# Jeep invented in Butler. **URL:** \ **Category:** PittSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840 "2007-08-16T13:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obi-1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@obi-1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/obi-1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/1 "2007-08-16T13:46:12Z")
A co-worker told me today that the Jeep was invented in Butler. So, I looked it up. It was developed by the American Bantam Car Company in 1940 and was called the Bantam Pilot. Not exactly news, but still interesting. [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jeep\_man/bantam.htm](http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jeep_man/bantam.htm) This guy also said the Bantam Jeep was designed to a very specific width to fit between trees here in Western PA. And the trees that it could not fit between were small enough to simply knock over, making it excellent for driving in the woods with no trails. (I can’t find any infomation online to back this up.) ---
**Author:** ![slowcamaro](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/slowcamaro/32/5975_2.png) [@slowcamaro](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/slowcamaro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/2 "2007-08-16T13:54:22Z")
I saw a special on this on wqed ---
**Author:** ![beat90tsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@beat90tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/beat90tsi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/3 "2007-08-16T13:55:12Z")
Heck yeah it was. [http://www.jeepfest.net/events.shtml](http://www.jeepfest.net/events.shtml) Come to Jeepfest if you’re interested. There’s a mini-trail ride/obstacle course, mud bog, rock crawling boulder pile, and a cruise to Butler to the birthplace of the Jeep. ---
**Author:** ![obi-1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@obi-1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/obi-1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/4 "2007-08-16T13:55:39Z")
> [@\*OFFICIAL\* Buffalo Sabres 2007 Off-Season Thread](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/official-buffalo-sabres-2007-off-season-thread/30906/359): > > I saw a special on this on wqed Let me know if it’s on again… ---
**Author:** ![slowcamaro](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/slowcamaro/32/5975_2.png) [@slowcamaro](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/slowcamaro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/5 "2007-08-16T14:15:57Z")
> [@\*\*Official Grand Prix Toronto '07 thread\*\* OMG now with sexy newman pictures!!!!](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/official-grand-prix-toronto-07-thread-omg-now-with-sexy-newman-pictures/31939/5): > > Let me know if it’s on again… its actually called pittsburgh a to z 7-8:30 tonight 2-3:30 am fri 9-10:30 am fri 4-5:30 pm fri ---
**Author:** ![Patrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@Patrick](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Patrick)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/6 "2007-08-16T19:24:39Z")
Ya, they have been running those pittsburgh series almost constantly. I saw that show too. Very interesting. Did you know that during the war Ford, and I think Chrysler took over the project, because the Butler Bantam company couldn’t make them fast enough? Pretty cool segment…a must watch. ---
**Author:** ![beat90tsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@beat90tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/beat90tsi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/7 "2007-08-16T19:38:18Z")
They didn’t take over so to speak, they just had multiple manufacturers build “Jeeps” to keep up with demand. ---
**Author:** ![jackie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jackie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jackie)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/8 "2007-08-16T19:58:20Z")
It is pretty neat…I drive past where they were made all the time. Not really anything that exciting, but still cool that they were first made here ---
**Author:** ![obi-1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@obi-1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/obi-1)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/9 "2007-08-17T05:50:18Z")
> [@Fuck the ex?](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fuck-the-ex/31932/88): > > its actually called pittsburgh a to z > > 7-8:30 tonight > 2-3:30 am fri > 9-10:30 am fri > 4-5:30 pm fri I watched a few minutes last night but didn’t see anything about the Bantam plant. I’ll keep looking for this one. > [@Fuck the ex?](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fuck-the-ex/31932/84): > > Heck yeah it was. > > [http://www.jeepfest.net/events.shtml](http://www.jeepfest.net/events.shtml) > > Come to Jeepfest if you’re interested. There’s a mini-trail ride/obstacle course, mud bog, rock crawling boulder pile, and a cruise to Butler to the birthplace of the Jeep. Interesting. Looks cool to watch. ---
**Author:** ![SoLow](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/solow/32/6001_2.png) [@SoLow](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SoLow)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/10 "2007-08-17T05:52:07Z")
🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Blackbelt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blackbelt/32/5998_2.png) [@Blackbelt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blackbelt)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/11 "2007-08-20T07:59:23Z")
The government didn’t ‘feel’ that the Bantam company could produce a sufficient quantity of the vehicle that they had designed, so they gave all the plans and specs to Willys and Ford to copy. Although that was really a shitty thing to do, it was a time of war, and things are done that are shitty. What was really wrong was the fact that the government would not give Bantam a contract to produce any Jeeps. So they designed it, engineered it, built the prototype and delivered it for testing, and the government gave away their work. Would be pretty interesting to see what would have happened had the American Bantam compnay survived. The little Bantam Speedster was an intersting car, and they sell for BIG bucks today ![http://www.americanbantam.com/images/Speedster_1.jpg](http://www.americanbantam.com/images/Speedster_1.jpg) The 1930 American Austin reminds me of a period Ford that was left in the dryer too long…LOL ![http://www.hubcapcafe.com/i/2000/hopkins2000/aust3001.JPG](http://www.hubcapcafe.com/i/2000/hopkins2000/aust3001.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![bgblockelcamino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bgblockelcamino/32/5997_2.png) [@bgblockelcamino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bgblockelcamino)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 8:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/12 "2007-08-20T08:02:01Z")
neat ---
**Author:** ![Boosted93sedan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@Boosted93sedan](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Boosted93sedan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-invented-in-butler/191840/13 "2007-11-01T12:28:06Z")
yea there’s some local still cuz at mcb in bridgeville we worked on one . Some guy owns it locally