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An American in the Swiss Federal Service

 

In the second half of the 1950s, the Swiss Postal Service decided to purchase new vehicles and acquired Type FC-150 small trucks from the production of the U.S. manufacturer “Willys Motor Company”, better known under the label “Jeep”.

 

The all-wheel drive is likely to have been an important purchase argument for the FC-150 model. All-wheel drive vehicles were traditionally used extensively for the postal delivery service into the mountainous regions of Switzerland. But not only the four wheel drive, but also the short wheelbase, which allowed a very good maneuverability on the Alpine roads, fitted well into the profile of the Swiss Postal Service.

 

It is still easy to understand today how difficult it was to distribute postal items in the Alpine region in the 1950s and 1960s. Although this may have been reasonably easy in the short summer time, in the winter months the all-wheel drive in conjunction with the short wheelbase of the truck should have made everyday work much easier.

 

Most likely, the Jeep FC-150 was bought with a cab only and without the rear body. The Swiss Postal Service opted for a closed box structure in which the driver’s cabin was fully integrated. For large pieces and parcels, the FC-150 – like almost all postal vehicles – got a large roof rack mounted onto the roof. Painted in the typical three colors of the “PTT” (Swiss Postal Telegraph and Telephone agency); yellow and silver, separated by a black line, the FC-150 was part of the familiar picture of the Swiss Alps from the second half of the 1950s to the 1970s.