Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Form and functionality: the pillars of Jeep® design
luglio 22, 2016 - Jeep

Form and functionality: the pillars of Jeep® design

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

  • From thirteen-slots to the hallmark seven-slot grille: a #design cue that provides the iconic 'face' of every #jeep model
  • For 75 years the signature elements of #jeep #design have remained true to their roots

Form follows function - a fixed component of the Jeep's DNA since the very first vehicle, the one that started it all, the Willys, the original #jeep. When we look at #jeep #design we immediately acknowledge that the style of every model includes key elements that are well defined and clearly identifiable. True representative aesthetic features, such as the round headlights, 7-slotted grille, trapezoidal wheel-arches and vertical windshield, belong to collective imagination and make a vehicle retaining them immediately recognizable as a 'Jeep'. 

The vertical-slotted grille and the trapezoidal wheel arches in particular are #design elements dating back seventy-five years that can be seen in almost every #jeep vehicle today. The traditional ventilation slits, that in the #jeep language are called slots, were introduced in the first Willys-Overland MA in the early-'40s when Willys Overland together with American Bantam and Ford answered the call of the US Army and designed the first prototypes of off-road vehicles. In this milestone vehicle, forefather to all #jeep models coming afterwards, the grille was made up of vertical bars. Ford introduced the stamped steel 9-slot grille on their prototype models. The US Army preferred the latter version and it was standardized on all MB and Ford GP models.
After the war, with the introduction of the CJ-2A (1945) produced for civilian purposes, Willys-Overland introduced the classic 7 slot grille. As a matter of fact, one of the licensing requirements for the Civilian #jeep was that the vehicle had larger headlights in comparison to the military one. To make room for the larger headlights, the outer slots were removed and 7 were left to form the grille.
Since then, all CJ models have featured the 7 slot grille while many other classic #jeep models, including the Willys Wagon, the #jeep pick-up, the Wagoneer and the Cherokee, used vertical slots but with a number varying from 8 to 13. The only exceptions were the FC series and the 1966 - 1973 Jeepster models featuring 7 slots. Since 1998, all #jeep models have sported the iconic 7 slot grille.

There are also many legends regarding the seven-slots in the #jeep grille: some say it is for the seven wonders of the natural world or because a #jeep vehicle was the first to uphold seven continents, for the seven seas, the seven summits, the seven pillars of wisdom, the colours of the rainbow or maybe the fact there are seven direction: up, down, right, left, forward, back and centre. But it doesn't really matter what inspired the choice of number 7 for the #jeep grille. What is really important is that for 75 years the #jeep brand has inspired men to dream and dare, to go further and explore every corner of the world and it will continue to inspire them to go beyond their limits and enjoy their spirit of freedom and the adventure that belong to every true Jeeper.

Another hallmark of #jeep #design are the trapezoidal wheel-arches, which were necessary at the time to allow drivers to go off-road. As a matter of fact, by using trapezoidal wheel-arches the wheels had as much freedom as possible in their housing to tackle off-road trails and climb over rocks and most extreme obstacles.
There is an amusing story on how the trapezoidal wheel-arches were devised evolving for the protection metal sheet of the Willys. Initially, in fact, the first #jeep models had no protection sheets, which of course did not amused the passengers sitting in the back seat. According to terrain and weather conditions, they were exposed to a fountain of mud and sand, or bombarded with stones.
An American soldier with a natural tendency for handwork, pulled out the device for welding and welded a pair of hand-folded sheets. It doesn't matter whether this idea was really successful, it is the philosophy behind this anecdote that makes the story. Especially as far as the Wrangler is concerned: many details of the iconic #jeep express this concept very clearly. For example, the straps which define the opening angle of the doors. In other vehicles, these are made of metal. But the doors of the Wrangler are removable and therefore engineers had to find a different solution. The fabric bands are a typical clever solution that expresses the mind-set and lifestyle behind the word #jeep.

Also the bonnet hinges, are a distinctive #jeep #design element. The Wrangler still features them today and their presence is not merely an ornament or a decoration: they are a technical element with a precise function and work exactly in the same way as they used to 75 years ago. 

When these #design elements are put together, the result is what makes the charm of a brand, the authenticity, as well as its consistency. By combining the 7-slot grille and the trapezoidal arches, designers do not need to add much more in their sketch, it is already a #jeep. In particular, when considering that these iconic #design cues have been faithfully retained over a period of seventy-five years.