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Jeep Celebrates 75th Anniversary With Wrangler Concept, Reminds Us of Willys MB

Jeep is commemorating its 75th Anniversary this year, and what a better way to do it than with a salute to the original military vehicles that started the brand?
Jeep Wrangler 75th Salute Edition 1 photo
Photo: Jeep
We are talking about the Willys-Overland Motor Company’s MB, the model which became a legend for its service in World War II, as well as numerous military actions that followed.

The American brand has decided to celebrate its heritage by announcing a concept car based on the Wrangler exactly 75 years after it was awarded a contract by the U.S. Government to build the first Willys MB.

The result is called Jeep Wrangler 75th Salute concept, and it will be assembled in Toledo, Ohio. We are referring to the same factory that has produced the Wrangler for decades. The concept vehicle is based on a Wrangler Sport model with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Jeep has revealed the Wrangler 75th Salute Concept in the form of a single image, but we expect the brand to release a full photo set soon. The concept vehicle will blend heritage design cues with rugged functionality, as a salute (pun intended) to the original Willys MB, which was all-function, but created some of the brand’s design cues.

You do not have to look too far to see the connection between a Wrangler and the Willys MB, and the link is best seen at the front grille. The round headlights do help, truth be told. Naturally, Jeep has decided to paint the concept car in the same shade of green as the one used by the U.S. Military.

Features of the concept vehicle will include hood latches, military non-directional tires (32-inch) fitted to 16-inch steel wheels, steel front and rear bumpers with tow hooks, a rear-mounted spare tire, and black canvas seats with a low profile.

The original model also had a fold-down windshield, but this will not be featured on the Wrangler 75th Anniversary. The steel bumpers will not allow Jeep to make a production model based on this concept because of modern safety regulations.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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