Jeeps History

Jeep is a division of FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group) and a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The former Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand in 1987. However, the original Jeep first appeared as a prototype in 1941, designed as a military vehicle. Its founders were Arthur Herrington, Karl Probst and various other experts dedicated to light off-road driving vehicles.

The JEEP brand name actually comes from an abbreviation: GP. Its meaning is “general purpose” vehicle. Since 1941, the Jeep brand has been producing powerful vehicles suitable for various purposes. The Jeep logo is now recognized worldwide. It was not until 1993 that the Jeep logo was switched again, aiming to establish an association with the military.

By the 1970s, the Middle East War and the Vietnam War were the best opportunities to improve the Jeep. After the 1970s, the US military Ford’s M151 used a one-piece body shell. But this bold design had major flaws, and high-speed cornering could easily cause rollovers. So the US military later launched an improved version – M151A1. The British Land Rover has always maintained its traditional design without much improvement. Ford M151 and British Land Rover soon became competitors in the military market.

In 1979, German Mercedes-Benz launched the G-series Jeep. American Jeeps also generally adopted automatic transmission. This situation lasted until the addition of Toyota LC60 in 1985, and then Pajero also followed up and added automatic transmission.