The Return of the Jeepster
After the war tried Willy's Overland to meet the growing demand for private cars by offering the Jeep in a civilian version. From 1950, the "normal" car industry was back on its feet and Jeepster production was therefore closed down. Several years later – in 1966 – it returned in a new edition as Jeepster Commando with 4-wheel drive. The Jeep shape is iconic and strongly linked to the USA, although the model was also built by EBRO in Spain under the name "Comando" (with one M) where it could also be supplied with diesel. Several of the cars are still in operation down there.
A Spanish Jeep
It was parked at a bus stop where you can leave your car to take the bus into town. From the road I thought it looked like a Jeepster. On the way back I stopped for a couple of quick photos. A bit stressed by blocking the traffic, I didn't get to look very closely at the "Jeepster" before I moved on. When I saw the pictures, I couldn't find the model in Jeep's model program, and wrote the car off as a Korean copy. Two days later the car disappeared. It was for sale, and perhaps a buyer had appeared. When I looked more closely at the pictures, I saw that it said Jeep Ebro, and then it is a Spanish-built Jeep - with the Spanish name "Comando HD". Ebro is a large manufacturer of trucks and tractors, and therefore Jeep. The Comando "HD" (Heavy Duty) was introduced as a 1979 model with a larger load capacity. Later, HDI came with a raised roof in the cargo area. Most Spanish Jeeps were probably equipped with diesel engines from Perkins, but there are also cars with petrol engines for sale.
About the pictures
The pictures of the American-built car were taken in connection with Veteran Car Day at RøhneSelmer in Lillestrøm. The photos of the Spanish-built car were taken at a car park in Céret, France. The car was for sale, and disappeared a couple of days after the photos were taken. The fact that the car is equipped with black plates indicates that the owner considers the vehicle to be special. I hope that this car has been sold - or will be sold - to someone who will take care of it.
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