1989 Jeep Wrangler 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.

2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Alaska Cannonball | At the edge of the Arctic Ocean

Our man Jonathon Ramsey is driving a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on a 14-week, 14,000-mile journey across North America. Check out his first, second, third, and fourth installments. TUKTOYAKTUK, Alaska – The picture above merely hints at the magic turn the Rubicon Alaska Cannonball took after Port Orford, Oregon. The three dramatis personae are Shelby, on the right, an Inuit and Tuktoyaktuk local with a supernova smile, sitting on the hood of her 2014 Wrangler; Jason, a top Canuck who rode his BMW up from the Lake Louise area, takes the middle; I'm on the left, wearing an Inuit parka lent me by Shelby's father, John Steen. The parka, full of snow goose down and lined with wolverine fur, is the nicest piece of winter gear I've ever put on. Any kind of winter gear. Ever. We're effectively in John Steen's back yard, the sun setting on the Arctic Ocean behind us, pingos – earth-covered mounds of ice that Tuk is known for – in the background. I took this picture at the beginning of a long night of laughs, learnin', beer, whale, Northern Lights, extraordinary kindness, more laughs, followed by a long sleep in a man cave garage. But let's pick up right after Oregon. I drove to Seattle to regroup after the Trans-America Trail and visit a Jeep dealer for an oil change, tire rotation and balance, and a thorough inspection. For reasons neither Jeep nor I could understand, the dealer wouldn't do anything more than change the oil. The Jeep rep couldn't make the dealer budge. The punchline: as I left the service department, the service writer I dealt with turned to his colleague and said, "Another happy customer." My head exploded. And then I made an appointment at a Jeep dealer in Fairbanks, Alaska to complete the work. Google said Fairbanks lies 2,145 miles from Seattle. I wanted to be in Fairbanks in three days, so I hit I-5 north determined to chalk up 715 miles. Instead of taking the Alaska-Canada Highway (the AlCan), I turned left at Prince George to take the Cassiar Mountain route, and clocked about 830 miles before pulling into a rest stop in New Hazelton. That first day would be the only one on schedule. I don't know how Canada has managed to keep this a secret, but the western provinces are shockingly gorgeous. One of Canada's tricks: California's 163,707 square miles host 39.5 million people; Canada's 3.855 million square miles house 35.2 million people.

Completely uncovered 2018 Jeep Wrangler reveals evidence for folding windshield

After months of peering through heavy tarps and vinyl wraps, we finally get our very first look at a 2018 Wrangler without any camouflage at all. The photo comes from a user at JL Wrangler Forums, and it seems to show the truck rolling off the assembly line. Unfortunately, the angle isn't great, but it does give us a look at some of the detail changes to the body compared with the previous one. The most noticeable new detail is the vent that sits in a triangular scallop in the front fender. There's also a tumblehome character line running along the doors. Both of these styling features are consistent with leaked images and fan renderings also published by JL Wrangler Forums. The door handles have also changed, and appear to be more conventional pull-to-open pieces rather than the chunky pushbutton handles on the current Wrangler. It seems like the new Wrangler will still embrace open-air motoring, too. The doors retain exposed hinges that seem to be designed with easy removal in mind. Not only that, but we can see styled rubber pads on the hood. These have been featured on Wranglers all through the years to provide a cushion for when the windshield is folded down. So we would expect the windshield on the new Wrangler to be foldable, too. And, of course, this Wrangler has the traditional fabric folding top. We still expect to see the Wrangler make its official debut at the L.A. auto show, with sales beginning soon after. It will offer gasoline V6 and four-cylinder engines to start, with a diesel version coming later. The Wrangler also will likely gain new features including a hardtop with power sliding panels, and a full-time four-wheel-drive system. Related Video: News Source: JL Wrangler ForumsImage Credit: JL Wrangler Forums Spy Photos Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles jeep wrangler jl