First Performance Utility Vehicle

[Knivx]

First general utility vehicle was the Jeep it stoop fpr GEneral Purpose vehicle GEP or Jeep. Built in a few days by the Bantam corporation in Butler PA for the army in WWII. It was built from spare parts but due to the small size of the Bantam Corporation the Army accepted their design and awarded the productioncontract to Willys and Ford. To assuage their guilt the Bantam Corp was given the trailer contract for the 2 wheel jeep like trailers.

I wouldn't call the Ford GPW or the Willy's MB "Performance" utility vehicles which is what he was asking about. The first SUV would be attributed to either the first GM suburban or the Willys wagon though.