Jeep DJ#DJ-5A through DJ-5M

The DJ-3A was introduced in 1955 for the 1956 model year. It was inexpensive because it used Jeep's existing tooling and technology.{{cite web |last1=Redmond |first1=Derek |title=The DJ-3A Dispatcher Sibling of the CJ-3B, 1955-65 |url= https://cj3b.info/Siblings/Dispatcher.html |website=cj3b.info |date=23 January 2018 |access-date=9 December 2020}} At the time, it was the lowest-priced production car offered in the United States, with a 1956 base price of {{USD|1284|1956|round=-2}}.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18 |title=Can You Afford a Second Car? |page=18 |date=April 1956 |magazine=Changing Times |access-date=10 August 2023 |quote=Also on the market is the Willys Dispatcher, cheapest of all production cars—foreign or American. Introduced this year, this two-wheel-drive passenger Jeep with two front seats, two side-positioned rear seats, canvas top and sides and four-cylinder motor costs $1,284.}} It used the body style of the older CJ-3A, along with the L-134 engine. Unlike the CJ-3A, it came with either a steering column or a floor-mounted shifter for the three-speed Borg-Warner T-96 manual transmission.

The vehicle was offered with many different body options, including a soft top, metal top, or a full van body with sliding doors.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xiwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA123 |title=Light-Delivery Jeep with Two-Wheel Drive Has Sliding Doors |date=February 1956 |magazine=Popular Science |page=123 |access-date=10 August 2023}} The marketing focused on it being "perfect for economical deliveries" and "for carefree business and pleasure transportation."{{cite web |title=Jeep History in the 1950s |url= https://www.jeep.com/history/1950s.html |website=jeep.com |access-date=9 December 2020}} One model was a postal delivery vehicle with the driver's position on the right side for mailbox delivery.{{cite journal |title=Jeep for Mail Carriers Mounts Steering Wheel on the Right |journal=Popular Mechanics |date=March 1954 |volume=101 |issue=3 |page=154 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=nNwDAAAAMBAJ&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&pg=PA154 |access-date=9 December 2020}}

In early 1959, Willys introduced the Jeep Gala to the export markets and users desiring the nimble size and open bodywork, but did not need a four-wheel drive system.{{cite book |page=[https://archive.org/details/jeepcolorhistory00stev/page/57 57] |url= https://archive.org/details/jeepcolorhistory00stev |url-access=registration |quote=jeep gala. |title=Jeep Color History |first=Steve |last=Statham |publisher=MBI Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=9780760306369 |access-date=12 November 2011}} This model gained popularity as a "fun car" at resorts in Hawaii, Mexico, and islands in the Caribbean. It was available in pink, green, or blue paint and trimmed with a striped fabric top in white and colors that matched the body, as well as a decorative white fringe.

In fall 1959, a similar model called the Jeep Surrey was introduced in the US market.{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wyoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA83 |title=Fringe on Top |page=83 |magazine=Popular Science |date=December 1959 |access-date=10 August 2023}} The primary target markets were resort hotels and vacation centers.{{cite book |page=102 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZpdUEVGU2toC&dq=Jeep+Surrey&pg=PA109 |title=The Story of Jeep |first=Patrick R. |last=Foster |publisher=Krause Publications |date=2004 |isbn=9780873497350 |access-date=12 November 2011}} It also served as a low-cost rental vehicle for their guests. The Surrey came with a standard striped fabric top, as well as a matching fabric cover for what was advertised as a "Continental tire mount."{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AnQiAQAAMAAJ&q=jeep+surrey+Continental+tire |title=Pink Jeep (advertisement) |magazine=The New Yorker |year=1959 |volume=35 |access-date=12 November 2011}}

File:1964 Willys Jeep DJ-3A Surrey Gala in Blue.jpg|1964 DJ-3A Surrey

File:1964 Jeep Surrey Gala at Union Park DSM IA.jpg|1964 DJ-3A Surrey

File:1964 Jeep DJ-3A Surrey.jpg|1964 DJ-3A Surrey

File:1964 Jeep DJ-3A Surrey Gala.jpg|1964 DJ-3A Surrey

The DJ-3A was replaced by the right hand drive DJ-5 Dispatcher 100 in 1965. It was based on the CJ-5 and used the Hurricane and Dauntless engines. A {{convert|20|in|0|adj=on}} longer wheelbase DJ-6 model was built from 1965 through 1973 alongside the CJ-6.

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2022}}

File:JeepDJ5 1.jpg

File:JeepMailTruck.jpg

The United States Postal Service used 1953 Willis Jeeps, Cushman Mailmasters, and sit-stand trucks to motorize more than half of the suburban residential routes by 1969. The Postal Service held a competition in 1968 to select a light delivery vehicle, evaluating the Ford Bronco, International Scout, and the Jeep Dispatcher 100 (DJ-5).{{cite report |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iJLiEdn2wKgC&pg=PA128 |title=Annual Report of the Postmaster General |publisher=Subcommittee on Federal Services, Post Office, and Civil Service of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate |date=April 7, 1989 |chapter=Responses to written questions submitted by Senator Ted Stevens |access-date=10 August 2023}} The USPS selected the Jeep Dispatcher. The first units were delivered in the northern U.S., replacing the three-wheeled Mailsters that were too small and weak to maneuver through winter's snow and ice. {{cite web|url= https://postalmuseum.si.edu/object/npm_1989.0563.1 |title=Jeep - Object Details |work=Smithonian National Postal Museum |access-date=1 May 2024}} The Jeeps became widely used by the USPS during the 1970s and 1980s.{{cite book|url= https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf |author=((Office of the Historian, Corporate Affairs)) |pages=129-130 |title=The United States Postal Service: An American History |publisher=United States Postal Service |date=2022 |isbn=9780963095251 |access-date=1 May 2024}}

The DJ-5 models built for the United States Post Office were rudimentary vehicles for mail carrier needs with an automatic transmission, an enclosed metal cabin with sliding doors, a sorting table that carriers used to help process mail along the route, and a right-hand drive for quickly reaching mailboxes without leaving the vehicle's seat.{{cite web|url= https://www.slashgear.com/1344052/classic-usps-vehicle-name/ |title=This Classic USPS Vehicle Perfectly Embodies Its Name |first=Richard |last=Sachek |date=24 July 2023 |website=slashgear.com |access-date=1 May 2024}}

The right-hand drive Postal Service DJs came without power steering and were built with a lighter, less durable design than the standard Jeep. These changes included the use of C-channel frame rails (as opposed to the box rails of the CJ-5), and while the hood was the exact dimensions as (and interchangeable with) the CJ, it did not have the reinforced design of the original. The standard configuration had only a driver's seat and a letter tray installed. This decreased curb weight, combined with different leaf springs than other models, allowed carrying more cargo weight behind the driver.

The metal side doors were designed to slide open and closed. They could also be locked open while driving. They were supported by ball bearings, which ran in a channel just under the rain gutter, and a plastic retainer ran in a small channel along the body. A worn, damaged, or lost retainer would allow the door to swing outward, fail to engage the rubber stop on the rear bumper, and slide entirely off the channel (and the vehicle). A single, hinged rear door gave access to the cargo area from the floor to the bottom of the hard top, and the door was the width of the open area between the wheel wells.

AM General used a variety of engines during production. Production of the DJ ended in 1984 with the DJ-5M, which used the {{convert|150|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC straight-4 engine.

With the DJ serving many decades, the Postal Service developed a list of the characteristics of an ideal postal delivery rather than selecting an existing vehicle. Three finalists in 1985 were American Motors, a joint venture between Fruehauf and General Automotive Corporation, and a joint venture between General Motors and Grumman. The GM-Grumman LLV or Long Life Vehicle was selected. Nevertheless, after being retired by the Postal Service, a few DJs remain in daily use delivering mail through 2023, as privately owned vehicles of Postal Service employees.{{cite web|url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1982-jeep-dj-5-dispatcher-still-delivering-the-mail-after-30-years/ |title=1982 Jeep DJ-5 Dispatcher–Still Delivering The Mail After 30 Years |first=Robert |last=Kim |date=25 March 2023 |website=curbsideclassic.com |access-date=1 May 2024}}

File:1976 Jeep DJ - Dispatcher - AM General - AMC - in USPS livery - at Rambler Ranch 3of3.jpg|Dashboard and interior of 1976 DJ-5D

File:1983_Jeep_DJ_working_delivering_mail_in_2011_front.jpg|DJ-5 in post-USPS use with elongated grille

File:1983_Jeep_DJ_working_delivering_mail_in_2011_rear.jpg|DJ-5 in post-USPS with large swinging rear door

{{clear}}

The DJ-5A was introduced in 1967, beginning the lettering system, indicating changes within the series. As initially produced by Kaiser Co., the DJ-5A used a standard CJ front end. It was equipped with a four-cylinder Chevrolet 153 engine, shared with the contemporary Nova,{{cite web |url= https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/01/junkyard-find-1968-kaiser-jeep-dj-5a-with-factory-chevy-power/ |title=Junkyard Find: 1968 Kaiser Jeep DJ-5A, With Factory Chevy Power |last=Martin |first=Murilee |date=January 26, 2013 |website=thetruthaboutcars.com |access-date=10 August 2023}} and two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, with a T-handle shifter located on the floor next to the driver's seat. The main body was a single unit, resembling the earlier Jeep equipped with the metal Extreme Cold Weather Enclosure hard top.

There were no cutouts in the body for the rear wheels, which made tire changes more difficult, as even when the frame was jacked well off the ground, the axle did not fall enough for the tire to clear the body. The DJ-5A used standard 15-inch passenger car tires, with no provision for carrying a spare. While the front bumper was of the standard CJ design (though thinner and lighter than the original), the rear bumper was a unique design, a single stamped part that ran the full width of the vehicle. At each end was a rubber stopper for the sliding doors. The 10-gallon fuel tank was under the rear body, just ahead of the bumper.

File:JeepDJ5 closeup2.jpg

After American Motors purchased Kaiser-Jeep in 1970, the AMC Straight-6 engine replaced the Chevy 153. In 1971, a unique five-slot grille without turn signals that were used only on postal Jeeps were introduced. The 1971 model has the grille extend past the front of the hood edge. This allowed more room for the larger engine and radiator. Like the DJ-5A, while resembling the CJ series, these were built as a completely enclosed, rear-wheel drive vehicle, with sliding side doors (which could be opened while driving), and a swinging rear door. Most models only had the driver's seat and a mail tray where the second seat would typically be. One improvement over earlier Jeeps was mounting the rear springs outside of the frame rails, thus providing greater stability for the vehicle with its top-heavy enclosed cargo area, especially at highway speeds. Most models were also equipped with a limited slip differential and a heavy-duty steering gearbox. Other improvements include a vent in the roof and cut-outs around the rear tires.

File:ELECTRIC CARS - NARA - 17469134.jpg ]]

American Motors experimented with electric vehicles and starting in 1974 mass-produced the DJ-5E, a rear-wheel drive electric delivery van, also known as the Electruck.{{cite book|title=Department of the Interior and related agencies appropriations for 1979 |date=1978| publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Joq2AAAAIAAJ&q=DJ-5E+Electruck |author1=Committee on Appropriations |author2=House of Representatives |author3=Ninety-fifth Congress |author4=second session |access-date=26 December 2010|page=343}}

Similar in appearance and in most of its dimensions, the DJ-5E was powered by a set of 27-volt lead-acid batteries with a 54-volt {{convert|30|bhp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}} compound wound DC motor.{{cite book|author=((Automobile Club d'Italia)) |title=World Cars 1977 |publisher=Herald Books |date=1977 |isbn=9780910714099 |page=34}} The motor was mounted in the location of the conventional transmission with a short driveshaft to the rear differential featuring a 5.89:1 gear ratio. The engine bay contained the battery pack totaling 330 amp hours (17.8 kWh) capacity. The Electruck featured an electronic, silicon-controlled, rectifier-based, and continuously-adjustable speed electronic module made by Gould Electronics that controlled forward or reverse direction, provided for regenerative braking, and supplied 12-volt power for accessories and lighting. The Electruck had a top speed of {{convert|40|mph|abbr=on}} and was capable of cruising at {{convert|33|mph|abbr=on}} with a range of {{convert|29|mi|km|abbr=on}} with 20% of its battery power remaining in reserve.

Analysis by NASA in 1977 concluded that the DJ-5E was "state-of-the-art."{{cite web|url= https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/decades-before-gm-ev1-these-postal-electruck-jeeps-delivered-the-goods/ |title=Decades before GM’s EV1, these postal Electruck Jeeps delivered the goods |first=Ronnie |last=Schreiber |date=15 November 2019 |work=hagerty |access-date=1 May 2024}} The U.S. Postal Service performed a "Route Profile Analysis," and the DJ-5E returned with a favorable verdict. It purchased 352 vehicles for mail delivery in cities with severe air pollution.{{cite book |last=Hyde |first=Charles K. |title=Storied Independent Automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors |publisher=Wayne State University Press |date=2009 |page=222 |isbn=9780814334461 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PerGbKxOPZYC&dq=DJ-5E+Electruck&pg=PA222 |access-date=26 December 2010 }} Five units were acquired by Canada Post for a total of 357 Electrucks built by AM General.

• DJ-3A (1955–65): {{convert|134|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} Willys Go Devil straight-4 L-head engine, three-speed manual
• DJ-5 (1965–67): {{convert|134|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} Willys Hurricane straight-4 F-head engine, three-speed manual
• DJ-5A (1968–70): {{convert|153|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} Chevy Nova straight-4, two-speed Powerglide automatic
• DJ-5B (1970–72): {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC Straight-6 engine, BorgWarner T-35 three-speed automatic
• DJ-5C (1973–74): {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC Straight-6 engine, T-35 or M-11 automatic
• DJ-5D (1975–76): {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC Straight-6 engine, 727 TorqueFlite automatic
• DJ-5E (1976): Electruck Electric
• DJ-5F (1977–78): {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} or {{convert|258|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC Straight-6 engine, 727 TorqueFlite automatic
• DJ-5G (1979): AMC (Audi) {{convert|121|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} straight-4, 904 TorqueFlite automatic or {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} or {{convert|258|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC Straight-6 engine, 727 TorqueFlite automatic
• DJ-5L (1982): GM Iron Duke engine {{convert|151|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} straight-4, Chrysler 904 transmission
• DJ-5M (1983–84): {{convert|150|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} AMC straight-4 engine, Chrysler 904 transmission

• {{section link|Jeep CJ|Alaska Postal Service}}
• {{section link|Jeep Wrangler (TJ)|Postal Service}}
• {{section link|Jeep Wrangler (JK)|Postal Service}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.facebook.com/groups/104313209606221/ Jeep DJ - Postal Jeep Facebook community]
• [http://www.postal-jeep.com/ Postal Jeep Homepage]
• [http://www.jeeptech.com/engine/ Jeep Engine Specs]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080210183807/http://www.film.queensu.ca/cJ3B/Siblings/Dispatcher.html The Dispatcher Jeeps page]

{{Jeep}}

{{Jeep early timeline}}

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