The IKA Jeep was the first motor vehicle built by Industrias Kaiser Argentina. Production began on 27 April 1956 at the Santa Isabel plant in Córdoba with a version of the Willys CJ5, and the model founded the whole IKA range of cars and utility vehicles.
IKA Jeep at a glance
| Maker | Industrias Kaiser Argentina, Santa Isabel, Córdoba |
|---|---|
| First built | 27 April 1956 |
| First pickup | September 1956 |
| Based on | Willys CJ5 |
| Body styles | open cab, closed-cab pickup, full load body |
| Engine | Continental 4L 151, four-cylinder |
| Gearbox | three-speed manual |
| Drive | rear wheels, or four-wheel drive with a transfer case |
| Model codes | JA-2P, JA-3U, JA-3C, JA-1MA |
| End of production | late 1970s |
based on one source (Spanish Wikipedia).
History of the IKA Jeep
IKA was formed in 1955 by Kaiser Motors together with the state company IAME, and work on the Santa Isabel plant in Córdoba took almost thirteen months. The first product out of it, on 27 April 1956, was the IKA Jeep, an Argentine version of the Willys CJ5. Military-style versions for the Argentine Army followed a request from the service, and in September of the same year the first pickup left the line.
The mechanical layout was simple and sturdy: a Continental 4L 151 four-cylinder engine, a three-speed gearbox and rear-wheel drive, with a transfer case and four-wheel drive available as an option. The range covered an open-cab jeep, a closed-cab pickup and a load body, and four model codes are recorded: JA-2P, JA-3U, JA-3C and JA-1MA.
The IKA Jeep was designed for rural work, but it also became popular in towns, and it was the starting point for the rest of the range: the Kaiser Carabela saloon, the IKA Estanciera and its Baqueano pickup, the Jeep Gladiator and later the IKA-Renault Torino all grew out of the same licensed Willys and Kaiser engineering. Production continued until the late 1970s, when the company was already turning into Renault Argentina.
One of the restored IKA Jeeps was rebuilt at the Renault plant by two restorers, Pedro Nicolás Grimozzi and his son Carlos Alejandro Grimozzi.
Design and features
- First IKA vehicle: built on 27 April 1956 at Santa Isabel, before the saloons and estates.
- Willys CJ5 basis: a licensed Argentine version of the American jeep.
- Continental four: the 4L 151 engine with a three-speed gearbox.
- Optional four-wheel drive: a transfer case was offered alongside the standard rear-wheel-drive layout.
- Army orders: a special version was made for the Argentine Army.
IKA Jeep versions
- Open-cab jeep: the classic body with a folding hood.
- Pickup: a closed single cab with a load bed, first built in September 1956.
- Load body: a full body for carrying goods.
- Army version: built to the requirements of the Argentine Army.
- JA-2P, JA-3U, JA-3C, JA-1MA: the four recorded model codes.
The IKA Jeep led to the IKA Estanciera and the Kaiser Carabela, and its engineering later fed the Torino. More cars are in the IKA collection.
Video: Jeep IKA remolcando Nissan 370z Pinamar
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Jeep IKA, Spanish Wikipedia: launch date, engines, bodies, model codes, end of production
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