Brand histories
The History of the Jeep Brand
Autopapyrus
It's hard to find anyone who isn't at least vaguely familiar with Jeep vehicles. The name has become a generic term for any powerful off-roader, even though officially a Jeep is a vehicle built by the American company Chrysler.
There are several theories about the origin of the word "jeep." Some say the famous vehicle was named after Eugene the Jeep, a clever little creature from a popular pre-war comic strip, and the name gradually came to be applied to the vehicles as well. Another theory holds that the U.S. Army's "General Purpose" class of vehicle was abbreviated as GP (pronounced "jee-pee"), which gradually turned into the word "jeep."
In the summer of 1940, engineer Karl Probst designed the first Jeep prototype, a four-wheel-drive vehicle with an open body. It was intended for the needs of the U.S. military and its allies. After some refinements, the Ford GPW and the Willys MB were developed from this design. Over the course of World War II, more than 600,000 of these vehicles were built.
The unofficial name "Jeep" gradually became part of everyday speech, and in 1945 Willys-Overland adopted it as its trademark. Peacetime called for different vehicles, so the originally military Jeeps were reworked into new mass-market models known as the "civilian Jeep." Even so, until 1950 these vehicles carried the "Willys" badge, because the company had trouble registering "Jeep" as a trademark.
In 1949, a prototype appeared of what would become a cult model, the Jeep Grand Cherokee: a four-wheel-drive minivan-style wagon designed to carry seven people.
In 1953, the company changed hands and was renamed Kaiser Jeep. Sixteen years later it was fully owned by American Motors, which it had joined, and in 1987 it became part of Chrysler. From 1998, the Jeep division, which builds quality off-roaders, was part of the DaimlerChrysler corporation.
The 1960s saw especially rapid growth in SUV production, setting directions that are still followed today. In 1962, for example, the new Jeep Wagoneer rolled off the assembly line with both full-time and part-time four-wheel drive.
From 1954 to 1983, the civilian CJ5 was built continuously, with updates from time to time. These vehicles came to be called "universal." Their main strengths were superior off-road ability and an undemanding, rugged character, combined with easy handling and passenger comfort. They also used an automatic transmission together with four-wheel drive.
By the end of the 1960s, the Jeep J-series was being built with new eight-cylinder engines.
In 1973, the famous Wagoneer received a new automatic four-wheel-drive system called Quadra-Trac.
In 1974, the J-series gained a bright new addition and introduced the Cherokee name to the world. The Jeep Cherokee became the best-known and most popular model throughout Jeep's history. Two years later, for the U.S. bicentennial, the company released a new civilian Jeep, the CJ7. This series sold well even during the energy crisis.
1986 brought the birth of a new model, the Wrangler, which borrowed quite a lot technically from the Jeep Cherokee. Just a year later, however, American Motors had to declare insolvency and sell off its subsidiaries. As a result, Jeep became part of another company, Chrysler Corporation.
To mark the round anniversary of 50 years of the Jeep brand, a new Cherokee was released with a 4.0-liter engine producing 190 horsepower (about 140 kW). This was the famous Grand Cherokee, which remains successful today. In 1996 the model was thoroughly updated, including improvements to the interior, instrument panel, and electrical systems. That same year, the second-generation Jeep Wrangler arrived on the market.
The Jeep story is certainly still going strong, because the name remains synonymous with powerful modern vehicles and nearly indestructible machines for true lovers of travel on uncharted trails and rough roads.
Where Does the Name Come From?
There are several theories about the origin of the word "jeep." Some say the famous vehicle was named after Eugene the Jeep, a clever little creature from a popular pre-war comic strip, and the name gradually came to be applied to the vehicles as well. Another theory holds that the U.S. Army's "General Purpose" class of vehicle was abbreviated as GP (pronounced "jee-pee"), which gradually turned into the word "jeep."
The History of the Jeep Brand
In the summer of 1940, engineer Karl Probst designed the first Jeep prototype, a four-wheel-drive vehicle with an open body. It was intended for the needs of the U.S. military and its allies. After some refinements, the Ford GPW and the Willys MB were developed from this design. Over the course of World War II, more than 600,000 of these vehicles were built.
The unofficial name "Jeep" gradually became part of everyday speech, and in 1945 Willys-Overland adopted it as its trademark. Peacetime called for different vehicles, so the originally military Jeeps were reworked into new mass-market models known as the "civilian Jeep." Even so, until 1950 these vehicles carried the "Willys" badge, because the company had trouble registering "Jeep" as a trademark.
In 1949, a prototype appeared of what would become a cult model, the Jeep Grand Cherokee: a four-wheel-drive minivan-style wagon designed to carry seven people.
In 1953, the company changed hands and was renamed Kaiser Jeep. Sixteen years later it was fully owned by American Motors, which it had joined, and in 1987 it became part of Chrysler. From 1998, the Jeep division, which builds quality off-roaders, was part of the DaimlerChrysler corporation.
The 1960s saw especially rapid growth in SUV production, setting directions that are still followed today. In 1962, for example, the new Jeep Wagoneer rolled off the assembly line with both full-time and part-time four-wheel drive.
From 1954 to 1983, the civilian CJ5 was built continuously, with updates from time to time. These vehicles came to be called "universal." Their main strengths were superior off-road ability and an undemanding, rugged character, combined with easy handling and passenger comfort. They also used an automatic transmission together with four-wheel drive.
By the end of the 1960s, the Jeep J-series was being built with new eight-cylinder engines.
In 1973, the famous Wagoneer received a new automatic four-wheel-drive system called Quadra-Trac.
In 1974, the J-series gained a bright new addition and introduced the Cherokee name to the world. The Jeep Cherokee became the best-known and most popular model throughout Jeep's history. Two years later, for the U.S. bicentennial, the company released a new civilian Jeep, the CJ7. This series sold well even during the energy crisis.
1986 brought the birth of a new model, the Wrangler, which borrowed quite a lot technically from the Jeep Cherokee. Just a year later, however, American Motors had to declare insolvency and sell off its subsidiaries. As a result, Jeep became part of another company, Chrysler Corporation.
To mark the round anniversary of 50 years of the Jeep brand, a new Cherokee was released with a 4.0-liter engine producing 190 horsepower (about 140 kW). This was the famous Grand Cherokee, which remains successful today. In 1996 the model was thoroughly updated, including improvements to the interior, instrument panel, and electrical systems. That same year, the second-generation Jeep Wrangler arrived on the market.
The Jeep story is certainly still going strong, because the name remains synonymous with powerful modern vehicles and nearly indestructible machines for true lovers of travel on uncharted trails and rough roads.
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