| Patriot ▷ | from $16,195 |
| Compass ▷ | from $18,695 |
| Wrangler ▷ | from $22,395 |
| Cherokee ▷ | from $22,995 |
| Wrangler Unlimited ▷ | from $26,195 |
| Grand Cherokee ▷ | from $29,395 |
When the U.S. realized that it would need to enter WWII in Europe, it asked companies to design a vehicle with four-wheel drive that could be used for reconnaissance. Only two companies responded. The company with the best design, American Bantam Car Company, failed to incorporate an engine that met the torque requirements of the Army. Somehow, the second company, Willys-Overland, seemed to have had access to the designs of American Bantam and used them to create a prototype meeting the Army requirements.
The project was awarded to Willys, but since the order was large, the Army requested Ford also build the models. Ford’s “Pygmy” was manufactured as model GPW, and Willys’ “Quad” was model MB. Even American Bantam manufactured a couple thousand under the name “BRC-40.” In 1941, Willys made its “Jeep” available to the general public.
Kaiser took over Willys in 1953 and became Kaiser-Jeep in 1963, which sold itself to American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1973 because of its unprofitable business model. The French carmaker, Renault, invested in AMC in 1979, but the face of the auto industry was rapidly changing. Chrysler ended up buying AMC in 1987 right after the Jeep Wrangler was released. By 1998, Chrysler and merged with Daimler-Benz and became DaimlerChrysler taking the Jeep with it. In 2009, Chrysler required a government bailout and was purchased by Fiat.
Jeep has the tenth worst brand perception out of all vehicles. It solely produces four-wheel drive SUVs based on its military vehicle design. Some of the more successful models are the Wrangler, the Cherokee, and the Grand Cherokee.
Fiat’s CEO is the head of all Chrysler brands, and Jeep is subject to Chrysler’s Board of Directors. This consists of 8 Directors with 23 chief officers, presidents, vice-presidents, and heads of the Chrysler brands, including Jeep, under them.
In 2013, Jeep sold 731,000 vehicles globally. In the U.S., they increased their sales by 3% during that year, selling 500,000 vehicles here.
Last updated in May 2014. All prices were taken from the manufacturer's website. They're typically suggested retail prices (MSRPs) excluding tax, delivery, title, registration, license, dealer fees and optional equipment.
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