Jeep's History
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Acknowledgements
Much of the information in this document comes from Jeep Owner's Bible, by Moses Ludel.
See also Jeep models for a list of two-letter model codes.
Origin of the Jeep Name
The origin of the Jeep name is a popular issue among Jeep enthusiasts. No one seems to know for sure where it came from.
There are several different stories: Some say that the name comes from the term GP, but the interpretation of this
abbreviation varies. It has been said to mean simply General Purpose, while others claim that it was an internal Ford code,
where G stands for Government Contract, while P was the code for an 80"-wheelbase
¼-ton truck or reconnaissance car.
Another popular myth is that the Jeep got its name from a character in the Pop-Eye cartoons. Eugene the Jeep was a supernatural being who could move effortlessly between dimensions, thus suddenly appearing in unexpected places, just like the versatile Jeep.
The first time the name "Jeep" was used in media was in an article by Washington Daily News reporter
Katherine Hillyer. The headline above the article was Jeep Creeps Up Capitol Steps.
The conclusion is that we can't know the true origin of the name, so let»s just accept that it is now a registered trademark of Daimler–Chrysler Corporation.
The First Jeep
When World War II began in 1939, America needed lots of new vehicles for its armed forces. Many manufacturers wanted the lucrative Army contract but the deadline was impossibly short. Only three vehicles were submitted for approval by the U.S. government: American Bantam Car Company's prototype (designed by Karl Probst), Ford Motor Company's "Pygmy", and Willys–Overland's "Quad". The Army decided that American Bantam was too small a company to handle the volumes required, so they were out of the game. It was the Willys model that came out the winner.
The ¼-ton truck had a 134.2 cui four-cylinder engine and a Spicer 25 live front axle assembly. Willys built the MA and MB models with a two-speed transfer case, to meet military requirements, behind a three-speed Borg–Warner T-84 transmission. The truck had a ladder frame, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and airplane shock absorbers. Because the Army required that a large number of vehicles be built in a short time, Willys–Overland agreed to let another manufacturer, Ford, build trucks under a non-exclusive license. Those Ford-built Jeeps are known as the GPW model.
The War
The MB Jeep was used by the Allies in Northern Europe, the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the South Pacific Islands, and
throughout Asia. The little truck proved to be extremely versatile and was much appreciated by the soldiers.
More than 700,000 Jeeps were delivered during the war. Of those, more than 330,000 were built by Willys.
Civilian Life
After the war, the MB model was readily available at surplus sales, and Willys–Overland realized that there was a civilian market
for their trucks. The first civilian version was model CJ-2A, which came out in 1946. It had a tailgate, and the spare tire was
mounted on the side, but it still had 6 V electrics, a split windshield, and 16" rims.
Off-Roading
One group of people who were attracted by the new 4x4 was the growing number of outdoors enthusiasts. The Jeep allowed them easy access to their favorite fishing or hunting locations. People soon found out that driving off-road could be fun in itself, and a new sport was born.
The New Generation
The CJ-3A "Flatfender" was introduced in 1948. It had a one-piece windshield and a stronger Spicer 44 rear axle.
There had also been Station Wagons since 1946. In 1953, the CJ-3B "High hooder" emerged. The reason for the higher
hood was to accommodate the bigger 134.2 cui F-head four-cylinder engine. The F-head design with the exhaust valve in-block
and the intake valve in the cylinder head was used until 1973 in American models. In 1954 came the 226 cui "Hurricane Six",
an inline six-cylinder engine producing 115 hp (86 kW) and an impressive 190 ft-lbs (258 Nm) of torque.
There were also military versions of the CJ-3 models. The military CJ-3A is known as M38, while the CJ-3B was called M606.
New Owners
Kaiser purchased Willys–Overland in 1953, but that didn't affect the company much for the first ten years or so. Then in
1962, Kaiser marketed the innovative Wagoneer, targeting the suburban and rural markets. This was arguably the first sport/utility
vehicle, or SUV. In 1963 came the J-truck version, making Jeep competitive in the American full-size truck segment.
More CJs
The CJ-5 with an 81" wheelbase was introduced in 1955, and in 1956
came the CJ-6 with all of 101" wheelbase. In 1965 Kaiser offered the Buick 225 "Dauntless" V6 as an option in
the '66 CJs. The CJ-5's wheelbase increased to 84" in the '70s to make room for bigger engines, and there
was a longer version called CJ-7 with 94" wheelbase and the even longer CJ-8 (Scrambler). The military version of the
CJ-5 was called M38A1.
In 1967 the new Jeepster Commando saw the light of day, perfectly timed for the emerging sport/utility market. It first came with a 101" wheelbase (known as the C-101), and was later extended to 104" (C-104).
Sold Again
In 1970, Kaiser sold Jeep Corporation to American Motors (AMC). Jeeps had been offered with AMC engines since 1965, so the connection
was there. Two years later came the 7-bearing 232/258 AMC in-line sixes and the 304 V8. That year's AMC ad slogan was
Jeep (4 Wheel Drive)—The toughest 4-letter word on wheels.
The full-sized Cherokee was introduced in 1974 with either a 258
six or one of several V8 options. The big 401 V8 was discontinued in the late '70s due to tougher emissions legislation,
especially in California.
A New Era
Environmental issues and legislation slowly killed the full-sized trucks in the early '80s, but in 1984 came a small
revolution—the compact Cherokee with its unibody design. For the first time, an American 4x4 truck didn't have a ladder
frame. Contrary to media forecasts and rumblings among old-time Jeepers, the Cherokee sales exceeded all marketing expectations. It had
a 2.5L (150 cui) four-cylinder AMC engine, which performed reasonably well in the light truck. As an option, the 2.8L (173 cui) V6 was
available, but it had problems with leaks.
The 4.0L I–6
The classic 4.0L in-line six-cylinder engine was introduced in 1987. It had a multi-point electronic fuel injection and delivered 177 hp (132 kW). Fuel economy improved dramatically, and the new engine had no problems meeting emission requirements.
Wrangler
AMC recognized the need for a replacement for the CJ. Thus in 1987, the 93.4" wheelbase YJ Wrangler was introduced. It came with
a 2.5L EFI four or a 4.2L (258 cui) in-line carburetor six. By 1991, the old six was
replaced by the new 4.0 EFI. Then, in 1997, there was a major change. The leaf springs were replaced with a coil and link arm
suspension, offering seven inches more wheel travel than the old design. The new Wrangler, code-named TJ, still has a ladder frame, and
is an excellent off-road vehicle.
New Owners—Again
In 1987, Jeep was bought by Chrysler Corporation, effectively securing the future of Jeep products. But whatever the name of the owner may be, a Jeep is still a Jeep. There can be only one…
Grand Cherokee
Sport/utility vehicles was now an established concept in America, and it was spreading to Europe as well. Suburban buyers demanded more
and more luxury, and in 1993 the Grand Cherokee was presented. It offered the same 4.0L six as the smaller Cherokee, but also a 5.2L V8.
The Grand Cherokee had its first major re-make in 1996, although the differences are subtle on the outside. In 1998 came a special
edition with a 241 hp 5.9L V8 that offers a lot of power to those who can afford its fuel consumption. Then in 1999, a new model was
introduced. This time the changes were more clearly visible on the outside, with a rounder body. The V8 option is now a 4.7L
OHC with 230 hp (172 kW) and 295 ft-lbs (400 Nm) of torque. For non-U.S. markets there is also a
3.1L five-cylinder turbo-diesel, replacing the earlier 2.5L diesel. Of course, the 4.0 six is still available.
Another Revolution
In 2001, Jeep owners were once again outraged when Daimler–Chrysler announced that the Cherokee be discontinued and replaced by a
new model—the Liberty. The thing that infuriates Jeep enthusiasts about the Liberty (which, unfortunately, is called Cherokee in
Europe) is that it has an independent front suspension. The competition has had this for years, but Jeep's reputation as a
superior rock-crawler will likely suffer from this setup. Only time will tell. The Liberty/Cherokee will have the following engine
options: a 3.7L Power Tech V6 (210 hp/155 kW), a 2.4L four-cylinder (148 hp/110 kW), or a 2.5L turbo-diesel
(141 hp/105 kW). •