Automotive Spot

by Derek John Swanson

The Jeep Wrangler is just one of numerous styles of vehicle that has carried the name Jeep. The Jeep Wrangler, as it is known now, did not exist until 1987, when the YJ style body for the Jeep replaced the Jeep CJs. Previously the Jeep was not known as the Wrangler, it carried the CJ label, which stands for Civilian Jeep. Since World War II, when the Jeep came into existence it has transformed into numerous models and styles. Presently there are many different vehicles that carry the Jeep name, from the Wrangler, to the 4 door Wrangler, Liberty, Patriot, etc.
Not only has the Jeep been transformed into many different style vehicles it has also been passed down over the years by different companies. The first company, which created the Jeep, was Willys-Overland. The company had ultimately won the Jeep name and recognition beating out both Bantam and Ford, both companies creating similar vehicles in competition for contracts with the military. However, the Willys-Overland company suffered financial troubles and in April of 1953 was purchased by Henry J. Kaiser who had his own car business, Kaiser.
Under Kaiser the Jeep became profitable and became the sole focus of the company. Kaiser had introduced other lines of the Jeep vehicle, one of which was the Wagoneer. With the popularity of the Jeep, Kaiser Industries decided to change the name of the company to Kaiser-Jeep in 1963. Kaiser Industries was a massive company that produced everything from ships down to medical supplies. For this reason Edgar Kaiser had decided to merge Kaiser-Jeep with American Motors Corporation (AMC) and kept a controlling interest in the companies stock. Yet again the Jeep name had survived another change in company and ownership.
Jeep continued to be a strong brand and company; however, AMC was faltering with all of its other productions and was having financial difficulties.
Presently the company that owns the Jeep line is Chrysler LLC, formerly DaimlerChrysler AG, after Chrysler Corporation and Daimler-Benz had merged in 1998. Chrysler Corporation had originally purchased the Jeep line back in 1987 because it did not want to develop its own line of SUVs. Even with the merger with the Mercedez parent company, the Jeep line remained true to its predecessors and production remained in Toledo, Ohio.
The current model of Jeep Wrangler is the JK model, which followed the popular TJ model. As mentioned earlier the history of the actual Jeep Wrangler is not as long as the Jeep itself. The Wrangler has only been in existence since 1987, however to fully understand the history of the Jeep Wrangler it is important to know about its predecessors and the company transformations. Not many other vehicles, besides the Jeep, have survived numerous changes in ownership as well as model designations.
The Wrangler was introduced in 1987 as the YJ model. The YJ model was very similar to the previous CJ model, the major differences being a slight change in the grill style and the introduction of rectangular headlights. The rectangular headlights caused a controversy with enthusiasts; despite the rest of the Jeep being similar to the CJ, many of them refused to call the YJ a true Jeep.
The YJ Wrangler then gave way to the TJ Wrangler in 1997, with the reintroduction of the classic round headlights. They also changed the suspension from leaf-spring to coil-spring to provide a better ride, similar to the Jeep Cherokee. The TJ also saw the introduction of the Rubicon and the Unlimited editions of the Wrangler. The Unlimited edition featured a longer wheel base for more storage. The TJ and its different variations existed for 10 years, until 2007 ushered in the JK model, a new, completely re-designed Wrangler that is larger and is also available in a 4 door model - unlike any before it.