Jeep Brand Celebrates 85 Years of Unmatched 4×4 Capability and Adventure Leadership With Special Editions

The Jeep brand today celebrates a milestone in its storied history of purpose-built, 4×4 vehicles, marking its 85th anniversary this year. The brand recently kicked off its birthday celebration with the Twelve 4 Twelve product‑drop campaign, beginning with the highly anticipated HEMI‑powered Jeep Wrangler Moab 392, a comeback driven directly by customer demand.

The Twelve 4 Twelve initiative continues throughout 2026 with a new, special-edition Jeep Wrangler debuting once a month. Alongside the Twelve 4 Twelve campaign, the Convoy program rolls out special-edition Gladiator models to honor the most capable and only open-air midsize truck.

“Jeep brand was purpose‑built to do more than move people; it was built for duty before it was built for the adventures our customers experience every day, designed to go anywhere and do anything, without compromise,” said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep brand CEO. “We’ve listened to our customers for 85 years, and that feedback has guided Jeep since the 1941 Willys, the vehicle that set the standard for every Jeep that came after it.”

To commemorate the occasion, the brand today revealed new, special-edition 85th Anniversary editions for Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Grand Wagoneer and Compass. This follows the recent debut of the Wrangler and Gladiator 85th Anniversary editions. Both vehicles are bold nods to Jeep Americana heritage, with plaid taking the spotlight, channeling generations of hardworking tradition, outdoor freedom and classic style for modern adventure.

The exteriors of each 85th Anniversary edition are easily distinguished with Steel Oxide wheel designs and unique badging graphics finished in Agave Blue. On the inside, vehicles receive unique elements, including Mayan Gold thread accents and seat tags finished in Blue Agave and Mayan Gold.

A Legacy Forged in 4×4 Firsts
This ethos of purpose-built resonates through the last 85 years with leadership in capability, technology and industry firsts. This includes the 1949 Willys Wagon, the first utility vehicle in the industry to feature four-wheel drive and an all-steel construction.

Customers quickly grew to appreciate and trust the 4×4 capability, safety and recreation associated with the Jeep brand in the second half of the 20th century, leading to world’s first SUV: the 1963 Jeep Wagoneer.

In 1973, the Jeep brand introduced the innovative Quadra-Trac 4×4 system. Fewer than 10 years later, Jeep created the modern SUV segment with the 1984 Cherokee. In 1993, Jeep brand’s trend-setting nature ushered in the original, premium SUV with the Grand Cherokee.

Today, the Jeep brand remains the only place for true open‑air, off‑road freedom. Backed by 85 years of legendary 4×4 expertise, its innovation and capability power a full lineup of adventure SUVs. Later this year, the brand will launch the world’s first electric Trail Rated SUV: the all‑new Jeep Recon.

For additional insight into the Jeep brand’s storied heritage, visit jeep.com/history.

Timeline
1945: Willys CJ-2A introduced for farming, ranching and other industrial applications

• Fold-down tailgate
• Power take-off unit
• First vehicle to introduce iconic seven slot grille

1949: Willys Wagon introduced as the first all-steel utility vehicle

• First utility vehicle to feature four-wheel drive

1955: Jeep Dispatcher keeps America’s postal service moving
1957: Jeep Forward Control provides U.S. with 4×4 utility pickup to tackle toughest work

• First light-duty forward-control trucks offered in America
• First 4×4 forward-control vehicles

1963: Jeep marries four-wheel drive and passenger-car styling with the world’s first SUV, the Jeep Wagoneer

• Industry first: Four-wheel drive mated to an automatic transmission

1973: Jeep brand introduces innovative Quadra-Trac 4×4 system
1984: Jeep Cherokee becomes first unibody SUV

• First shift-on-the-fly 4WD system with Command-Trac system

1993: Jeep brand sets trends with new Grand Cherokee

• Introduces Quadra-Coil and Quadra-Trac systems, plus a standard airbag

2002: Jeep brand introduces Selec-Trac full-time 4WD
2005: QuadraDrive II with eLSD debuts

• WK-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee

2006: The first SRT-badged Jeep model debuts

• WK-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee

2007: The first four-door Jeep Wrangler debuts
2014: The first Trailhawk-badged model debuts with KL-generation Cherokee
2018: The first Jeep Trackhawk model debuts – the fastest Jeep ever, with a 707-horsepower HEMI V-8
2020: Jeep Gladiator debuts – the first open-air midsize pickup truck

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