was designed in the mid-1940s by industrial designer Brooks Stevens. Willys did not make their own bodies; car bodies were in high demand, and Willys was known to have limited finances. Brooks, therefore, designed bodies that could be built by sheet-metal fabricators who normally made parts for household appliances.
“The steel body was efficient to mass-produce, easier to maintain and safer than the real wood-bodied station wagon versions at the time.
“Within the first two years of the Jeep Wagon’s production, the only manufacturer in the United States with a station wagon that was comparable in price was Crosley, which introduced an all-steel wagon in 1947.
“The Jeep Wagon was the first Willys product with independent front suspension. Barney Roos, Willys’ chief engineer, developed a system based on a transverse seven-leaf spring. The system, called “Planadyne” by Willys, was similar in concept to the “planar” suspension Roos had developed for Studebaker in the mid-1930s.”
60-hp ‘Go-Devil’ Flathead
KaiserWillys.com reports that the Willys Station was initially fitted with the L-134 “Go-Devil” four-cylinder engine (the same engine first used in the CJ Series). The 134.2 cubic-inch flathead inline engine produced just 60 hp with a one-barrel carburetor.
Because the wagon’s seats were removable (except the driver’s seat), cargo space was optimized post-war, creating more appeal for the more suburban consumer.
