Who Owns Jeep?

Above, my 1952 Willys Jeep M38A1 in Six Mile Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, I was perusing around the Internet on what news, if any, has surfaced concerning Jeep.

I stumbled on an article posted by TopSpeed with the title, "Who Owns Jeep?" Curious, I took a look and found it interesting.

It begins with:

Answering the question of who owns the Jeep brand should be pretty straightforward, and in a way, it is: Stellantis is the current owner. However, who Stellantis is and how Jeep came under the auto group's umbrella is a complex tale with more twists and turns than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Well, one of his good movies, anyway. Jeep vehicles have always been popular, but for whatever reason, the brand has been sold over and over again, with 10 different companies owning it.

Starting out as a humble general-purpose military vehicle during WWII, the Jeep really hasn't changed that much from a design perspective. A 2024 Jeep Wrangler is not radically different from a 1945 Willys-Overland CJ, and that's because the utilitarian design is both exceptionally cool and timeless. The Jeep brand branched out into other segments with SUVs, crossovers, and trucks, but the CJ/Wrangler is the star that has carried the automaker for over 80 years.

In its journey from soldier to 4x4 superstar, the Jeep has shared the road with the AMC Pacer, Dodge Viper, Mercedes-Benz SL500, Fiat 500, and Maserati MC20. Since the history of Jeep ownership is a bit like a thriller, this story has some darkness as well. Every company that has acquired the Jeep brand eventually faced financial difficulties, leading some to speculate about the "Jeep Curse." The reality is, Jeep keeps changing hands because it is a dynamite brand that is often copied, but never equaled.

To read the full article, go here.