Butler jeep festival to celebrate 70th anniversary of Bantam Car Co.'s WWII victory
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Leeland Bortmas' 1941 Bantam "BRC 40" military Jeep. -
Leeland Bortmas holds a photo of his 1941 Bantam "BRC 40" military Jeep. Bortmas has organized a weekend festival in Butler honoring the vehicle. -
Bulter city firefighters Dean Selfridge, left, Mike Huey and Phil Rozic install a cutout jeep outside Butler's Fire Bureau in preparation for this weekend's Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.
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Since Henry Ford put America's hands on the steering wheel of the first mass-produced automobile, we've been swooning over them -- the voluptuous curves of a Corvette, the sleek luxury of a Lexus, the rugged heft of a pickup truck.
Then there's the jeep, the spunky little tough-guy -- a World War II hero that still turns heads at 70 years old with its 4-by-4 ways and its distinguished pedigree.
"It was 'the little car that could,' " said Leeland Bortmas, a Butler County jeep historian.
When: 6-11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Butler County Fairgrounds, Butler.
Admission: Adults, $7; children ages 3-12, $3; children under 2, free.
Information: www.bantamjeepfestival.com.
A spotlight will be shining this weekend on jeeps and their lovers as the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival gets under way in Butler on Friday. The three-day event -- a 70th birthday celebration in the town where the Bantam was born -- is expected to draw about 1,300 jeeps and 20,000 spectators from as far away as Australia, Canada, Texas and California.
"People think that jeeps started with Jeep. But, it didn't. It all started with the Bantam in Butler," said jeep historian George Hollins, who will be bringing one of the original Bantam jeeps to Butler Thursday from the Chicago suburb of Palos Park.
The event will have something for everyone, from festival favorites such as concerts, fireworks and food booths to the more eclectic: a "playground" obstacle course for jeeps, tear-down/rebuild jeep demonstrations, how-tos for jeep lovers (from dent repairs to off-road riding) and chances to traverse hill and dale of nearby Moraine State Park as well as the rustic portions of the Butler County fairgrounds. The shebang begins with a parade of jeeps and a jeep-cruise on Friday evening.
Admission prices for spectators are $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 3 to 12. Jeep owners who wish to participate in such activities as trail rides or the parade will pay a range of fees from $5 to drive in the parade to $60 to participate in all activities.
Mr. Bortman, 83, will put the Bantam Jeep into historical context with festival talks. Indeed, the vehicle has a storied start:
First Published August 10, 2011 12:00 am
