Cars
The taste of a symbol
This article traces the history of the iconic Jeep brand from its military origins in the Second World War to its civilian models, including the CJ and the Wrangler.
Jeep is a legendary name, one that envelops the entire off-road industry under a single brand. It's a name that brings together the robustness of its military origins with that aristocratic and slightly snobbish wealth of those who love to flaunt their power using a car with capabilities far beyond their real needs. All this without anyone (or almost) knowing that Jeep is actually an acronym for Just Enough Economic Parts. A fantastically relevant principle for the war which lead to an extraordinary order for Willys who invented it and also Ford who helped put it into production.
Jeep Willys produced from 1940 to 1953
When the war ended, the vehicle that became a symbol of victory as much as the American flag was never going to quietly disappear. And indeed it never did. It transformed into the CJ - Civilian Jeep – and was produced for four decades until, in total respect for what was by now a consolidated image, the Wrangler was introduced. The small Jeep could not hold off the American giants: the company which had become Kaiser Jeep and had launched the car that inspired today's SUVs, the Wagoneer, was eventually acquired by American Motors.
