Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival

My alarm went off early Friday morning. Too early if you ask me as I’m not much of a morning person to be honest. However, I awoke with an unparalleled sense of anticipation not unlike that of a child on Christmas morning. I was excited to be awake because today I was heading to northwestern Pennsylvania for the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler. I keyed the ignition of my 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, rolled out of the driveway, turned up the radio to drown out the hum of my mud-terrains, and set my sites west as the summer sun rose in my review mirror.

For those unfamiliar with the festival, it’s an annual gathering of Jeep enthusiasts to celebrate the history and legacy of the Jeep brand not far from its official birth place. In 1940 the U.S. government requested manufactures to design and built a prototype multi-function “car” that was four-wheel-drive and could fill a variety of needs across the spectrum of the U.S. military branches. The catch was it had to be ready in 49 days.

Willys-Overland and Bantam Car Company

Only two companies stepped up to the plate. Willys-Overland out of Toledo, Ohio promised a workable prototype but couldn’t hit the 49 day deadline. The other company answering the call of Uncle Sam was the Bantam Car Company of Butler, Pennsylvania. They not only hit the deadline but they drove their prototype 1941 BRC (Bantam Reconnaissance Car) from their factory in Butler to the military proving grounds outside Baltimore, Maryland for a month of rigorous testing.

At the conclusion of testing the U.S. government decided to put the Bantam design into production. Sadly, the Bantam Car Company’s facilities were not up to the task of wartime production. Of the 600,000 requested units Bantam would only make 2,675. The remainder of the contract would be produced by Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Company. The Bantam designs were turned over to both companies and subtle changes were made and the iconic Willys MB (Military Model B) and Ford GPW (Government Passenger Willys) were born.

The facilitators of the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival wanted to pay tribute to the “father of all Jeeps” by organizing a multi-faceted event. Highlights of the show include:

• Judged Show-n-Shine field
• Trail rides with easy, medium, difficult, and scenic trails
• Obstacle course complete with rock garden and mud hole
• Vendor area featuring a wide assortment of manufactures and retailers within the off-road industry
• Food of all kinds of shapes, sizes, and flavors
• Jeep History exhibit featuring Jeep brand vehicles from the past 75 years

With all that and more awaiting me in Butler, needless to say I drove the more than 200 miles from my home to the festival grounds with relative ease all the while wearing a huge smile on my face.

Once I had arrived at the show, my first stop would be the vendor area to stop in and say hello to some associates of mine. From there, I took a quick jaunt over to the trail ride area to jump in with an old friend I had first met in 2005 when I trail guided the now-defunct Camp Jeep event. After a few laps on some of the trails it was back to the main festival area to check out the vendor area, take in the Jeep History exhibit, visit with more vendors, and then head to downtown Butler for the annual Jeep Invasion event. Saturday and Sunday would be spent taking in more of the event, talking to old friends and creating new memories, and of course checking out the thousands of cool Jeeps on site and owned by fellow enthusiasts.

The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival is a true enthusiast event every Jeeper should plan to attend. The vehicles showcased, the history on display and a weekend of camaraderie make it an exceptional family event which undoubtedly would have made the Bantam Car Company proud.

If you’re interested in attending the 2017 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, information on the show can be found at www.bantamjeepfestival.com.

* OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible 4×4 adventure travel and outdoor recreation