A wartime workhorse and ultimate off-road vehicle

The Jeep Wrangler Sahara sport is the ultimate off-road vehicle, says Ballito resident John Bentley.

“The off-road ability is amazing,” he says.

I cannot help but agree. The huge wheels give it high clearance, and the short wheelbase lets it easily climb over objects.

Driving around the quarry in Salt Rock was an adrenaline ride to remember, and it was actually the first time I have ever driven a Jeep – though hopefully not the last.

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic vehicle, and there are scores of them on the North Coast.

Most petrol heads will know that these rugged vehicles were actually designed for use during wartime – only later did they become civilian vehicles.

The story of the Jeep begins in the late 1930s, when the US military was looking for a vehicle that was light but tough, and could travel over tricky terrain.

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The design of the Jeep was completed by the early 1940s.

The Jeep replaced horses as it became the workhorse of the American military during World War Two. The vehicles performed reconnaissance, towed supply trailers, carried water, fuel and ammo and were ambulances for the injured. They could also be mounted with machine guns. With the proper tools, they could plough through snow or dig long furrows. Basically, they did just about anything!

Pulitzer Prize-winning war journalist Ernie Pyle wrote: “It does everything. It goes everywhere. It’s as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule and as agile as a goat. It constantly carries twice what it was designed for, and still keeps on going.”

The Jeep was also the world’s first mass-produced four-wheel drive car.

After the war, Willys-Overland Motors developed a civilian version, the 1945 CJ2A.

Some other great Jeeps of history include the 1987 YJ, The 1997 TJ Wrangler, and the 2007 Wrangler JK Unlimited.

While Bentley loves his Jeep, he admits that it is a bit heavy on fuel.

“It is a 3.8 litre petrol-eater!” he says.

“In automatic it only has three gears, but there is an overdrive system that lets you add a gear for fuel economy.”

Bentley also loves the fact that the roof comes off and there is a soft top option as well. Crawling over rocks with the top down sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon.

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