Guide Note

Jeep is an American vehicle manufacturer specializing in rugged SUVs known for their off-road capabilities. The origin of the Jeep name is unclear. It is possible that it was a nickname derived from a character in the Popeye comic strip, which was popular when Jeeps were first manufactured in the 1940s. These days, the term "jeep" is commonly used to describe any sports utility vehicle.

Fast Facts

1. Based: Toledo, Ohio
2. Jeeps were manufactured in the same plant for over 60 years before they relocated 2 miles north to a new factory in 2001
3. The name Jeep may be a variation of "GP" or "general purpose"
4. The first Jeeps produced for the general public were targeted towards farmers and construction workers
5. The CJ-5 model was produced for 30 years after its introduction in the early 1950s; the longest production run of any Jeep vehicle

1. 1940: John North Willys, owner of the Willys-Overland Motor Company, accepted a contract to build military Jeeps for World War II
2. WWII: Willys-Overland and Ford produced the Jeep, a four-wheel-drive military vehicle for the U.S. Army, and produced approximately 360,000 vehicles by 1945
3. 1945: The CJ-2A, the first civilian Jeep, manufactured
4. 1950s: CJ-3B and CJ-5 models went into production
5. 1953: Willys-Overland was sold to Kaiser and the company became known as the Willys Motor Company
6. 1960s: The Wagoneer debuted
7. 1963: Company name was changed to Kaiser-Jeep corporation
8. 1965: An optional V6 engine became available in the CJ-5 and CJ-6 models, the first time that any Jeep was equipped with a V6
9. 1970: Kaiser-Jeep was purchased by the American Motors Corporation
10. 1973: The Quadra-Trac, the world's first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system, was introduced in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons and in the CJ-7 model
11. 1975: Willys-Overland was revived as a wholesale/retail parts business
12. 1980s: Production began on the Cherokee and Wrangler
13. 1987: American Motors was purchased by Chrysler and the Jeep brand became part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division
14. 1998: Daimler-Benz merged with the Chrysler Corporation to form DaimlerChrysler, the fifth largest auto maker in the world at the time
15. 2001: DaimlerChrysler built a new assembly facility, 2 miles north of the old factory
16. 2007: Chrysler LLC was formed after DaimlerChrysler sold an 80% stake in the Chrysler division to Cerberus Capital for $7.4 billion