Jeep versatility to be displayed in festival history exhibit
The Jeep’s place in military history and its use in many civilian sectors will be on display during the upcoming Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, Friday through Sunday.
The “Jeeps through the Decades” display in the Jeep History Exhibit will feature Jeep vehicles used by the military and Jeeps that were modified for civilian work, including one that astute Pittsburgh Penguins fans might recall.
The Penguins are bringing the first Zamboni purchased to smooth the ice in the Civic Arena when it opened in 1961 to the festival because it was built on a Jeep CJ-5 chassis.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins are binging up a Jeep-base Zamboni,” said Rod Murray, the Penguins’ senior director of production and game presentation. “This is the original Zamboni that was purchased in 1961 for the brand new, at the time, Civic Arena, the ‘Igloo.’”
The team found the old Zamboni Jeep in “deep storage” while conducting research for its 50th anniversary in 2017, Murray said.
Research revealed that Zamboni used the CJ-5 as the platform for its ice grooming machines from the early to mid 1950s to around 1964, he said.
“They chose it because they recognized the need for four-wheel drive for traction purposes and sturdy construction,” Murray said.
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