27-400: Jeepster can mean any of the following: Vehicles [ edit ] Willys-Overland Jeepster Jeepster Commando - produced by Kaiser Jeep Chinkara Jeepster - an Indian produced GRP bodied Willys MB clone Music [ edit ] Jeepster (song) - a T. Rex song Jeepster Records - a record label Topics referred to by
54-485: A V-shaped grille with horizontal chrome trim. A new model was introduced with reduced standard equipment at a lower price. Willys' L161 Lightning six-cylinder was offered in addition to the standard Go Devil four-cylinder engine. Model designations were dependent on production timeframe, with early 1950s four-cylinder Jeepsters given VJ-3 463 and six-cylinders VJ-3 663, changed to VJ-473 and VJ-673, respectively, for later year vehicles. The Jeepster's problems in
81-583: A factory option on modern automobiles, they are still manufactured in original bias-ply or radial form by specialty outlets such as Coker Tire and Vogue Tyre. The last car available in the United Kingdom with whitewall tires was the Kia Pride . Some companies manufacture wide whitewall inserts - the so-called "Portawall" inserts are usually sold through Volkswagen Beetle restoration companies. Another modern incarnation has been tire decals , which can be applied to
108-509: A high level of standard equipment that cost extra on other automobiles. A total of almost 20,000 were manufactured. The Jeepster name was revived in 1966 on a new model, the C-101 Jeepster Commando . After World War II , Jeep trademark owner, Willys (pronounced "WILL-iss"), began producing and marketing the "CJ" (for Civilian Jeep) to farmers, foresters, and others with similar utilitarian needs. The company also began producing
135-401: A narrow whitewall with a thin gold stripe line toward the edge of the tire. They were most often fitted to luxury cars. Full-fledged wide whitewalls have made a return within modified car culture. The resurgence of traditional hot rods, customs, retro, lowriders and resto-cal cars have also contributed to the resurgence in whitewall tires. Although wide whitewalls are virtually nonexistent as
162-448: A normal tire to give the whitewall look. Modern trends toward more minimal styling, and large wheels favoring very low-profile tires leave little room for a whitewall. The Lincoln Town Car continued to be offered with a factory whitewall option—a narrow white stripe—until its discontinuation in 2010. It is not currently offered as a factory option by any car manufacturer, but it is possible to order whitewalls for motorcycles (for example,
189-521: A one-model/one-engine offering. The price was lowered to $ 1,495, with some previously standard features returning as extra-cost options. Toward the middle of the year, an additional model was introduced, the VJ3-6, powered by Willys' new L148 Lightning I-6 engine. The 1950 model year featured the VJ-3 Jeepster's first styling revisions that included a new instrument panel and redesigned front end featuring
216-410: A relatively high price, low performance, and the lack of roll-up door windows. Model year sales: A total of 19,132 Jeepsters were produced. The Jeepster name was revived by Kaiser for the 1967 model year as the C-101 Jeepster Commando . The new version included roll-up door windows, a V6 engine, four-wheel-drive, and was available as a pickup truck, convertible, and station wagon, in addition to
243-498: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Willys-Overland Jeepster The Jeepster is an automobile originally produced by Willys-Overland Motors from 1948 until 1950. It was developed to fill a gap in the company's product line, crossing over from their "utilitarian" proto SUVs and trucks to the passenger automobile market. The Jeepster initially included numerous deluxe features and interior fittings in addition to
270-431: Is in a similar manner that raised white letter (RWL) tires are made. The status of whitewall tires versus blackwall tires was originally the reverse of what it later became, with fully black tires requiring a greater amount of carbon black and less effort to maintain a clean appearance these were considered the premium tire; since the black tires first became available they were commonly fitted to many luxury cars through
297-481: The 1930s. During the late-1920s gleaming whitewalls contrasted against darker surroundings were considered a stylish, but high-maintenance feature. The popularity of whitewalls as an option increased during the 1930s. On 6 April 1934, Ford introduced whitewall tires as an $ 11.25 (equivalent to $ 256 in 2023) option on all its new cars. But automobile designs incorporating streamlining directed visual interest away from tire walls. The availability of whitewall tires
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#1732855716612324-696: The Jeep Wagon/Panel Utility/Pick-up in 1946, and the Jeep Truck in 1947. Seeing a gap in their product lineup, Willys developed the Jeepster to crossover from their "utilitarian" trucks to the passenger automobile market. It was to expand its Jeep work truck focus and thus broaden Willys' customer base. The new sporty rear-wheel-drive-only model was to have a "dual personality for city and country driving" and marketing emphasized it as "America's greatest value in sports cars!" Willys-Overland lacked
351-516: The bottom of the wheel opening lip to help reduce scraping the whitewall tire against curbs . By 1968, wide whitewall tires were no longer available on the Chevrolet Corvette ; replaced by F70x15 bias-ply nylon cord tires with thin stripes, either a narrow white or narrow red stripe. The single-sided whitewall remained a desirable option through the 1970s, becoming a hallmark of "traditional luxury". Radial tires made by Vogue Tyre featured
378-428: The entire tire white. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient endurance, so carbon black was added to the rubber to greatly increase tread life. Later, entirely black tires became available, the still extant white sidewalls being covered with a somewhat thin, black colored layer of rubber. Should a black sidewall tire have been severely scuffed against a curb, the underlying white rubber would be revealed; it
405-481: The machinery to form deep-drawn fenders or complicated shapes, so the vehicle had to use a simple and slab-sided design. Industrial designer Brooks Stevens styled a line of postwar vehicles for Willys using a common platform that included the Jeep pickup and station wagon, as well as a sporty two-door open car that he envisioned as a sports car for veterans of World War II. The Willys-Overland Jeepster ("VJ" internally)
432-551: The marketplace were its limited utility and practicality. It also looks rugged and off-road capable, but is not. Appeal is limited due to the basic construction, poor all-weather protection, and the low performance when equipped with the I-4 engine. Even with an optional six-cylinder engine and offering the VJ3 version at a lower price, the Jeepsters did not draw many new buyers due to three factors:
459-498: The mid 1980s. The use of whitewall rubber for tire has been traced to a small tire company in Chicago called Vogue Tyre and Rubber Co that made them for their horse and chauffeur drawn carriages in 1914. Early automobile tires were made of pure natural rubber with various chemicals mixed into the tread compounds to make them wear better. The best of these was zinc oxide , a pure white substance that increased traction and also made
486-418: The mid-1960s variations on the striped whitewall began to appear; a red/white stripe combination was offered on Thunderbirds and other high-end Fords, and triple white stripe variations were offered on Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Imperials. Whitewall tires were a popular option on new cars during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in the replacement market. In some cases, having whitewall tires were a "must have" to get
513-542: The perceived height of the wheel/tire. During the decade, increasingly lower vehicle heights were in vogue. During the 1950s, Fender skirts also covered up white wall tires. Wide whitewalls generally fell out of favor in the US by the 1962 model year. They continued as an option on the Lincoln Continental for some time thereafter but most common were narrower 3 ⁄ 4 –1-inch (1.9–2.5 cm) stripe whitewalls. During
540-450: The right look on a car; and for those who could not afford the real deal, add-ons could be installed over the rim of the wheel that could leak if the pressure was too high. New tires were wrapped in paper for shipping, to keep the white stripe clean, and for preventing the black of other tires from rubbing on the whitewall side. Maintaining a clean sidewall was an issue. Some motorists added aftermarket " curb feelers " that were attached at
567-399: The roadster. American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased Kaiser's Jeep utility-vehicle operations in 1970 to complement its existing passenger-car business. The Jeepster was reengineered to use AMC engines (232 cu in (3.8 L) or 258 cu in (4.2 L) I6 , or the 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 ). The Jeepster name was removed after 1971. For the 1972 model year,
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#1732855716612594-413: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Jeepster . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeepster&oldid=1193212995 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
621-466: The wheelbase was extended and a facelift featured a unique full-width grille. Production of the Commando ended in 1973 in favor of the full-sized SJ Cherokee that was introduced for the 1974 model year. Whitewall tires Whitewall tires or white sidewall (WSW) tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber . These tires were most commonly used from the early 1900s to around
648-497: Was about the same as a Ford Super DeLuxe Club convertible with roll-down windows, fancier styling, and a V8 engine . The car was only offered with rear-wheel drive , thus limiting its appeal to typical Jeep customers. Its distinctive boxy styling and performance were praised by automotive journalists. However, the Jeepster did not catch on with the intended market segment . Sales were also limited by sparse advertising and an insufficient dealer network. The Jeepster's I-4 engine
675-715: Was introduced in April 1948, and produced through 1950. Some leftover models were sold under the 1951 model year . The basic 1948 Jeepster included numerous deluxe features and interior fittings in addition to a high level of standard equipment that cost extra on other automobiles. These included, among many others, whitewall tires , hubcaps with bright trim rings, sun visors , deluxe steering wheel, wind wings, locking glovebox, cigar lighter, and continental tire with fabric cover. The Jeepster had Willys' World War II-proven 134.2 cu in (2.2 L) straight-4 " Go Devil " engine, and plastic side curtains, but its US$ 1,765 price
702-594: Was limited in the US during the supply shortages of raw materials during World War II and the Korean War . Wide whitewall tires reached their height in popularity by the early-1950s. The 1957 production version of the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was fitted with whitewalls that were reduced to a 1" wide stripe floating on the tire sidewall with a black area between this stripe and the wheel rim. The whitewall stripe width began to diminish as an attempt to reduce
729-524: Was rated at 63 hp (47 kW; 64 PS) and coupled to a Borg-Warner T-96 3-speed manual transmission with an overdrive unit as standard. The Planadyne single transverse leaf spring independent front suspension, entire drivetrain, front end, rear suspension, steering, and four-wheel drum brakes were from the Willys Station Wagon . The flat-topped rear fenders were taken from the Jeep truck line. The 1949 Jeepster began production with
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