Driving old Overland site paints a deeper appreciation for Jeep
As a native of Toledo, Ohio, and an owner of a 2009 Jeep Wrangler, I recently decided to do a photo exploration of the old Willys-Overland grounds while in the city test driving a 2014 Wrangler Unlimited. I have to be honest: as many times as I’ve driven past the site, I hadn’t really given it much thought until reports surfaced that Wrangler production could be moving out of Toledo — the birthplace of the SUV.
Unfortunately, I think the landmark where one of the original Overland smokestacks still stands, is one of those rich pieces of American history that many of us from Toledo take for granted. I know I certainly had before Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne told a group of reporters in Paris that the company might have to find another production facility for the next-generation Wrangler if it switches to an aluminum body platform for the SUV.
Even the Overland-Willys grounds seem poised for change with plans to convert the 111-acre site into a new industrial park.
Of course, recent news reported here suggests the Wrangler might be staying in Toledo. In fact, the city of Toledo is doing everything in its power to make sure it doesn’t lose the American icon. Still, staring across the grounds of the Overland site thinking,“What if?”, I was reminded of the Wrangler’s deep ties to Toledo, and so I dug up ten facts that every Jeep fan should know when it comes to the SUV.
1. The first Jeep was developed out of the U.S. Military’s desire to replace the U.S. Army’s motorcycle and modified Ford Model-T fleet.
2. Willys-Overland Vice President of Engineering Delmar G. Roos designed the Willys Quad — the prototype submitted to the U.S. military for the contract that would first drive the development of Jeep.
3. One of Willys’ first slogans was “The Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep.”
4. The first civilian Jeep, the CJ-2A, was produced in 1945, and was marketed as a work vehicle for farmers and construction workers.
5. Introduced in 1948, the CJ-3A was the first Willys-Overland vehicle to feature the one-piece windscreen.
6. Willys-Overland was sold to the Kaiser Company in 1953, which set up the next major development phase for Jeep.
7. In 1970, Kaiser Jeep was purchased by American Motors Corporation (AMC).
8. In 1976, AMC introduced the CJ-7: the first major change in Jeep design in 20 years.
9. The Jeep Wrangler was introduced in 1987.
10. The 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was the first vehicle to bear the name of the legendary Sierra Nevada trail.
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