Cars that Matter is all about cars that have captured people’s hearts. They are the special cars, and they come from every decade since the dawn of the Automotive Age. They might be from the Brass Era or today’s Battery Era. They have names like 911 or SL, Corvette or Countach, or simply M. All have fueled passion in the people who created them, owned them, raced them, or sometimes—with remorse—parted with them. From CurtCo Media. On Cars That Matter, we talk with designers, engineers, race-car drivers, market experts, historians, restorers and collectors about the brightest luminaries in the automotive universe. What connects our guests and our audience? Like ourselves, each has a love affair with the automobile. Or maybe many. For all of us, these cars are not merely brands, like toothpaste or a pair of tennis shoes. Each one bears a marque, with a crest or ornament atop its hood. And every one of them has a fascinating story to tell.
https://www.curtco.com/carsthatmatter
episode 42: 42 - Paul Bruno and "The Original Jeeps"
Following a brief introduction, Paul shares how a television show introduced him to a story that would change his live forever (2:33). Then Robert sets the stage for the pacifism in the US during the 30s and Paul explains the needs the Army had at the time (4:48) before the Jeep origin story pivots into a new phase with Bantam, Willys, and Ford vying to get the government contract despite unclear requirements from the Army (7:07). Despite an early victory by Bantam, both Willys and Ford continued to fight (12:05) with a major deciding factor being the final weight of the vehicle--a stat that remains unexact to this day (15:32).
After a short break, Robert notes that some of the original Jeeps are part of the National Registry maintained by the HVA and Paul shares what happened to the original makes and how all the designs were combined (18:36). Then Paul explains who eventually made the cars--and how the Army's thinking changed once the reality of war set in (22:48). Then Robert asks what happened after the war and how the jeeps became Jeeps (27:50), and Paul muses on sharing history and honoring the lives, sacrifices, and triumphs of the men and women who made America what it is today (31:35).
Check out more from Paul:
https://www.dispatchermagazine.com/books/autograph-copy-of-paul-brunos-the-original-jeeps
http://originaljeeps.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Original-Jeeps-104448048045991
https://www.amazon.com/ORIGINAL-JEEPS-Paul-R-Bruno/dp/0578721759
https://www.battlefields.org/
Listen to related episodes:
Diane Parker and the Historic Vehicle Association https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/39-diane-parker-and-the-historic-vehicle-association/id1485928924?i=1000498776283
Russell Hayes and "Volkswagen Beetles and Buses" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40-russell-hayes-volkswagen-beetles-buses-smaller-smarter/id1485928924?i=1000499892795
-----------------
Learn More: Cars That Matter
Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Hosted by: Robert Ross
Produced and Edited by: Chris Porter
Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick
A CurtCo Media production
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.