Would like seems so... no Willys MB or Jeep on our product boxes!
It's such BS that these vehicle manufacturers are so anal about the use of their trademarks on model kits. They're not losing any income - in fact it's arguably good for their brand.
But being able to sell the licence is good for their bottom line. Wikipedia says there are more licenced shops in China selling Jeep brand shirts than Jeep dealers.
I am not a trade mark expert but I suspect that if you do not act to protect your IP it makes it difficult to licence. I suspect, but do not know that Tamiya etc probably have to licence the company names etc for their kits.
Cottage industry sized concerns probably fall beneath their legal departments' radar but "mass produced" products such as Our Gracious Host's would draw attention.
One good thing from the brand section on Wikipedia:
"A division of FCA US LLC, the most recent successor company to the Jeep brand, now holds trademark status on the name "Jeep" and the distinctive 7-slot front grille design. The original 9-slot grille associated with all World War II jeeps was designed by Ford for their GPW, and because it weighed less than the original "Slat Grille" of Willys (an arrangement of flat bars), was incorporated into the "standardized jeep" design".
I have not done a slat check.
