Jeep celebrated its 75th birthday recently by commemorating the military vehicle that started it all. Unveiled at the automaker’s in Toledo, Ohio was the Jeep Wrangler 75th Salute concept, which is based on a Wrangler Sport and modified to mimic the Willys MB.
Jeep says its birth date falls on July 15, 1941, which is when it officially received a government contract to produce the Willys MB. The initial order called for 18,000 units priced at $749 a pop. Making the Wrangler look like the historic military Willys MB was a pretty simple job. Mods includes dark green paint, 16-inch steel wheels wrapped in non-directional tires, steel front and rear bumpers, and canvas seats. The doors and B-pillars are absent, just like in the historic Jeep. The concept is powered by 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 mated to a six-speed manual.
The Salute concept is obviously far from production spec so Jeep says it’ll keep it as a show car. That said, you can get your hands on the Wrangler 75th Anniversary Edition, which was unveiled earlier this year and pays tribute to the original Willys. The special edition Wrangler sports exclusive “Sarge” green paint, commemorative badging, and bronze accents.
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