Jeep

The Willys MB “Jeep” of 1942 was the answer – with help from Ford – to the US Army’s request for a nimble and versatile four-wheel-drive reconnaissance vehicle to help on the battlefield. A modified version designed more for farmer’s fields was released in 1945 as the Jeep CJ-2A, signalling the commercial start of America’s famous 4x4 brand. The rear-wheel-drive Jeepster of 1948 was Jeep’s first move into sporty vehicles, though station wagons and pick-up trucks would dominate the following decades. AMC bought Jeep in 1970 before ownership passed onto Chrysler in 1987 – not long after the Wrangler had replaced the long-running CJ series to start its own huge following. Today’s popular Cherokee and Grand Cherokee nameplates launched in 1965 and 1992 respectively. Trademark Jeep design cues continue to be the seven-bar grille and trapezoidal wheel arches, though not all models are four-wheel drive. Jeep’s best off-roaders are “Trail-rated” – meaning they’ve successfully negotiated America’s tortuously tough Rubicon Trail.