History of Jeep in Timeline
Jeep is an iconic American automobile brand currently owned by Stellantis. Its history includes being part of Chrysler since 1987, following Chrysler's acquisition of Jeep from American Motors Corporation (AMC). Known for its ruggedness and off-road capabilities, Jeep vehicles have become synonymous with adventure and freedom. The brand has evolved over the years, expanding its lineup to include a variety of SUVs and crossovers, while maintaining its core identity as a symbol of American automotive heritage.
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March 1936: Eugene the Jeep's origin
As early as mid-March 1936, soldiers at the time informally named it after Eugene the Jeep, a character in the Thimble Theatre comic strip and cartoons created by E. C. Segar.
August 1936: King Features Syndicate trademark on Jeep name
King Features Syndicate has held a trademark on the name "Jeep" for their comics since August 1936.
1937: Tractors called jeeps
In 1937, tractors which were supplied by Minneapolis Moline to the US Army were called jeeps.
1939: Joe Frazer became Willys-Overland President
Joe Frazer became Willys-Overland President in 1939, and served until 1944.
July 17, 1940: Karl Probst began work on vehicle plans
On July 17, 1940, Karl Probst began work on the vehicle plans for the Army's four-wheel drive reconnaissance car, initially without salary.
1940: Jeep term usage
Prior to 1940, the term "jeep" had been used as U.S. Army slang for new recruits or vehicles.
February 19, 1941: Katharine Hillyer's article published
Katharine Hillyer's article about the Jeep was published nationally on February 19, 1941.
1941: Jeep demonstration at the United States Capitol
Early in 1941, Willys-Overland demonstrated the vehicle's off-road capability by having it drive up the steps of the United States Capitol, driven by Willys test driver Irving "Red" Hausmann.
1941: WWII "jeep" tied name to light military 4x4
In 1941, the World War II "jeep" went into production specifically tying the name to this light military 4x4.
1942: Government objected to manufacturers stamping names
In 1942, the U.S. government objected to the practice of car and component manufacturers stamping their names on the jeep's body parts, leading both Willys and Ford to stop this practice.
1942: Words of the Fighting Forces publication
Words of the Fighting Forces by Clinton A. Sanders, a dictionary of military slang, was published in 1942.
February 1943: Willys-Overland filed trademark application for Jeep brand-name
Willys-Overland filed the original trademark application for the "Jeep" brand-name in February 1943.
May 1943: Federal Trade Commission ruled in favor of Bantam
In May 1943, The Federal Trade Commission initially ruled in favor of Bantam, largely ignoring Minneapolis-Moline's claim.
December 1944: AGRIJEEP trademark granted
Willys was granted the trademark for the brand name AGRIJEEP in December 1944.
1944: Joe Frazer left Willys-Overland President
Joe Frazer left Willys-Overland President in 1944, after being there since 1939.
1945: Civilian production models marketed as Universal Jeep
As of 1945, the civilian production models were marketed as the "Universal Jeep".
1945: Introduction of the CJ-2A
In 1945, the CJ (for "Civilian Jeep") series began with the CJ-2A. These early Jeeps are often referred to as "flat-fenders" due to their straight front fenders.
1945: First "Jeep"-branded vehicles were built
No "Jeep"-branded vehicles were built until the 1945 Willys CJ-2A.
1945: First Civilian Jeep vehicles produced
Willys proceeded to produce the first Civilian Jeep (CJ) branded vehicles in 1945.
1945: Willys–Overland Launched Production of Civilian Jeep
Willys–Overland launched production of the first CJ or Civilian Jeep branded models in Toledo, Ohio, in 1945.
1946: Jeep Station Wagon launched
Jeep launched the Jeep Station Wagon in 1946.
1948: Introduction of the Jeepster
In 1948, the Jeepster was introduced, directly based on the rear-wheel-drive Jeep Station Wagon chassis and sharing many of the same parts.
1949: Introduction of the CJ-3A
In 1949, the CJ-3A was introduced as part of the Civilian Jeep (CJ) series. These early Jeeps are known as "flat-fenders" because of their design.
February 1, 1950: Contract approved for underwater operation vehicles
On February 1, 1950, contract N8ss-2660 was approved for 1,000 units "especially adapted for general reconnaissance or command communications" and "constructed for short period underwater operation such as encountered in landing and fording operations".
June 1950: Jeep name registered trademark
Willys-Overland was eventually granted the name "Jeep" as a registered trademark in June 1950.
1951: CJ-4 Prototype
In 1951, the CJ-4 exists only as a single prototype and constitutes the "missing link" between the flat-fendered CJ-2A and CJ-3A/B, and the subsequent Jeeps with new bodies
1952: Willys Aero sedan attempt to re-enter passenger-car market
In 1952, there was an attempt to re-enter the passenger-car market with the Willys Aero sedan which proved unsuccessful.
1953: Mitsubishi Built Jeeps in Japan
From 1953, Jeeps have been built under license by Mitsubishi in Japan. Most were based on the CJ-3B model.
1953: Kaiser Motors acquired Willys
In 1953, Kaiser Motors acquired Willys for $60 million. Kaiser initially called the merged company "Willys Motors".
1953: Introduction of the CJ-3B
In 1953, the CJ-3B was introduced as part of the Civilian Jeep (CJ) series. These early Jeeps are referred to as "flat-fenders".
1953: Jeep created the two-wheel-drive DJ
Jeep created the two-wheel-drive DJ in 1953.
1954: Hotchkiss manufactured Jeeps under license from Willys
After 1954, Hotchkiss et Cie manufactured Jeeps under license from Willys.
1955: Kaiser-Frazer dropped passenger cars to sell Jeeps exclusively
By the end of 1955, Kaiser-Frazer had dropped the Willys Aero, as well as its own passenger cars to sell Jeeps exclusively.
1955: Two-Wheel Drive CJ Jeeps Offered
From 1955, Willys offered two-wheel drive versions of their CJ Jeeps for commercial use, called DJ models (for 'Dispatcher Jeep'), in both open and closed body styles.
1955: Introduction of the CJ-5
In 1955, the CJ-5 was introduced, marking a change in body style with rounded fenders and hoods. It was first introduced as the military Willys MD (or M38A1).
1961: Expansion of the Range with Fleetvan Delivery Van
In 1961, the range was expanded with the 'Fleetvan' delivery van, based on DJ Jeeps.
1963: Wagoneer Considered to Have Started Luxury SUV Segment
The 1963 Jeep Wagoneer is considered to have started the luxury SUV segment.
1965: Jeep developed M715 army truck
In 1965, Jeep developed the M715 1.25-short-ton army truck, a militarized version of the civilian J-series Jeep truck, which served extensively in the Vietnam War.
1970: AMC purchased Kaiser's Jeep operations
In 1970, American Motors Corporation (AMC) acquired Kaiser's Jeep operations for $70 million. This acquisition was intended to complement AMC's passenger car business by leveraging shared components, improving volume efficiencies, and capitalizing on Jeep's international and government markets.
1971: AMC Spun Off Jeep's Commercial, Postal, and Military Vehicle Lines
In 1971, AMC spun off Jeep's commercial, postal, and military vehicle lines into a separate subsidiary named AM General. This new company later developed the M998 Humvee.
1971: Jeep's Defense and Government Products Division turned into AM General
In 1971, Jeep's Defense and Government Products Division was turned into AM General, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Motors Corporation, which also owned Jeep.
1976: Jeep CJ-7 Introduced and Sales Milestone
In 1976, Jeep introduced the CJ-7, which replaced the CJ-6 in North America. That year, Jeep also crossed 100,000 civilian units in annual global sales for the first time.
1979: AM General began designing the Humvee
In 1979, while still owned by American Motors, AM General began the first steps toward designing the Humvee.
January 15, 1984: American Motors Sets Up Joint Venture in China
On January 15, 1984, American Motors established the first automobile-manufacturing joint venture in the People's Republic of China. This resulted in Beijing Jeep Corporation, Ltd., in partnership with Beijing Automobile Industry Corporation, to produce the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) in Beijing.
1985: Jeep Global Sales Top 200,000
In 1985, Jeep's global sales topped 200,000 for the first time. During this period, Jeep introduced the XJ Cherokee, its first unibody SUV.
1986: Introduction of the Wrangler Line and Renault CEO Assassination
In 1986, the CJ Jeeps were replaced by the new Wrangler line, marking a change in era for the brand. Also in 1986, Renault CEO Georges Besse was assassinated due to financial troubles and layoffs.
1986: Jeep Wrangler Series Production
The Jeep Wrangler series, which is conceptually consistent with the Civilian Jeep, has remained in production since 1986.
1987: Chrysler Buys AMC
In 1987, Chrysler Corporation bought out AMC, primarily for the Jeep brand. Renault sold off AMC due to financial troubles.
1987: Chrysler Acquires AMC, Keeps Jeep Brand
In 1987, Chrysler Corporation bought out AMC, with the acquisition being primarily for the Jeep brand. Jeep was the only AMC brand continued by Chrysler, partnered with the new Eagle marque.
1998: Chrysler Merges with Daimler-Benz
In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz and was folded into DaimlerChrysler. By this point, the Eagle marque was discontinued, and the Chrysler and Jeep sales channels were combined.
1998: End of Mitsubishi Jeep Production
In 1998, Mitsubishi ceased building Jeep models in Japan, ending a production run that began in 1953.
2005: End of Jeep 2500 Production
The original 1984 XJ model was updated and called the "Jeep 2500" toward the end of its production which ended after 2005.
2007: DaimlerChrysler Sells Interest in Chrysler
In 2007, DaimlerChrysler sold most of its interest in Chrysler to a private equity company. The Chrysler and Jeep division operated under Chrysler Group LLC.
April 2012: Shirt Sponsorship Deal with Juventus
In April 2012, Jeep signed a shirt sponsorship deal worth €35 m (US$45.8 m) with Italian football club Juventus.
August 2014: Sponsorship Deal with AEK Athens F.C.
In August 2014, Jeep signed a sponsorship deal with the Greek football club AEK Athens F.C.
December 15, 2014: Chrysler Folded into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
On December 15, 2014, Chrysler folded into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, with the stateside subsidiary operating under 'FCA US LLC'.
2016: Jeep Enters Indian Market Directly
In 2016, Jeep entered the Indian market directly with the release of the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee in the country. Jeeps have been built in India under license by Mahindra & Mahindra since the 1960s.
2016: Jeep SUV Global Sales
In 2016, Jeep sold 1.4 million SUVs globally.
2017: Fiat-Chrysler's Best Selling Brand
During the first half of 2017, Jeep was Fiat-Chrysler's best-selling brand in the U.S.
2018: Title Sponsor of France's LNB Pro A
Since 2018, Jeep has been the title sponsor of France's top men's professional basketball league, LNB Pro A. The league markets itself as Jeep Élite.
October 2022: Bankruptcy Filing of Joint Venture in China
In October 2022, the joint venture between Stellantis and Chinese company Guangzhou Automobile Group filed for bankruptcy. However, Stellantis stated its intention to continue servicing Jeep brand customers in China.
2024: Cost of Willys Jeep equivalent in 2024
The cost per vehicle under the first contract from Willys at US$648.74 is equivalent to $10641 in 2024.
February 2025: Bob Broderdorf Appointed
In February 2025, Bob Broderdorf was appointed.
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