Inherit The Hardline Off-Road Style – Jeep brand history

“Not all Jeeps are called Jeep.” This is a classic ad word some time ago. Yes, Jeep is a general term for a vehicle type and also a brand at the same time. This model originated from the battlefield, this brand originated from the smoke, has been maintaining the hardline off-road spirit for decades. Even when people are more advocating luxury and comfort, Jeep always adheres to the same off-road nature.

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, as the main participating country of the Allies, the US military hopes to obtain a car that is more practical and easy to maintain and has a stronger passing ability for wartime use. At that time, a number of American automobile companies participated in the research and development work. Eventually, the Willys MA prototype car submitted by Willys-Overland was selected by the US military, and then Willys improve the vehicle in response to the military’s comments. In 1940, the redesigned Willys MB Jeep was unveiled. This car established the standard of Jeep, and the term Jeep was officially put into use.

Jeep played many roles in World War II, including reconnaissance vehicle, commuter vehicle and transport vehicle. Jeep is widely used in every corner of the battlefield. During the Second World War, about 600,000 Jeep and Jeep modified models joined the battle. After the baptism of World War II, it proved the excellent performance of Jeep, and also made Jeep quickly recognized and accepted by people.

After the end of the Second World War, American troops gradually retreated from the European continent. The U.S military has left a batch of Jeep. Local residents enjoy using Jeep, so they began to use it in their daily work. With excellent durability and reliability, Jeep allows people to rebuild their homes. Because people enjoy the wide living space brought by jeep, jeep is quickly used as a means of transportation to create fun in life.

In 1945, the first civilian Jeep car CJ-2A came out. This car still has a rough appearance, but it has better driving comfort than military off-road vehicles. In 1948, Willys-Overland launched a model with a 6-cylinder engine, which was the predecessor of Jeep Cherokee.

In 1950, Jeep trademark was officially registered, and Willys-Overland company officially launched Jeep brand models. In 1953, American Kaiser Company acquired Willy-Overland, renamed it Willys Motors, and continued to produce Jeep series models.

In 1954, Willys Motors launched the popular CJ-5 model, which was based on the previous CJ-2A and was more delicated and practical.

In 1962, Jeep Wagoneer was born. So far, the modeling of civil, four-wheel drive, automatic gearbox and minibus has become the ultimate standard of sport utility vehicle (SUV), which leads the car industry to develop towards the trend of entertainment, and the era of SUV has come. In 1967, Jeep launched Jeepster Commando, which has a double-row seat and convertible design, catering to people’s needs for convertible cars.

In 1970, the American Motors Corporation acquired Kaiser Jeep. After the acquisition of Jeep brand, American Motors Corporation increased their investment into Jeep and developed new models, which made Jeep product line expand again.

In 1972, American Motors Corporation replaced all Jeep brand models with V8 engine made by AMC, which has two exhaust volumes of 5.0L and 5.9L. The use of the new engine made the jeep model at that time have better driving force and traction. In 1974, Jeep equipped Jeep Wagoneer with the latest Quadra-Traca automatic full-time four-wheel drive system developed by Jeep. The off-road capability of Jeep Wagoneer series models has been strengthened again. This is the first time that Jeep brand models are equipped with automatic full-time four-wheel drive system.

In 1976, a Jeep car with a removable molded plastic roof was launched. This is the CJ-7. This car is the predecessor of the Jeep Wrangler. With excellent off-road performance and the open body structure, CJ-7 makes fun-loving consumers happy.

In 1978, Jeep launched Wagoneer limited edition model, in which people saw leather seats, air conditioning system and advanced audio system. This marks that the Jeep series is more comfortable in the interior design, and the pure hard line brand also begins to consider the ride feeling of drivers and passengers.

In 1986, CJ-7 was shut down, and then in 1987, jeep’s first generation of Wrangler designed on the basis of CJ-7 was launched, officially opening the brilliant course of Wrangler models. On August 5 of the same year, Chrysler acquired Jeep’s owner, American Motors Corporation, and Jeep officially became a brand of Chrysler Automobile.

Since the 1980s, off-road vehicles have become more and more popular with the public. Many manufacturers have successively launched their own off-road vehicle brands. These models not only have excellent off-road ability, but also have luxury interior and good driving comfort. While Jeep has improved in terms of interior configuration, it basically maintains the style of a hardline off-road vehicle. At that time, people’s requirements for the quality of life gradually increased, and hedonism gradually rose. The new owner of Jeep realized that the Jeep model will continue to maintain the original hardline off-road character, and its competitiveness will be greatly reduced. Therefore, after getting the Jeep brand, Chrysler began to invest in the research and development of more luxurious and comfortable Jeep models.

In 1993, the first generation of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee with the internal code name ZJ came out. This car is equipped with Jeep’s unique Quadra-Coil system to provide the Grand Cherokee with excellent balance and comfort. The Grand Cherokee also provides Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel drive and Command-Trac time-sharing four-wheel drive for consumers to choose, and the later launched two-wheel drive models are also in order to obtain more low-end user groups.

In addition, in the interior, the first generation of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee has also made a lot of changes. The comfortable configuration of leather seats and the delicate interior make people feel more comfortable in the Grand Cherokee. In 1999, the second generation of Grand Cherokee came out, with a more luxurious interior while still maintaining a hardline off-road character. In 2010, a new generation of Grand Cherokee was launched. This Jeep new generation SUV model is more refined and powerful.

In 2006, the SUV model has become one of the most favorite models for consumers all over the world, especially the urban SUV. So Jeep timely launched Jeep Compass model, which is the only Jeep model with multi-link rear suspension. The multi-link rear suspension is very suitable for road driving, and has the maneuverability that the previous Jeep models lack. In addition, the Compass uses a timely four-wheel drive system, which has a good performance in handling and driving stability. In 2011, the modified Compass model came into the market. This car has a family-style exterior design similar to the new Grand Cherokee, which looks more fashionable and dynamic.

Summary:
In the development process of more than 60 years, Jeep brand has been adhering to the tough off-road style of off-road vehicles. Although in the design of exterior and interior, for the consideration of sales volume, many compromises and changes have been made. But the essence of Jeep remains the same. Jeep still puts the off-road performance first, and still insists on providing customers with Jeep with strong off-road capabilities. This also reflects the original spirit of Jeep’s persistence, strength, and never give up.