Beginning. The Jeep make was established in the USA in 1941 and it started to manufacture off-road cars. The company's history started from the military model of Willys Jeep MB. In 1946, Willys reserved the Jeep brand name. In this manner it began its civilian career. However, the first model not intended for the army had already appeared in 1945. It was the Jeep CJ2A (CJ – Civilian Jeep). Jeep cars did very well at World War II fronts. By the end of the war, 278,000 cars had been manufactured.
Development. This brand had a lot of owners. Willys was their first of them. Jeep was sold to Kaiser Motors in 1953. This company was bought by American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1970. In 1979, the French car manufacturer Renault began to invest in the company. In 1987, Chrysler bought AMC because of Jeep. In 1998, the brand was taken over by Daimler Chrysler AG.
Present. In 2007, the Jeep brand became the property of Chrysler LLC again. The American group continues to own this brand today. Jeep-licensed off-road cars are assembled all over the world.
Contribution to the automotive industry. Jeep has always emphasized the off-road capabilities of its car. At present, the Wrangler model is one of few off-road cars with permanent front- and rear-wheel drive. This solution makes it easy to repair the suspension. The permanent 4x4 drive allows an increase in the ground clearance, which makes it easier to drive over larger obstacles.
Trivia. Jeep has become a synonym of an off-road car in Poland. And not only in Poland — according to an American dictionary of military slang, a jeep is a "vehicle with 4x4 drive used for reconnaissance or other military purposes". The origin of the company's name is not known. One theory says that the name comes from Eugene the Jeep, a character from Popeye cartoons, known for his special skills. Another theory suggests that the name is connected with the sister Ford GPW model. (G - governmental order, P - chassis with an 80-inch wheelbase, W - Willys). Some people think that the name Jeep comes from General Purpose. Today, Jeep proudly refers to its history. The company emphasizes that the first characteristic seven-slot grille is designed to imitate that used for the first Jeep cars.
Currently manufactured models: Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee (SUV, five-seater); Jeep Commander - XK (SUV, seven-seater); Jeep Liberty (small SUV); Jeep Compass - MK (small crossover SUV on the same platform as the Dodge Caliber), Jeep Patriot - MK (small crossover SUV on the same platform as Dodge Caliber).
Tyres. The Jeep Cherokee is serially equipped with tyres of the 215/75 R15 size, optionally 235/70 R16 or 235/65 R17. The Jeep Wrangler, on the other hand, is now sold with 255/75 R17 tyres. The original equipment of the Wrangler Sport and Wrangler Sahara models includes Bridgestone D840 HZ tyres. Jeep Commander uses Goodyear Wrangler HP All Weather and Wrangler AT/R tyres.