A Historical Look at 76 years of Jeep (Photos)

1. 1940s

The 1940s saw the birth of the legendary vehicle that is the Jeep. In 1940, the American Army needed a durable vehicle for the battlefield, and Willy-Overland were the ones that created it. The Willys Quad was the first prototype for the Army, though many were made by Ford during the war as well. At the end of the war, the very first civilian Jeep was introduced, the CJ-2A, advertised as the all-around farm work-horse targeted at the American-farmer.

In 1946, the Willys Wagon made a debut, which was known for being one of the first all-steel station wagons. The Willys Wagon was advertised as a no-maintenance utility car. Much of the wagon, without the back was made into Jeep's first pickup, the 1947 Willys-Overland Truck. This Jeep truck was one fo the first factory built four-wheel drive pickups.

Also in the 40s, the Jeepster was born, an open Jeep that was advertised as a sports car. Unfortunately, it had neither the power or the handling to back up that claim and faded into obscurity.

2. 1950s

Jeep offered a variety of vehicles in the 1950s showing true diversity. The Jeep Forward Control (pictures) was one of the more interesting highlights of this decade, as it featured a unique design with the motor next to the driver, who sat forward of the front wheels. This configuration allowed a short wheelbase, but a huge cargo area for commercial uses.

The M38 military Jeep made its debut in 1950, built for combat and heavy-duty tasks, and featuring upgrades to everything including the frame and suspension from the original WWII Jeep. A longer wheelbase Jeep, the M170, was offered as a troop carrier for 6 passengers, or an ambulance.

The civilian Jeeps continued to evolve in this decade, from the CJ-3b, the CJ-5, to the CJ-6. The CJ-3 was a huge upgrade from the original CJ, with a modified body and a whole new engine, with as much as 25% more horsepower. The CJ-6 the Civilian variation on the longer M170, with more room for passengers thanks to its 20-inch addition in length.

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3. 1960s

In 1961, Jeep introduced their very first van, the Fleetvan, which was often used as an ice cream vehicle, mail truck, or flower-delivery van, because it was built for light-duty tasks. For the military there was the M715 in 1967. An heavy-duty truck designed and built for the armed forces, which replaced the Dodge M37

Jeep also introduced the long running Wagoneer in 1963, and continued to make it into the 1990s. It was advertised as the very first luxury four-wheel drive vehicle and featured the very first automatic transmission in a 4WD truck. In the same year, Jeep also offered the Gladiator, which was a pickup version of the luxurious Wagoneer, and actually shared much with the M715.

In 1966, the Jeepster Commando was introduced in attempt to compete with the Ford Bronco and vehicles of that grade. 

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4. 1970s

In 1975, the first Cherokee was born, which shared some features with the the Jeep Wagoneer, but it was sold in a sportier two-door shell. However, the Wagoneer continued its journey as the four-door brother of the Cherokee, all the way until 1991.

The CJ Jeeps continued to evolve throughout the '70s, with models like the CJ-5 Universal, the CJ-5 Renegade, and the CJ-7, which was the biggest change in this model. The CJ-7 was longer, more powerful, and it featured the very first optional plastic hardtop.

In the beginning of this decade, Jeep changed the name of the Gladiator truck to the J-10, and they improved its looks, brakes, suspension, and even the frame, to make is more durable.

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5. 1980s

The Wagoneer's name was changed to the Grand Wagoneer in 1984. Though it was basically the same as the regular Wagoneer, it piled on the luxury trimmings

The Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler was born in 1981 based on the CJ-7, only with a longer wheelbase and small cargo bed, and lasted until 1986. The big news the next year was the controversial square headlight YJ Wrangler, which set new standards for refinement for the little Jeeps.

In 1984, the Jeep XJ Cherokee was created, as a smaller interpretation of what the Wagoneer and Cherokee had always been. These off-road capable passenger vehicles were the first really modern, clean sheet jeep designs in decades. In 1986, the Comanche mini pickup truck was built, based on the bones of the XJ. Unfortunately, when Chrysler bought out AMC, it was felt the Comanche was too close in size to the Dodge trucks to keep building.

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6. 1990s

The 1990s saw the birth of the very first Jeep Grand Cherokee in 1993, which was the official replacement of the Jeep Wagoneer. The Grand Cherokee was extremely popular, offering a luxurious experience, with some exceptional safety features for its time, like airbags.

In this decade, the Wrangler TJ was offered, which was the most complete redesign of Wrangler. The Jeepest of Jeeps held on to some iconic features, like the legendary grille, but most of this off-road beast was changed, upgraded, and modernized, especially the suspension.

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7. 2000+

As the new Millennium hit, Jeep introduced a sea of new models. In 2002, the Jeep Liberty hit the market. The small and durable SUV featured a 3.7-liter V6 engine, as well as an off-road capable, yet on-road comfortable, suspension system. The Wranglers continued to evolve too, with the longer wheelbase TJ based, Wrangler Unlimited coming in 2004, growing into a four door Wrangler as the JK chassis debuted in 2007.

The Jeep Compass and Patriot were introduced in 2007, and advertised as a compact SUV with trail-rated capabilities. The Compass gained quite a bit of popularity due to its small size and decent fuel consumption. Both cars were extremely close in capabilities, but the Patriot was targeting more of a smart interior and bold exterior.

Finally, in 2015, Jeep introduced the Renegade, an SUV that is the smallest, most-capable SUV. The Renegade featured numerous cues from the original Wranglers, like the grille and the headlights, but is mostly a compact car dressed as a Jeep.

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For help with keeping your Wrangler runing right, see the how to section of JK-Forum.com