The history of Yipao - Colombia's Jeep Culture

Mulas mecanicas. America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare. The reason you can get your Daily Driver roast at Sean’s Coffee Roasting Co. - this is how the Willys MB helped build Colombia’s coffee economy and became one of the most iconic cultural festivals on Earth.

The Willys MB was commissioned by the US Army between 1940 and 1945 as a light recognition vehicle. Developed by MB, or Willys Overland, it was a simple, durable, capable light truck designed to be able to carry soldiers and equipment over any terrain. It arrived as a DIY kit dropped from an aircraft in a crate... and fully assembled in as little as four minutes. It’s 2453 pounds, 132 inches long, 62 inches wide, and 69 ¾ inches tall with the windshield up. Compared to my Jeep - a 2005 TJ - it’s 23 inches shorter, 5 inches narrower, and about the same height.

It’s powered by a legendary 4 cylinder engine called the “go devil” which boasted a beafy 54 horsepower and could reach 65 mph.. which sounds absolutely terrifying. Overall, the Willys MB is described by General George C. Marshall, the US Army Chief of Staff during WWII, as “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.” Further, WWII reporter Ernie Pyle said, “It did everything. It went everywhere. Was as faithful as a dog, as strong as a mule, and as agile as a goat. It constantly carried twice what it was designed for and still kept going.” If that isn’t the most patriotic thing ever, I don’t know what is.

After the war, the US left thousands of Willys MBs in Colombia and many were used as tractors. But Willys Overland wanted to find a way to sell their workhorse to civilians. So, they developed the CJ, or civilian Jeep. It had the bones of the Willys MB, but the military components were removed, the headlights were larger and flush-mounted, and the legendary 7-slot grill was introduced (the MB had 9 slots). Finally, the first mass produced Jeep, the CJ-2A was born in 1945. The United States government started selling them for cheap in developing countries - including Colombia (imported by the Colombian Ministry of Defence starting in 1946 for military purposes.) However, the Jeeps weren’t used for military purposes like they anticipated. Instead, cafeteros, or coffee farmers, quickly utilized the new tool, and it became a must-have machine in the “zona cafetera” or coffee zone of Colombia. It was the perfect vehicle for the Colombian countryside. Lightweight, capable off-road, and maneuverable, with available farm-focused options including a rear seat, passenger seat, belt pulley drive, winch, rear hydraulic lift, snow plow, welder, mower disc, and more. Colombian farmers used (and still use) the CJ to carry coffee beans, bananas, animals, and passengers. It was soon called the “mulas mecanicas”, or mechanical mule, and the word “yipao” from the word “Jeep” was used to describe a Jeep loaded with cargo - and later became a huge parade in the town of Calarca and city of Armenia. Through the years, Colombia stayed true to the trusty Jeep, continuing to import the Jeep CJ-3B “universal”, which is the most popular version still today.

The yipao, or Jeep Parade, started in 1988. It’s a yearly event held in the town of Calarca and the city of Armenia where Jeep owners load as many possessions as possible onto their Jeeps - sometimes so much that it actually lifts up the front. Some load bags of coffee, some load what looks like all of the furniture from their home. They parade through the streets showing their appreciation for the vehicle that changed the way farming is done in the country. It's not just a parade, it’s also a serious competition to see who the best yipero - or jeep driver - is. It’s spectacular. Ridiculous. And so cool. I hope to see it someday.

The Willys Jeep is still widely used in the country, along with the Jeep CJ. They’re meticulously maintained and decorated, and used to their full capabilities. They’ve helped maintain and improve the coffee culture in the country, and undoubtedly aided in the economic growth of the area as a result of coffee farming. Many make mobile cafe’s out of their Jeeps, paying homage to the work they do in the farming process, and offering a unique and stylish coffee shop experience.

The Willys Jeep has proven itself on a global scale as a war hero, an incredibly capable tool, a coffee icon, and has no doubt aided in the popularity of the Jeep name today.