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The major news at Willys in 1957 was the introduction of the Forward Control (FC) Jeep. It had a cab that resembled a van with a pickup or stake body behind it. It was a cab-over-engine design that resulted from several passenger-van prototypes done by famed designer Brooks Stevens. One of these is said to survive on the island estate of Henry Kaiser in upper Michigan. The production versions came as the FC-150, a 1/2-ton on an 81-inch wheelbase, and the FC-170, a one-ton with a 103-1/2-inch wheelbase. Willy’s L-head engines were used as power plants, with the 72-hp four used in the FC-150 and the 115-hp six for the FC-170.
The FC-150 debuted in dealer showrooms on Dec. 12, 1956, and although sales figures were modest — 6,637 examples sold the first year — the trucks generally received favorable reviews. They were unique, easy to maneuver and could handle a lot of different jobs. The 78-inch cargo box was very large for its time, and the FCs could climb like billy goats — Mechanix Illustrated found that they could handle 60-percent grades and still keep grinding. They used the same axles, transmission, transfer case and many other mechanical components as the CJ5, along with the F4 Hurricane engine, but the frame was different, as was the steering column and design.
read more: https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1957-jeep-fc-150
