How the Jeep Evolved From Military Vehicle to Today's Wrangler

www.popularmechanics.com ^ | Nov 14, 2017 | By Chris Perkins

[Red Badger]

The humble origins of America's favorite 4x4.

The current Jeep Wrangler is way more high-tech than its WWII-era forefather, but there's a direct link between the two. You can't say that about a lot of cars on sale today. Now, you can watch the Jeep's history unfold in this lovely animation from the people at Donut Media.

Donut actually starts with two cars that competed with the original Willys for the US military contract—the Ford Pygymy and the American Bantam Reconnaissance Car. Then, we get into Willys-Overland's first Civilian Jeep (CJ), which gave birth to the legendary CJ5.

Eventually, we see the Jeep evolve through the 1970s with more colors and bodystyles than ever before, courtesy of American Motors, which bought Willys-Overland in 1970. The first Wrangler, the YJ, made its debut in 1986, sharing some key components with the first-gen Jeep Cherokee.

Chrysler bought American Motors in 1987 and turned the Jeep brand into the wild success we know it today. The Wrangler, which has seen three new generations under Chrysler's Jeep ownership, played a huge role in Jeep's dominance of the SUV/4x4 market. Interestingly, Donut skips over the new 2018 JL Wrangler in favor of the upcoming 2019 Wrangler Pickup.

At just over two minutes long, this video doesn't provide the full history of the Jeep, but it is a fun overview.

[Red Badger]

[petercooper]

Cool graffic, but I now need a couple bourbons after trying to read all the text at warp speed..

[ProtectOurFreedom]

WHAT?? They left out my beloved CJ7? Blasphemy! The best ever with the CJ5 base and a slightly lengthened wheelbase.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

To today's Wrangler unreliable garbage vehicle?

[Red Badger]

There’s a CJ-7 in there.................

[Blue Highway]

I wonder if they will explain why lately I am seeing Jeeps like this, with Scuba gear attached that looks like a factory stock vehicle with this extra apparatus. The weird thing is I may see 2 or 3 of these in one day after never seeing anything like this in the last 40 years. Is this some new fad or what?

[wally_bert]

Love the gif.

One day my 65 Willys and 82 cj7 will be roadworthy again.

[Joe 6-pack]

Rubicon Bump!

[Red Badger]

It’s called a ‘Fording Kit’..............It turns the Jeep into a Ford................

[wally_bert]

I didn’t notice that omission.

[wally_bert]

My grandfather hated jeep vehicles.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Red Badger I saw correct...it is in there. I missed it.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I think The Toyota FJ40 is a snazzier looking vehicle, but I own a 1981 CJ-5.

Anyone remember when Subaru imported some 2 cylinder two cycle 4 wheel drives back around 1974? I saw the min Farmington NM back then. I also found some had been imported to Kansas City, but the EPA stopped them. Later they imported the Samurai.

[wally_bert]

I am on a Droid and didn’t up the screen size.

[PapaBear3625]

Jeep with snorkel fording a river:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHnNYJVqzJ4

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Mercedes targeted the Jeep brand as reason to acquire Chrysler Corp.

A Chrysler purchasing guy told me Mercedes had cooked up all sorts of spin-off Jeep products, including Jeep clothing, Jeep tours, Jeep hotel visits in exotic locales.
But it never happened...

[wally_bert]

The vintage landcruiser was good.

I have an 82 cj7 in pieces.

[V_TWIN]

Now owned by mopar........personally, I wouldn’t own one.

[Wuli]

At the link below are images of the model of the military Jeep that is just like one I used driving around a lot of South Korea in 1960s.

https://www.google.com/search?q=U.S.+Army+Jeep+1968&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=T8YPtynHfLEUBM%253A%252CwNE2CPdkaU9p8M%252C_&usg=__SoTYf83gogRx4GuYJvzEHGzKZ0c%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyuLym-sDXAhVixYMKHZZCD3IQ9QEIMDAE#imgrc=T8YPtynHfLEUBM:

[wally_bert]

My 65 Willys has a removable cover on the hood that might have allowed something similar.

That’s figuring that the hood on it is original.