1908 - John North Willys buys the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company.
1912 - John North Willys renames the Willys Overland Division to Willys-Overland Motor Company.
1936 - Coming out of bankruptcy following the Great Depression, the company is reorganized as Willys-Overland Motors, Inc.
1940 - Working from a Bantam Car Company design, Willys contracts to build military Jeeps for the war and produces about 360,000 vehicles by 1945.
1945 - Willys-Overland begins producing the Civilian Jeep (CJ) line, with the introduction of the CJ2A model.
1946 - Production begins on the Willys Jeep Wagon .
1947 - Production begins on the Willys Jeep Truck .
1948 - Production begins on the Willys Jeepster.
1949 - CJ3A is introduced.
1949 - Willys Wagons become available with 72 horsepower motor, and four wheel drive – thus creating the first “sport utility vehicle”.
1952 - Willys CJ3B Jeeps go into production, with a raised hood to accomodate a taller “F” head engine with 25% more horsepower.
1953 - Kaiser buys Willys-Overland and changes name to Willys Motor Company.
1954 - CJ5 debuts at the start of its three-decade run.
1954 - Four wheel drive versions of the Willys Wagons and Trucks are now available with the “Super Hurricane” motor.
1956 - Kaiser-Jeep announces the FC-150 , a “cab-forward” style pickup truck based on the CJ5 chassis.
1956 - Kaiser-Jeep announces the CJ6. Based on the CJ5 are produced between 1956 and 1983.
1957 - Kaiser-Jeep announces the FC-170, smiliar to the FC-150 but with a 103.5 wheelbase and L-head 6 cylinder engine.
1963 - Company changes name to Kaiser -Jeep corporation.
1965 - Kaiser-Jeep discontinues production of Willys wagons and trucks, retiring the Willys name with the line.
1970 - American Motors Corporation takes over Kaiser-Jeep.
1972 - CJ5 wheelbase is lengthened to accomodate the AMC straight six engine.
1975 - Willys-Overland resurrected as a wholesale/retail parts business.
1987 - American Motors is purchased by the Chrysler Corporation.
1998 - Daimler-Benz merges with Chrysler Corporation to form DaimlerChrysler, the fifth largest auto maker in the world.
1998 - Willys-Overland Motors started marketing its “Repli-Tub” replacement body…a true bolt-on replacement for both military and civilian Jeeps built from 1941-1986
2001 - After 60+ years building Jeeps in the same plant, DaimlerChrysler built a new assembly facility just two miles north on I-75… still in Toledo, of course
2001 - The last Cherokee rolled off the assembly line…
2002 - Replaced (supposedly) by the Liberty (KJ)
2006 - The Jeep Commander (XK) was introduced. And already, in 2007, making news of its possible discontinuation.
2007 - A busy year…The completely redesigned Wrangler (JK) is introduced in both a two door, and for the first time ever, four door versions.
2007 - Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass (both MK) also make their first appearance
2007 - DaimlerChrysler sells an 80% stake in the Chrysler division to Cerberus Capital for a mere $7.4 Billion, creating Chrysler LLC
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