NOW & THEN

Seventy years is a long time. Few vehicles can date their lineage back that far. Fewer still can trace back anything more than a few signature design cues. Then there’s Jeep and the iconic Wrangler, which can draw a direct line in the sand of Omaha Beach back to World War II military vehicles and the civilian SUVs they inspired.

Pulling a 1945 Willys-Overland CJ-2A from FCA’s heritage collection and lining it up against a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a humbling experience for the homage the current JL pays to its past.

As MotorTrend celebrates its 70th anniversary, we take you on a bit of a walkaround of two Jeeps, both built in Toledo but 73 years apart. We hope you’re as pleasantly surprised by this tale of morphing as we are.

Quick history recap: The original