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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEEP JEEP HERITAGE | WAR ROOTS A Military Origin he Jeep traces its rich history back to a military call for assistance. In July 1940, the U.S. military reached out to automakers for a Tlight reconnaissance vehicle to replace the Army’s motorcycle and modified Ford Model-T vehicles. More than 100 manufactur- Competition for the ers were invited to bid on contract came down to production for the vehicle. three main suitors – Willys The military’s detailed list of Overland, American Bantam specifications included the Car Manufacturing Company following: and Ford Motor Company. • 600-pound load capacity After all three were prompted • Wheelbase less than to produce 1,500 of their 75 inches respective vehicle models, the • Height less than 36 inches Army tabbed Willys’ Quad as • Smooth-running engine its primary selection. from 3 to 50 miles per hour • Rectangular-shaped body • Four-wheel drive with WILLYS’ MODEL two-speed transfer case With modifications and • Fold-down windshield improvements, the Willys • Three bucket seats Quad became the MA, • Blackout and driving lights and later the MB. But the • Gross vehicle weight Army came to know it as below 1,300 pounds the Jeep. COURTESY OF JEEP After the war, soldiers who enjoyed their military Jeeps wanted the same fun and capability after they returned home. This 1955 Jeep M-38 shows the kind of vehicles Jeep produced following World War II. The model was comprised as the items removed to meet of the letters “GP,” which sig- of many aspects that made it the goal were reinstalled on nified the military abbreviation unique, including a gearshift the next-generation MB. The for “General Purpose.” on the steering column, low changes led to a final weight Others say the vehicle was side body cutouts, two circu- of approximately 400 pounds named for a popular charac- lar instrument clusters on the above specifications. ter named “Eugene the Jeep” dashboard and a hand brake in the Popeye cartoon strip. on the left side. Whatever its origin, the name Willys struggled to reduce became an integral player in COURTESY OF JEEP NAME GAME Vehicles like this, a 1941 Willys, helped the Allied forces win World War II and the weight to the new Army Some claimed that the name the American automobile formed the foundation for today’s Jeep vehicles. specification of 2,160 pounds, “Jeep” came from the slurring industry. JEEP HERITAGE | VEHICLE PROFILE Jeep Cherokee: A Rich History f there is one vehicle that embodies the gradual growth of the Jeep brand, it’s the ICherokee. COURTESY OF JEEP Today, Jeep carries on the Cherokee name with a new model designed to offer refinement and efficiency along with off-road capability. lighter than the full-size popularity thanks to its off- COURTESY OF JEEP Wagoneer, the new Cherokee road capability and wide The Cherokee set a new direction for the Jeep brand and helped usher in the SUV era. was built on a unibody plat- availability of aftermarket form instead of a traditional modifications. It debuted in 1974 as an sporty two-door make of the REVOLUTIONARY chassis-and-frame. The The redesigned Jeep offshoot to the Jeep Wagoneer popular Jeep Wagoneer Cherokee was available as Cherokee was a hit, boasting SJ platform but didn’t hit its model. It remained a two- VEHICLE both two- and four-door more than 100,000 units sold full potential until a complete door option for about three In 1984, American Motors models until 1988. worldwide every year from redesign in the mid-1980s. years until a four-door Corporation spent $250 mil- 1986 through 2001. Its biggest The overhaul is symbolic version was introduced to lion to redesign the model as sales year was in 1999 with of Jeep’s ability to meet mar- great success. a smaller, more advanced MORE XJ more than 200,000 units sold ket demand without compro- Jeep produced 197,338 SUV based on the all-new across the globe. In 2002, the mising quality, service or SJ platform Cherokee models Jeep XJ platform. The 1984 FEATURES Cherokee was replaced by the tradition. between 1974 and 1983, Jeep Cherokee was hailed a The XJ also impressed due Jeep Liberty in North according to the Chrysler revolution by many inside the to its flexibility in four-by- America. GRADUAL Group. The change in door industry because of its overall four systems. It offered two Today, a new Jeep wears features, however, was just design changes. versions – the Command- the Cherokee name, bringing EXPANSION the beginning in the Now 21 inches shorter, six Trac part-time and Selec-Trac this historic model back for a The original Cherokee was transformation of the inches narrower, four inches full-time four-by-four. The new generation of off-road marketed and sold as the Cherokee. lower and 1,000 pounds model has earned perpetual enthusiasts. JEEP HERITAGE | EARLY LEADER Henry J. Kaiser: Jeep Visionary nown most notably as an industrialist and founder of the Kaiser Permanente integrated managed care consortium, Henry J. Kaiser Kalso made an indelible impact on the Jeep brand. He bought the Toledo- based Willys Overland in 1953 for $70 million, accord- ing to Kaiser Permanente Heritage Resources. Kaiser quickly developed and deployed an all-out marketing blitz in an attempt to capital- ize on the public’s interest in all things Jeep. He also devoted much of his budget into new research and development efforts aimed at uncovering new opportunities for growth. His efforts would lead to wide- spread changes to the Jeep’s body contours, seating com- fort and engine. QUICK RESULTS Kaiser’s efforts catalyzed a rapid growth in sales that topped $160 million within two years. For Kaiser, whose past ventures into automobile manufacturing didn’t turn out quite as well, this was a COURTESY OF HERITAGE RESOURCES, KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN major success that would Henry J. Kaiser is a key figure in the history of the Jeep, purchasing the company in 1953. His investments and insights helped to grow the Jeep into a worldwide success. impact the Jeep brand for decades to come. Wagoneer by 1966. The THE POST-KAISER Corporation bought American and sell the Jeep to a nation A STEADY Wagoneer was considered by Motors from Renault in 1987 of enthusiasts. Jeep has many enthusiasts as America’s ERA for the sole purpose of getting since grown in global reach, PROGRESSION first SUV. Five years after Kaiser died, the rights to manufacture revenue and brand power, As Kaiser became more All of this new development Kaiser Jeep Corp., was sold to the Jeep. and can trace much of its comfortable in leading the led to the gradual expansion of American Motors. Renault The company’s new success back to Henry launch of new models, Jeep Jeep. In fact, the company Company of France bought leader, Lee lacocca, took a Kaiser’s impressive industry built sports and compact cars, spread to 32 other countries by American Motors a few years similar approach to Kaiser in vision. station wagons and the the time Kaiser died in 1967. later before Chrysler finding new ways to market JEEP HERITAGE | TRUCKS The Jeep Gladiator: A Comeback Story or Jeep fanatics who remember the Gladiator, this is a comeback for the ages. The Gladiator pickups were introduced in 1962 and marked Fthe first new non-military design from the company since the all-steel station wagon and sporty two-wheel-drive Jeepster. The design capitalized on a versatility, power and overall pickup with all the capability stowaway rear seat cushion. Gladiator trucks were bustling market demand with comfort. of the famed Wrangler. It was The bed could stretch from available in both rear-wheel agricultural and military buy- an authentic statement of five-foot-eight to more than drive and four-wheel drive, ers before eventually making Jeep brand heritage, featuring eight feet in seconds. as with chassis-mounted its way into the commercial VERSATILE the unmistakable box The 2005 concept vehicle campers with extended mainstream. side-mounted spare of past was warmly received by Jeep wheelbases. Consumers scooped up the PACKAGE models. enthusiasts, who hoped the A new rendition of the Jeep Jeep to help appease their Tabbed as the first flexible concept could someday result Gladiator, unveiled as a con- adventurous sides. Everyone utility truck from Jeep, this in a production pickup. cept in 2005, fits along the SPECIFICATIONS from the weekend warrior to stunning adaption featured same vein as its predecessor. Here are some of the the dedicated fisherman ben- an open-air canvas top, an Jeep defined it as a lifestyle GLADIATOR Gladiator concept’s efited from the Gladiator’s expandable truck bed and a specifications: HISTORY Vehicle Weight: 4,150 pounds The original Gladiator was Length: 205 inches based on the large Jeep Wheelbase: 138.4 inches Wagoneer platform that was Front Overhang: 28.3 inches wildly popular from 1962 to Rear Overhang: 38.3 inches 1988. It was the basis of the Max Width: 76.6 inches first post-war U.S. Army Height: 74.8 inches trucks designed to be civilian Bed Length: 5 feet, vehicles. eight inches COURTESY OF JEEP Jeep paid tribute to the Gladiator with this concept vehicle in 2005. It offered a ver- satile cargo hold with impressive off-road ability, signaling the possibility of similar COURTESY OF JEEP vehicles to join the Jeep lineup someday. The Jeep Gladiator, shown here as a 1968 model, was an iconic off-road pickup truck. JEEP HERITAGE | TECHNOLOGY Like Jeep History? Get the App f your idea of a perfect mobile application is one featuring insider Jeep information and Iinteractive videos, then you’re in luck.

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