Vintage SUVs Featuring

50 Years of the Ford Bronco and over 75 years of the Jeep

May 21 – October 15, 2016

Ready for some Off-Road Adventure this summer?

Sport Utility Vehicles today are often more Luxury than Sport or Utility.  Plush heated leather seats, automatic four-wheel-drive and power everything are the norm and often outsell the bread-and-butter sedans offered. Most never go off the pavement.
“It’s as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule and agile as a goat.” – War correspondent Ernie Pyle describing the Jeep.
Years ago, it was a completely different mindset. Our world famous Jeep and the British Land Rover were borne from necessity. A military needed a rugged, capable vehicle to get from Point A to Point B when no roads connected the two. Farmers, ranchers, hunters and guides were desperate for something to reach places not on the map. Just ask Marlin Perkins from “Wild Kingdom”! Off-road traction and keen mechanical survival skills were more important than doors, heaters, carpeting or other ‘creature comforts’.

The AACA Museum salutes these icons and the vehicles begat from them. Ford GP-No.1, a prototype for a light, rugged four-wheel-drive vehicle for reconnaissance and other military use, was delivered to the Army for tests Nov. 23, 1940. Built by Ford, Willys and Bantam, this rugged vehicle became the Jeep we all know today.

The first generation Ford Bronco, introduced in 1966, had a twelve-year run with a huge cult following and later became infamous as O.J. Simpson led the LA police on the world’s slowest chase. Diminutive offerings from Asia such as the Suzuki Samurai emerged as the icons grew in size. All told, these early simplistic vehicles changed the way the world traveled to the far reaches of the globe.

We’ve got some unusual examples of early SUVs as part of this exhibit and look forward to sharing them in our Off-Road adventure this summer.

Thank you to our Exhibit Sponsors:

NPD – National Parts Depot

Brenner Chrysler Jeep