2007 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited 4wd, 90,000 Miles-hard & Bimini Top -rebuilt on 2040-cars

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Video charts evolution of Jeep from military vehicle to SUV powerhouse

Here's a fun new video from our car-obsessed friends at Donut Media. It shows the evolution of the iconic Jeep from its World War II roots to the forthcoming 2019 Scrambler pickup in a little over two minutes. Using illustrations and audio of Jeep engines and broadcast advertising spots, it's a fascinating look at the common traits that have persisted over more than 75 years and changing consumer preferences. Three companies originally responded to the U.S. Army's request in 1940 for proposals to make a quarter-ton "light reconnaissance vehicle" tailored to its specs — Bantam, Ford and Willys. The video starts by showing all three early contenders — the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, Ford Pygmy and Willys MB, which was based on the Willys-Overland "Quad" prototype, named for the 4x4 system it utilized. Willys eventually won the contract in 1941 to build 16,000 revised MB models for American and Allied forces. Willys would trademark the Jeep name in 1945 with its CJ-2A, a Civilian Jeep geared toward farmers. As the video shows, Jeep really started to diversify its body styles and colors in the 1970s and '80s under the ownership of American Motors Corp., which purchased the money-losing Jeep brand in 1970 from Kaiser-Jeep, which itself had acquired the brand from Willys in 1953. The '70s brought models like the CJ-5 Renegade and CJ-5 Laredo, and the video includes updates including the second-generation Wrangler Unlimited in 2004 and the Wrangler-based Scrambler pickup. Chrysler purchased Jeep from American Motors in 1987, shortly after the debut of the Jeep Wrangler, and has managed to hold onto the brand and ride it to success despite its own bumpy ownership trials and tribulations since then. Despite the many owners over time, Jeep has maintained its headquarters all along in Toledo, Ohio.

Jeep gunning for 1M sales this year

Jeep CEO Mike Manley would rather soft-pedal the seven-figure prognostication for now, but Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won't have it, proclaiming in an interview that Jeep will sell one million units worldwide this year. Manley has called that come-hither number "a stretch," the history of recent gains perhaps reason for his caution: in 2011 the brand sold 568,317 units, followed by the record-breaking tally of 701,626, then another record in 2013 with 731,565 units moved.
That kind of gap means everything will need to go magically for Jeep to record a 37-percent increase this year - amazing Cherokee sales, a brilliant launch for the little Jeep arriving in Europe later this year and a heavy wave to raise sales in US, European and Chinese markets. Manley is confident about the prospects in 2015, though, with the Cherokee in full stride, the Fiat-based Jeep on its way to the US and expanded global production. It's not as though Marchionne's prediction for Jeep's 2014 sales is unexpected, since he first made it last year. But even if the number ends up a little short for 2014, there's no doubt it will be impressive.

Jeep Wrangler Scrambler pickup spied in some scrapes on the Rubicon Trail

We've seen the Jeep Wrangler Scrambler pickup truck many, many times at this point, but every time has been on the streets. Now, thanks to some members of the Jeep Scrambler Forum, we get a look at the truck cruising on the Rubicon Trail. It's a fitting location, since that's where Jeep says it determines if a vehicle earns the "Trail Rated" badge of honor. We're pretty certain that the Scrambler will still earn the Trail Rated badge, since it has the four-wheel-drive, axle design and presumably the ground clearance of a normal Wrangler, which also earns the badge. That said, the photos from the forum do reveal some of the weak points one would expect from a stretched-out Wrangler. The lengthened wheelbase hurts the breakover angle and puts the rocker panels and frame at greater risk for damage. As pointed out in the forum, the camouflage looks pretty roughed up in those areas, and there don't appear to be any rock rails/frame sliders to protect it. The lack of them probably means this isn't a Rubicon model, as they're standard equipment on the Rubicon SUV models. If you plan to off-road a Scrambler, they're probably a wise investment. The other weak point is the large hangover from the truck bed. This is an inevitability for having a usable truck bed, especially on a four-door truck. But it means the departure angle is much shallower, thus the tail end is at risk of being dragged and damaged. Looking closely, and it appears that happened with one of the trucks, as the bumper looks angled upward as though it got snagged on a rock or bent after hitting the ground. These aren't risks exclusive to the Jeep Wrangler Scrambler, though. Any pickup truck taken off-road is going to have to contend with these issues. It's the tradeoff of having lots of cargo space and room for people, as opposed to the tidy little box that is the two-door Wrangler SUV. Related Video: