STELLANTISJeep, from World War II to todayThe Detroit NewsWillys-Overland was awarded the contract for its 1940 Willys Quad Original Pilot. Modifications were made to meet Army specifications and production began in 1941.Fiat Chrysler Automobiles1941-1945 Willys-Overland MB: The Willys Quad and the MA were early prototypes that led to the production of the Overland MB. However, the Army, and the world, came to know it as the Jeep®. Willys-Overland would build more than 368,000 vehicles, and under license, Ford Motor Company built some 277,000, for the U.S. Army. The rugged, reliable olive-drab vehicle would forever be known for helping win a world war. Willys trademarked the “Jeep†name after the war and planned to turn the vehicle into an off-road utility vehicle for the farm – the civilian Universal Jeep. One of Willys' slogans at the time was, “The Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep,†and the company set about making sure the world recognized Willys as the creator of the vehicle.Photo Courtesy Of JeepWest Point cadets and a U.S. Army soldier drive a Jeep at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1942. The rugged Jeep brand dates back to 1940, when the Army solicited bids for a 1/4 ton "light reconnaissance" vehicle.Library Of Congress1941-1945 Willys-Overland MB: The Willys Quad and the MA were early prototypes that led to the production of the Overland MB. However, the Army, and the world, came to know it as the Jeep¨. Willys-Overland would build more than 368,000 vehicles, and under license, Ford Motor Company built some 277,000, for the U.S. Army. The rugged, reliable olive-drab vehicle would forever be known for helping win a world war. Willys trademarked the ÒJeepÓ name after the war and planned to turn the vehicle into an off-road utility vehicle for the farm Ð the civilian Universal Jeep. One of Willys' slogans at the time was, ÒThe Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep,Ó and the company set about making sure the world recognized Willys as the creator of the vehicle.Photo Courtesy JeepPresident Franklin Roosevelt reviews American troops from an Army jeep in Casablanca, Morocco, in January, 1943.Library Of CongressGirls climb on the Jeeps to greet American troops in the streets of Tunis in 1943.Library Of Congress1945-1949 Jeep CJ-2A: The first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A, was produced in 1945. It came with a tailgate, side-mounted spare tire, larger headlights, an external fuel cap and many more items that its military predecessors did not include. Several CJ-2A features Ð such as a 134-cubic-inch I-4 engine, a T-90A transmission, Spicer 18 transfer case and a full-floating Dana 25 front and Dana 23-2 rear axle Ð were found on numerous Jeep vehicles in future years. The CJ-2A was produced for four years.Photo Courtesy Jeep1945-1949 Jeep CJ-2A: The first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A, was produced in 1945. It came with a tailgate, side-mounted spare tire, larger headlights, an external fuel cap and many more items that its military predecessors did not include. Several CJ-2A features – such as a 134-cubic-inch I-4 engine, a T-90A transmission, Spicer 18 transfer case and a full-floating Dana 25 front and Dana 23-2 rear axle – were found on numerous Jeep vehicles in future years. The CJ-2A was produced for four years.Photo Courtesy Of JeepJuly 1945: Assembly lines of Jeeps begin to be converted for civilian use at the Willys-Overland plant in Toledo, Ohio.The Detroit News Photo Archive1945-1949 Jeep CJ-2A: The first civilian Jeep vehicle, the CJ-2A, was produced in 1945. It came with a tailgate, side-mounted spare tire, larger headlights, an external fuel cap and many more items that its military predecessors did not include. The CJ-2A was produced for four years.Photo Courtesy JeepBrand New . . . The Jeep is said to be the only really new vehicle to come out of the war. It proved so versatile that Willys-Overland adopted it for postwar use. May 29, 1946.The Detroit News Photo ArchiveAfter the war, a station wagon version of the Jeep was marketed stateside. "You've never owned a car so useful, so practical," said this 1947 ad.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesCombining a spacious interior with a low-maintenance exterior and four-wheel drive capability, the 1949 Jeep Station Wagon was America's first true sport-utility vehicle.Photo Courtesy Jeep1946-1965 (Jeep) Willys Wagon: When the Jeep station wagon appeared in 1946 it was the first all-steel bodied station wagon sold as a non-commercial vehicle. The post-war boom made contracting with automotive stamping suppliers difficult for low volume producers like Willys-Overland. Company president Charles Sorenson therefore gave young Brooks Stevens the task of designing a station wagon body that could be made by suppliers who supplied refrigerator stampings. The stamping size, amount of curvature and the depth were thereby limited. Stevens' resulting design, featuring shallow panel sections that suggested wood, stayed in production until 1962. Only available with two-wheel drive in 1946, four-wheel drive was added in 1949.Courtesy Of Jeep1946-1965 (Jeep) Willys Wagon: When the Jeep station wagon appeared in 1946 it was the first all-steel bodied station wagon sold as a non-commercial vehicle. The post-war boom made contracting with automotive stamping suppliers difficult for low volume producers like Willys-Overland. Company president Charles Sorenson therefore gave young Brooks Stevens the task of designing a station wagon body that could be made by suppliers who supplied refrigerator stampings. The stamping size, amount of curvature and the depth were thereby limited. Stevens’ resulting design, featuring shallow panel sections that suggested wood, stayed in production until 1962. Only available with two-wheel drive in 1946, four-wheel drive was added in 1949.Photo Courtesy JeepThis is an illustration of a 1947 Jeep Pickup. Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions were manufactured from 1947-50.Daimler ChryslerOver roads of pure salt a Jeep pulls men from the shaft bottom of the Detroit mine of the International Salt Company, October 20, 1950. They travel a distance of 11/2 miles to and from the working places 1,137 feet beneath Detroit, where the air temperature is always 56 degrees the year round.The Detroit News Photo ArchiveThe '55 Civilian Jeep. A new version of the famed Willys Overland Models jeep, known as Model CJ-5. The vehicle was powered by the 75 horsepower Willys engine in combination with four-wheel drive.The Detroit News Photo ArchiveA 1955 Jeep CJ-5.Daimler ChryslerA Willys Overland Corporation Forward Control Jeep FC-150 photographed December 4, 1956.The Detroit News Photo ArchiveIn 1959, a U.S. Army Jeep was the first to travel the land route between West Germany and West Berlin after the end of the Soviet blockade.The Detroit News ArchivesDetroit or Flint? Neither. Shown is a partial view of the B.H. Willys Overland do Brasil Axle and Transmission plant in Sao Paule, Brazil, March 25, 1962. In the foreground, machining of differential cases and gear and trasfer boxes. In the background, section for machining of castings.The Detroit News Photo Archive1963-1983 Jeep Wagoneer: The 1963 Jeep Wagoneer was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle mated with an automatic transmission, pioneering the first modern SUV. An independent front suspension was optional. Quadra-Trac, the first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system, was introduced in 1973 and available in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons.Photo Courtesy Jeep1963-1983 Jeep Wagoneer: The 1963 Jeep Wagoneer was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle mated with an automatic transmission, pioneering the first modern SUV. An independent front suspension was optional. Quadra-Trac, the first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system, was introduced in 1973 and available in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons.Photo Courtesy Jeep1963-1983 Jeep Wagoneer: The 1963 Jeep Wagoneer was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle mated with an automatic transmission, pioneering the first modern SUV. An independent front suspension was optional. Quadra-Trac, the first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system, was introduced in 1973 and available in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons.Photo Courtesy JeepAfter a decade-and-a-half of production, the Jeep Station Wagon would be succeeded by the longer, lower and larger Jeep Wagoneer. The 1963 model is shown here. The Wagoneer was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle offered with an optional automatic transmission.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesTwo models come off the Jeep assembly line in Toledo in 1964.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1972 Jeep Commando.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1978 Jeep Wagoneer Limited.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1984 Jeep Cherokee Chief.Fiat Chrysler Automobiles1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee (XJ): AMC's first Jeep design from scratch, and the first all-new Jeep wagon since the Wagoneer, was the Cherokee, or XJ series. The XJs used a hybrid of frame and uni-body construction, a new 'Quadra-Link' front suspension to retain the durability of a solid front axle while improving handling and ride, and robotic assembly to improve fit and finish. A half-ton lighter than the old Cherokee, 4 inches lower (10 cm), 6 inches (15 cm) narrower and an incredible 21 (53 cm) inches shorter, the XJs had 90 percent of the old Cherokee's capacity. Available with two 2WD/4WD systems, SelecTrac and shift-on-the-fly CommandTrac and four doors. Cherokee dominated its market segment for years. Cherokee Limited debuted in 1988 and a 4.0-liter I-6 was introduced in 1989.Photo Courtesy Jeep1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee (XJ): AMC's first Jeep design from scratch, and the first all-new Jeep wagon since the Wagoneer, was the Cherokee, or XJ series. The XJs used a hybrid of frame and uni-body construction, a new 'Quadra-Link' front suspension to retain the durability of a solid front axle while improving handling and ride, and robotic assembly to improve fit and finish. A half-ton lighter than the old Cherokee, 4 inches lower (10 cm), 6 inches (15 cm) narrower and an incredible 21 (53 cm) inches shorter, the XJs had 90 percent of the old Cherokee's capacity. Available with two 2WD/4WD systems, SelecTrac and shift-on-the-fly CommandTrac and four doors. Cherokee dominated its market segment for years. Cherokee Limited debuted in 1988 and a 4.0-liter I-6 was introduced in 1989.Photo Courtesy Jeep1987 Jeep WranglerPhoto Courtesy JeepA 1991 Jeep Cherokee Briarwood is shown.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Chrysler's Bob Lutz with Detroit Mayor Coleman Young as a passenger smashes through a plate glass window and into Cobo Hall for its debut at the 1992 North American International Auto Show.Photo Courtesy JeepA 1994 Jeep Wrangler.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesA 1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesThe 2007 Jeep Rubicon.Charles V. Tines, The Detroit NewsA 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.Daimler ChryslerA 2008 Jeep Renegade concept shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was a BLUETEC diesel range-extended electric vehicle.John T. Greilick, The Detroit NewsA powertrain assembly is married to a Jeep Wrangler at Chrysler Group LLC's Toledo Assembly Complex in 2011.Joe WilssensFiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, left, poses with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Mike Manley, Jeep brand CEO, during a presentation near Turin, Italy, in 2011.Associated PressA 2013 concept, the Jeep Mighty FC.Charles V. Tines, The Detroit NewsThe Jeep Staff Car, one of seven Jeep concept vehicles built with Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts, was unveiled on March 19, 2015, in preparation for the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah.Todd McInturf, The Detroit NewsThe 2015 Jeep Cherokee is the first midsize SUV to feature rear-axle disconnect, which seamlessly switches between two- and four-wheel drive for full-time torque management and does not require input from the driver.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesThe 2015 Jeep Renegade marks the brand's first entry in the small sport-utility vehicle segment. By the end of the year, Jeeps will be produced on four continents and are expected to top the brand's record sales of more than 1 million vehicles in 2014.Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesThe Jeep Shortcut, inspired by the classic CJ-5 to handle tight, winding trails was revealed ahead of an upcoming "Easter Jeep Safari" off-road event at FCA world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan on March 10, 2016.Daniel Mears, The Detroit NewsThe 2016 Jeep Cherokee 75th Anniversary editionJim Frenak - FPI StudiosThe 2018 Jeep Wrangler.Henry Payne, The Detroit NewsThe new production line for Jeep Compass - also including the Plug-in Hybrid version - started October 17th, 2019 at the Melfi plant in Basilicata.Stellantis2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe (left) and Sahara 4xe (right)StellantisThe Jeep brand is creating the Jeep 4xe Charging Network, installing Jeep-branded EV charging stations at or near the trailheads of Jeep Badge of Honor off-road trails over the next year. The trailhead chargers coincide with the launch of 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid.StellantisJeep is building trailhead charging stations for 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-ins.Henry Payne, The Detroit NewsA 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L body goes through the Near-line Laser Radar, as robots measure hundreds of preprogrammed surface and alignment points, at the Stellantis Mack Assembly Complex in Detroit, June 10, 2021.Max Ortiz, The Detroit NewsThe 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392.Henry Payne, The Detroit NewsThe three-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee.Henry Payne, The Detroit News