The History of the Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler was introduced in 1986, but its roots date back much further. During World War II, the U.S. Army sought a new four-wheel drive vehicle to use during the war effort. A company called Willys (Willys-Overland) won the contract and began creating the Willys MB, which soon picked up the nickname “Jeep.” Due to positive popular opinions of the vehicle on the Homefront, Willys-Overland decided to create a commercial version of the military vehicle, which they called the CJ, or “civilian Jeep.” First built in 1945, the CJ was the world’s first mass-produced four-wheel-drive vehicle. Between 1945 and 1986, over 1.5 million units were manufactured. Considered reliable and easy to fix, the CJ was frequently used for commercial and agricultural purposes (early versions even had compatible plows and similar accessories). The CJ was eventually discontinued, in part due to the growing demand for lighter cars that used less gas. In 1986, the Jeep Wrangler was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show. It retained many of the elements of the successful CJ model, including the body-on-frame design, open top, and solid axles. It also featured several elements of the Jeep Cherokee (which had been recently introduced) and marked the debut of square headlights on a Jeep (an unpopular choice). In 1997, an updated version of the Jeep Wrangler, the TJ, was introduced. It featured round headlights and a coil-spring suspension instead of leaf springs. In 2007, the Wrangler was completely redesigned and, notably, a four-door model was offered for the first time. The 2018 Wrangler update offered additional improvements, such as the inclusion of modern technology like an in-dash touchscreen and rear parking sensors. While there are plenty of reports of issues with the vehicles, particularly for certain model years, the Jeep Wrangler is still quite popular and remains in production today, making it one of the longest-standing vehicles in the Jeep lineup.