Sarge
An old warhorse-less-carriage put out to permanent pasture, Sarge is a 1942 WWII Willys Army Jeep. Permanently annoyed by the close proximity of Fillmore, Sarge runs Radiator Springs’ army surplus store from a Quonset Hut. When he isn’t barking orders at Fillmore, Sarge is square bashing in his yard. His attempts to salute the Stars and Stripes with the national anthem every morning are repeatedly foiled by Fillmore.
Initially produced for World War II, tiny Willy's-Overland Motors began producing the sturdy, low-cost Jeeps in 1941 after winning a competition with larger Ford Motor for the War Dept. contract. Designed to meet government specifications, Willy's won the contract with a cheaper version and its more powerful Willys Go Devil engine. But in time, when it couldn't meet the demand to produce enough Jeeps, the government also awarded a contract to Ford Motors. Willy retained the name "Jeep" as a registered trademark, although the car is now made by Daimler-Chrysler.
Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of Chrysler. It is the oldest sport utility vehicle (SUV) brand, with Land Rover coming in a close second. The word "jeep," uncapitalized, is used as a generic term for any vehicle of this shape and function.
Sarge is a veteran of the Big One, and is solidly All-American, flying the Stars and Stripes and beginning each day with a vibrating version of Reveille. Of course, Sarge runs Sarge's Surplus Hut, providing scrap parts to the locals, and hangs out at his Quonset hut with the perfectly manicured front lawn -- mowed each day to resemble a military flat-top. Near the end of the Cars movie, it is revealed he later opens an Army Camp to train SUVs and 4x4s in rugged and dirt terrain.
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