Bantam Jeep Festival 2024

My wife and I went to the Bantam Jeep festival today. A lot to see, here are some pics. For those who may not know, the Bantam car company of Butler PA had the winning submission for the Army's bid for a small military vehicle which would become the Jeep. The first picture is of one of the cars Bantam made before the war.

 

Pics continues. the trailers are Bantam build trailers, it's a long story but Bantam was screwed out of building the Jeeps for the Military and the patient for the Jeep after the war. They were thrown a bone to build the trailers for the Jeeps for WWII.

 

continued.

 

They do a Military Encampment every year, mainly based on WWII.

 

Military Encampment Continued.

 

Random shots. There was a lot to see and I didn't take many pics.

 

Hello, no they went out of business in 1956.
The attached links are watered down versions of the events.
When Ralph Turner drove the proto type to DC, he drove through ditches and fields and he said he couldn't get it stuck.
Instead of giving Bantam a slice of the pie, which Bantam desperately needed, the gov basically cut them out. They threw them a bone and let them build trailers but after the war, Bantam sued for the Patient but it was awarded to Willy's in a court battle. That was the final nail in Bantam's coffin.
They lasted a few more years but the writing was on the wall.

https://www.visitbutlercounty.com/blog/the-birthplace-the-jeep/

Here's another

https://www.americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/little-jeep-could