Month: July 2023

Why is Jeep fundamental to Toledo and its people? This year, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library is helping to answer that question as the official Toledo Jeep Fest History Sponsor. Check out the library’s Jeep: It’s a Toledo Thing section to see the incredible images of Jeep history including the iconic vehicles and the amazing people who designed, built, tested and drove them.

Learn about the comparatively small automotive company – Willys-Overland – that developed and improved upon the initial design for the Jeep, creating a solid and durable military asset that won the U.S. Army’s favor.   

Read about a Toledo soldier’s account of a lifesaving maneuver in a Jeep.

See how Willys-Overland continued to produce combat-ready Jeeps after the war and how they modified and converted the Jeep for farming, firefighting, snow removal and many other tasks. Is there anything that the Jeep can’t do?

Birth of the Jeep

Toledo Jeep history begins in 1941 when Bantam won a significant United States Military contract to design a four-wheel drive utility vehicle that was manufactured throughout World War II. Dana is credited as a co-inventor of the Jeep, along with the U.S. Army, Bantam, Ford, and Willys-Overland. Willys contracts to build military Jeeps for the war and produces about 360,000 vehicles by 1945.

Today, both the iconic Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Gladiator are being produced in Toledo. The Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex is one of the region’s largest and most modern manufacturing plants. For more than 80 years, Jeep has been touching the lives of Toledoans and during the weekend of August 4-6, the city will celebrate that rich history.

History Continues

Explore Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s Digital Collections to see more from their Jeep archive. Have you ever seen a Jeep snug in its shipping crate, or Jeeps awaiting delivery at the Rossford Ordinance Depot, Jeeps fording the Maumee River or aerial photos of the Willys-Overland facility?

Our official Toledo Jeep Fest History Sponsor Toledo Lucas County Public Library is a great resource and Toledo Jeep Fest will be updating and highlighting great moments in Jeep history throughout the year.

We’re excited to announce: This year, Toledo Jeep Fest (TJF) is bringing back our popular silent auction! It will take place online from now through Friday, August 4 at 12 p.m., and then the bidding will continue in the Glass City Center located at 400 Jefferson Avenue in person until 3 p.m. Winners of the following silent auction items will be announced on Saturday, August 5 at 4 p.m. on the Convention Center stage and on ToledoJeepFest.com the following week.

We invite you to bid on the amazing products and gift cards that TJF sponsors and vendors have provided to our one-of-a-kind auction.

Rules of the road are simple:

• Enter your silent auction bid: You’ll be required to enter some basic contact information.
• Minimum bids: TJF staff have placed minimum bids (generally at 50 percent of the item’s fair market value) on raffle items.
• Final bids: Must be made by 3 p.m. on August 5 in person at the Glass City Center.
• Bids: Are not permitted to be altered or withdrawn once they have been made.
• All sales final: There are no exchanges or refunds once the winner claims their prize via payment.
• No refunds after purchase. Guests are responsible for item(s) once they’re claimed.
• Limits may apply: Gift cards or certificates are subject to availability and “black-out” dates.
• Winner notification: The winner of each silent auction item will be notified and contacted by email and phone on August 7th. At this time, the winner’s bid will be processed via credit card only over the phone, and the auction item will be awarded/redeemed by the winner that same day.

** If TJF staff are not able to reach the winner within a week, you will forfeit your win and the next highest bidder will be notified.

Thanks for your support and happy bidding!