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1936
Coming out of bankruptcy
following the Great Depression, the company is reorganized as
Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.
1940
Working from a Bantam Car
Company design, Willys contracts to build military Jeeps for the
war and produces about 360,000 vehicles by 1945.
1945
Willys-Overland begins
producing the Civilian Jeep (CJ) line, with the introduction of
the CJ2A model.
1946
Production begins on the
Willys Jeep Wagon. Over 300,000 are manufactured between 1946 and
1965. CJ3A is introduced, and more than 132,000 are made before
the production ends in 1953.
1947
Production begins on the
Willys Jeep Truck. From 1947 to 1965, more than 200,000 are
manufactured.
1948
Production begins on the
Willys Jeepster. Only 19,000 vehicles are manufactured from 1948
to 1950.
1952
Willys CJ3B Jeeps go into
production. By 1968, over 155,000 are sold.
1953
Kaiser buys Willys-Overland
and changes name to Willys Motor Company.
1954
CJ5 debuts at the start of
its three-decade run.
1963
Company changes name to
Kaiser-Jeep Corporation.
1965
Kaiser-Jeep discontinues
production of Willys wagons and trucks, retiring the Willys name
with the line.
1970
American Motors Corporation
takes over Kaiser-Jeep.
1975
CJ5 model is updated for the
1970s.
1975
Willys-Overland resurrected
as a wholesale/retail parts business.
1976
Offering an optional
automatic transmission, the CJ7 starts its 10-year run.
1983
By the time the last CJ5
rolls off the line in 1983, more than 610,000 of the vehicles have
hit the highways in the U.S. and around the world.
1984
The XJ series Cherokee is
introduced to compete in the growing compact SUV market.
1987
American Motors is purchased
by Chrysler Corporation.
1993
Chrysler introduces the ZJ
series Grand Cherokee to replace the discontinued Wagoneer.
1997
Redesigned TJ series Wrangler
is introduced.
1998
Daimler-Benz merges with
Chrysler Corporation to form DaimlerChrysler, fifth largest auto
maker in the world.
1999
The Grand Cherokee is
redesigned.
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