when a jeep is not a jeep

[cooter]

just wondering what the experienced military vehicle fans make of the the increasing amount of replica jeeps being built and advertised on ebay

strikes me that the better built ones have found a niche market but they are still replicas the not so good ones are a bit naff I feel but that's just me

as prices go ever up the temptation to build replicas will increase I feel

[Pete Ashby]

It's a kit car plain and simple,..... if it floats your boat fine.........do I like the idea?, not a lot, but it's a free world.

 

For me it falls into the same problematic area that vintage Hot Rods fall into as they demonstrate a really impressive amount of skill and work however, I'm left feeling the car would have been better restored to original condition. The car bears a passing resemblance to the original but that's where it stops and for me it's the same issue with the reproduction jeeps on the market.

 

Pete

Edited March 17, 2014 by Pete Ashby

[Tony B]

Depends what you want. To charge about fine, though notice the replicas being built to commerate the Great War, as long as no one trys to pass it off as genuine. That is annoying at shows and illegal if trying to sell.

[arcot1751]

I can understand that not everybody can afford a genuine jeep, a few years ago people were buying Hotchkiss jeeps because they were cheaper and have continued to pass them off as WW2 jeeps do, I agree ? Maybe not but I am sure many of the "WW2 only" parades in Normandy this year will feature Hotchkiss jeeps. Is it right ? who knows but if it is done in the best interest of remembrance then I can live with it. It really depends on whether you view jeeps as classic cars that have to be 100% correct or can be replica's of a time that's past. We all mark jeeps up in markings of our choice when in reality we don't really know where they served so they are all fakes to be honest.

[GeePig]

To me the impressive amount of thought that goes into a vehicle is the most important thing. At the end of the day, all jeeps and their replicas and modifications are products of our imaginations, because other than that they just mechanical devices that better or worse suit their makers' intentions.

 

trevor

[cooter]

interesting reply's I see that the reproduction element runs strong in the thoughts put down for me I sometimes wonder about the originality of some better than new original jeeps that are at shows

[Tony B]

My two vehicles are 70 years old. One the WC54 had a rebuild in 1952, so what's original?

[Pete Ashby]

Fair point Tony,

the current Jeep I've just finished is very original except I've put a lot of new mechanical components onto it and the British Army rebuilt it to class 1 in 1952 so your point stands. Having said that I think there is a line in the sand that can be crossed and totally new look alike jeeps crosses the line for me.

 

Pete

[LarryH57]

MV clubs should draw up new rules to say that apart from petrol, oil, and lubricants and other consumables like spark plugs and oil filter a vehicle can only be classed as original if it is original paint and markings and has had nothing else added, and is driven by the original in service crew! That should do the trick

[snort]

MV clubs should draw up new rules to say that apart from petrol, oil, and lubricants and other consumables like spark plugs and oil filter a vehicle can only be classed as original if it is original paint and markings and has had nothing else added, and is driven by the original in service crew! That should do the trick

 

 

There won't be any original vehicles in that case!

[Lauren Child]

The only time I get concerned is when original parts are used to add "bling" to replica's. Mind you I feel even worse about original parts being used to add creative "bling" to original vehicles.

 

There are some notable exceptions mind you - some vehicles need to be re-created to the best of our abilities due to their historical significance.