Even Jeep isn't sure how its name came to be -- it's not even close to Willys-Overland, the original name of the company. Some think the term resulted from the slurring of the letters GP, the U.S. Army's abbreviation for General Purpose, referring to the Willys Quad that became the Army's standard vehicle. Others believe it was a nickname taken from Eugene the Jeep, a popular character from the Popeye cartoon strip.
No matter how and where it originated, the name Jeep stuck. Willys trademarked it after World War II ended, and moved forward to build civilian off-road utility vehicles.
This gallery focuses on civilian Jeep trucks, beginning with mid-1940s era models. Truck production ended years ago (with the Jeep Comanche in 1992), but recent Jeep concepts (the Gladiator and the JT) have made Jeep enthusiasts hopeful that the automaker is finally ready to build a new pickup.
Pictures of Classic Jeeps, including the Quad, from 1940 - 1987.
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