JEEP CELEBRATES ITS 75-YEAR HISTORY WITH THE WILLYS SALUTE CONCEPT
JEEP CELEBRATES ITS 75-YEAR HISTORY WITH THE WILLYS SALUTE CONCEPT
Posted on May 17, 2023
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Jeep brand, and to celebrate the legendary American automaker is unveiling a concept Jeep model that pays homage to the first Jeep, the military all-terrain vehicle built by Willys-Overland.
Jeep's 75th Anniversary Demands Something Special -- the Willys Salute Concept
The year was 1940, and the U.S. Army was in need of an all-terrain vehicle to help them tackle the battlefields of Europe. Notices were sent out to domestic manufacturers including American Bantam, Willys-Overland and Ford.
In the end, Willys-Overland's vehicle was chosen and would become known as the Jeep. When the war ended, the manufacturer decided to keep producing the Willy-Overland model, offering it to the public as the Jeep CJ starting in 1944. The rest is history. Today, we have the Jeep Wrangler, but the vehicle's design still reminds us of the original CJ, just like the Willys Salute Concept reminds us of the original Willys army vehicle with its green paint, full wheels and missing doors.
Under the body, however, it's all modern with a 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar engine delivering 285 horsepower, and a six-speed manual transmission.
Although Jeep has come into its own as a modern brand, it's always good to remember where we came from.
To learn more about the Jeep brand, contact us today at Amherst Chrysler!