Jeep Engine History
A brief history of the Jeep, beginning with Willy's.
In 1908 John North Willys purchased the overland automotive division of Standard Wheel Company. This was the beginning of the Willy's. By 1913, the production of the Willys -Knight automobile begins. By 1940 two of the five Willys 4x4 type vehicles head for the U.S. Army and our felts to be a powerful little vehicle compared to the competition, by '42 the Jeep starts to become a household name, because of its ability to go anywhere at any time. During the '40s, the U.S. Army continually used the Willys Jeep and asked for improvements. These improvements became the CJ series, also known as a Civilian Jeep line. Also in approximately 1947 the Willys Jeep truck was manufactured and continued to be manufactured until 1965.
The 1950s is a period of growth for the Willys Jeep Company. They began to branch out into ambulances, noncombat maintenance and delivery work trucks as well as the occasional tour vehicle. Beginning in the early 60s the name is changed to Kaiser- Jeep Corp. with the J series Wagoneer debuting. In the mid-60s the Willys Jeepster Commando begins production with options of being a roadster, station wagon, truck or even a convertible and in 1970 AMC takes over Kaiser Jeep.
By the mid-1970s the Jeep ll concept returns to the resemblance of the original Willys MB and by the 80s the CJ-8 Scrambler and the new Cherokee becomes available as a compact SUV. In 1987 American Motors Corp. is purchased by the Chrysler Corporation with the 90s bringing in the Grand Cherokee to replace the Grand Wagoneer, which was discontinued in 91. By the late 90s Daimler-Benz merges with Chrysler Corporation forming Daimler Chrysler and the Jeepster concept vehicle debuts, the Grand Cherokee undergoes a complete redesign and wins the coveted 4x4 of the year award. At this time, the Jeep Commander hits the market, bringing Jeep into the new millennium.
The new millennium has brought more power, new design, and more popularity to the Jeep than ever before. The new upgrades include the fastest production SUV in 2005 featuring 415 hp with a 0 to 60 in less than five seconds as well as a redesigned Wrangler, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot. In 2006 Jeep DJ complete redesign of the Wrangler Unlimited that includes four doors. The Jeep has long been a favorite of collectors, restorers and 4x4 aficionados, allowing the Jeep trade name to stay at the forefront as a vehicle name for almost 100 years.
