The Coolest Jeep Culture In History - Yipao

Jeeps and Coffee - two of my favorite things. 

This blog post started as dialogue for a YouTube video which I never ended up making. Instead of letting it just sit in my Google docs collection, I figured it's worth sharing on my blog. Besides, I've made a new YouTube channel for the cars, coffee, and camping content which I'll explain sometime soon. Probably.

I'll dive into how Jeep and coffee intersects on an historical level, and go into the history of the coolest Jeep culture I’ve ever heard of. I hope you learn something new.

The Willys MB was commissioned by the US Army between 1940 and 1945 as a light recognition vehicle. Developed by MB (aka Willys Overland), it was a simple, durable, capable light truck designed to be able to carry soldiers and equipment over any terrain. Amazingly, this early "Jeep" arrived as a DIY kit dropped from an aircraft in a crate... and could be assembled in just 4 minutes. It’s 2453 pounds, 132 inches long, 62 inches wide, and 69 ¾ inches tall with the windshield up. Compared to my Jeep - a 2005 TJ - it’s 23 inches shorter, 5 inches narrower, and about the same height.

Willys MB

It’s powered by a legendary 4 cylinder engine called the “go devil”, boasted a beafy 54 horsepower and could reach 65 mph.. which sounds absolutely terrifying. Overall, the Willys MB is described by General George C. Marshall, the US Army Chief of Staff during WWII, as “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.” Further, WWII reporter Ernie Pyle said, “It did everything. It went everywhere. Was as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It constantly carried twice what it was designed for and still kept going.” If that isn’t the most patriotic thing ever, I don’t know what is.

After the war, many countries had thousands of Willy’s MBs left over and many were used as tractors. But Willys Overland wanted to find a way to sell their workhorse to civilians. So, they developed the CJ - or Civilian Jeep. It had the bones of the Willys MB, but the military components were removed. It had larger headlights which were flush-mounted, and the legendary 7-slot grill was introduced (the MB had 9 slots).

The first mass produced Jeep, the CJ-2A, was born in 1945. The United States government started selling this Jeep for cheap in developing countries - including Columbia (imported by the Columbian Ministry of Defense starting in 1946 for military purposes.) 

Willys CJ-2A

However, the Jeeps weren’t used for military purposes like they anticipated. Instead, cafeteros, or coffee farmers, quickly utilized the new tool, and it became a must-have machine in the “zona cafetera” or coffee zone of Columbia. It was the perfect vehicle for the Columbian countryside due to its light weight, off-road capability, maneuverability, and load capacity. Not to mention the farm-focused options available for the 2A including a rear seat, passenger seat, belt pulley drive, winch, rear hydraulic lift, snow plow, welder, mower disc, and more.

Columbian farmers used (and still use) the CJ to carry cargo like coffee beans and bananas, animals, and passengers. It was soon called the “mulas mecanicas”, or mechanical mule, and the word “yipao” (pronounced jeep-ow) from the word “Jeep” was used to describe a Jeep loaded with cargo. Yipao later became the name for a huge parade in the town of Calarca and city of Armenia. Through the years, Columbia stayed true to the trusty Jeep, continuing to import the Willys CJ-3B “universal” which is the most popular version still today.

Willys CJ-3B

The yipao, or Jeep Parade, started in 1988. It’s a yearly event held in the town of Calarca and the city of Armenia where Jeep owners load as many possessions as possible onto their Jeeps - sometimes so much that it actually lifts the front wheels off the ground. Some load bags of coffee, some load fruit, and some load what looks like all of the furniture from their home. They parade through the streets showing their appreciation for the vehicle that changed the way farming is done in the country. It's not just a parade, it’s also a serious competition to see who the best yipero, or Jeep driver, is. It’s spectacular. Ridiculous. And so, so, so cool. And I hope to see it someday.

Yipao

The Willys Jeep is still widely used in the country, along with the Jeep CJ. They’re meticulously maintained and decorated, and used to their full capabilities. They’ve helped maintain and improve the coffee culture in the country, and undoubtably aided in the economic growth of the area as a result of coffee farming. Many make mobile cafe’s out of their Jeeps, paying homage to the work they do in the farming process, and offering a unique and stylish coffee shop experience.

The Willys Jeep has proven itself on a global scale as a war hero, an incredibly capable tool, a coffee icon, and has no doubt aided in the popularity of the Jeep name today. 

Thanks for reading. Some extra photos below.

-Sean