Although it’s quintessentially American, the Jeep brand is part of the multinational automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), which is based in Turin, Italy, but has a North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan (and is incorporated in the Netherlands for tax purposes). But Jeep’s brand home remains in Toledo, Ohio, where FCA builds the iconic Wrangler, which was the 2019 MotorTrend SUV of the Year, as well as the new Jeep Gladiator pickup truck.
Jeep has a storied military past. WWII Jeeps were originally for military use only. Jeep was a nickname then, derived from either slurring the GP reference to the General Purpose vehicle or to Eugene the Jeep, the mystical creature from the Popeye cartoon strip. Government specs called for a 1,200-pound, three-passenger vehicle with an 80-inch wheelbase that a burly sergeant could pick up out of the mud. It would replace motorcycles and army mules. It had to have 45 horsepower, and the windshield had to fold flat so the vehicle could fit in a shipping crate sideways, with room for the four tires. Willys got the contract, modified some of the specs to make it more realistic—the specs were derived by government officials, not auto engineers—and the military Jeep was born. When Willys couldn’t keep up with military demand, Ford stepped in to help produce Jeeps for the war.
Enter the CJ, the First Civilian Jeep
Civilian (ex-military) lust led to the CJ (civilian Jeep) that morphed into the Wrangler that we know today. The first CJ-A2, also known as the Universal Jeep because it could do anything, rolled off the line in Toledo on July 17, 1945. The grille on the civilian model changed from nine slots to seven. Over the years, the number of slots ranged from 0 to 22. In 1996 Jeep decided to make the historic seven-slot grille its trademark.
Who Owned Jeep Before Chrysler?
Willys-Overland started the civilian Jeep business but didn’t stay in it. Kaiser Motors bought the company in 1953, and then American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased the Jeep operation in 1970. Chrysler made a smart move when it acquired Jeep and the rest of AMC’s brands in 1987.
Chrysler gave way to DaimlerChrysler in 1998, but the German automaker shed the Chrysler side of the business in 2007. Then in 2009, to emerge from bankruptcy, Chrysler Group became part of Fiat Group, and in 2014 Jeep’s parent officially became Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
The fact every company to have owned Jeep has gone under (except the most recent) has led to the so-called Jeep curse. Rather than being cursed, Jeep’s survival is proof of the brand’s popularity and value, with multiple owners willing to bear the costs of bailing out a failing competitor just to get Jeep. No other Willys-Overland, Kaiser, or AMC brand exists today, and Chrysler has shed many of its brands during its ownership of Jeep.
Who Owns Jeep Now and How Has the Brand Changed?
Today, the Jeep brand is still devoted to SUVs and crossovers, with some pickups and convertibles sprinkled in. More often than not, a Jeep will be the most capable vehicle in its class—and the brand has expanded into a number of different segments.
Many of Jeep’s iconic names are still in production: Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Gladiator, and soon the return of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, a three-row luxury SUV expected for the 2022 model year. The Wagoneers will use the same underpinnings as the Ram 1500 and be assembled in the same Warren, Michigan, plant.
Newcomers over the years have included the Compass, Patriot, and Renegade, more urban vehicles that purists decried as not worthy of the Jeep name. Company officials have defended the expansion of the Jeep lineup into smaller and softer vehicles, saying the existence of the Wrangler preserves the integrity of the brand, allowing it to branch out and appeal to a wider global customer base.
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