The jeep was originally a military vehicle built for the United States Army during World War II, and later produced in a line of civilian models. Although not Jeep-brand vehicles, the term is sometimes used to refer generically to farm or family vehicles such as the Land Rover, International Harvester Scout, Isuzu Trooper, Ford Bronco, and Chevrolet Blazer. This category of vehicles was the root of the SUV era in the 1980s

A road that is only suitable for off-road vehicles is often called a jeep trail. The most famous is perhaps Black Bear Road, made famous in the song of the same name by C.W. McCall.

History. The first prototype was built for the Department of the Army by American Bantam, followed by two other prototypes produced by Ford and Willys-Overland. Quantities of each of the three models were then extensively field-tested with the Willys prototype being chosen for its greater durability and engine power.

The model MB military Jeep was first built in quantity by Willys-Overland Motor Company in Toledo, Ohio. Due to their inability to produce the vast number of vehicles required, the U.S. government also allowed jeeps to be built by Ford Motor Company and designated GPW. Combined production by Willys and Ford during World War II was more than 600,000.

The Jeep was widely copied in countries other than the United States, one version being made in France by Hotchkiss and in the Netherlands by Nekaf. There were several different versions created such as a railway Jeep and an amphibious Jeep. As part of the war effort, Jeeps were supplied to the Soviet Red Army during World War II.

In US military use, the Jeep has largely been supplanted by the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ("Humvee").

A division of DaimlerChrysler, the most recent successor company to Willys, holds trademark status on the word "Jeep" and the distinctive 7-bar front grille design. It is said that the number of people worldwide who can recognize the distinctive Jeep grille is second only to the number who can recognize Mickey Mouse and that the Jeep brand is the most famous brand known worldwide other than Coke.

The mark has gone through many owners, starting in 1941 with Willys, which produced the first Civilian Jeep (CJ). Willys was sold to Kaiser in 1953, which became Kaiser-Jeep in 1963.

American Motors bought the company in 1970. The Chrysler Corporation bought out AMC in 1987, shortly after the Jeep CJ was replaced with the AMC-designed Jeep Wrangler. Finally, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler.

Jeep vehicles are also produced in Beijing, China, by Beijing Jeep Corporation, Ltd., a joint venture between Beijing Automobile Industry Corporation, DaimlerChrysler and DaimlerChrysler China Invest Corporation, established on January 15, 1984.

Jeep vehicles have "model designations" in addition to their common names. Nearly every civilian Jeep has a 'xJ' designation, though not all are as well-known as the classic CJ.

See? So your usual jeep has a story to it.