# Jeep CJ
The Jeep CJ (Civilian Jeep) is a line of compact four-wheel-drive vehicles produced from 1945 to 1986 as the civilian counterpart of the wartime [Willys MB](https://www.edgepedia.org/willys-mb) military jeep, beginning with the CJ-2A and ending with the CJ-7 and CJ-8.[1](https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/08/04/motor/1407145424_573535.html) • [2](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf) The line ran for more than 40 years, from 1945 to 1986, under successive owners of the Jeep brand, and was replaced by the [Jeep Wrangler](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeep-wrangler).[3](https://www.media.stellantis.com/br-es/jeep/press/primer-jeep-civil-cj-2a-cumple-75-anos) • [4](https://www.jeep.com.sg/en/history/1980s.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | CJ stands for "Civilian Jeep"[1](https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/08/04/motor/1407145424_573535.html) |
| First model | CJ-2A, produced from 1945 as the first civilian Jeep vehicle[2](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf) |
| Production span | 1945 to 1986, more than 40 years[3](https://www.media.stellantis.com/br-es/jeep/press/primer-jeep-civil-cj-2a-cumple-75-anos) |
| Longest-running model | CJ-5, produced for 30 years until 1983[5](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history) |
| CJ-7 wheelbase | 237 cm (93.5 in), versus 212 cm (83.5 in) for the CJ-5[5](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history) |
| Successor | Jeep Wrangler (YJ), introduced in 1986 after the CJ series was discontinued[4](https://www.jeep.com.sg/en/history/1980s.html) |
## Origins: from military jeep to farm tool
The civilian transformation of the wartime jeep began in 1942, when two standardized military jeeps, one Willys and one Ford, were tested by the [United States Department of Agriculture](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-department-of-agriculture) at its tillage lab in Alabama.[6](https://www.motortrend.com/features/1507-the-oldest-restored-civilian-jeep) The CJ-2, initially dubbed the AGRIJEEP, a name Willys trademarked, was the pilot model of the CJ-2A and the first jeep built from the ground up for civilian use; the CJ-2s were intended for agricultural and commercial use.[6](https://www.motortrend.com/features/1507-the-oldest-restored-civilian-jeep) • [7](https://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Jeep-Models.pdf)
The CJ-2A entered production in 1945 as the first civilian Jeep vehicle and was heavily based on the MB military jeep; a large percentage of CJ-2As were used for farm work.[2](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf) • [8](https://jeep-cj.com/community/wiki/civilian/) The vehicle was marketed as the "Universal Jeep," equipped with four-wheel drive and a transfer case to provide extra traction and a low gear ratio for difficult terrain and low-speed pulling power for industrial and agricultural use.[9](https://cj3apage.com/index/Tech_Tips/operation_and_care_manual/Manual%20Getting%20Startedl.htm)
## The early models: CJ-2A, CJ-3A, and CJ-3B
The CJ-2A was built from 1945 to 1949.[2](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf) The CJ-3B followed in 1953, when the model was modernized with a higher hood and grille to house the new Willys Hurricane F-head engine; it was built from 1953 to 1968 on an 80-inch wheelbase, with 155,494 sold in the United States.[10](https://www.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl/jeep/press/historia-pojazd%C3%B3w-marki-jeep%C2%AE) • [11](https://classiccarsarena.com/magazine/features/jeepcj-the-jeep-cj-story)
One prototype did not reach production: the CJ-4, which Willys passed over in favor of the CJ-3B; the sole CJ-4 was sold to a factory employee.[7](https://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Jeep-Models.pdf)
## CJ-5 and CJ-6
The CJ-5, on a 2,057 mm wheelbase, and the long-wheelbase CJ-6, on a 2,565 mm wheelbase, formed the core of the line through the 1950s and 1960s.[10](https://www.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl/jeep/press/historia-pojazd%C3%B3w-marki-jeep%C2%AE) In 1965 a new "Dauntless" V-6 engine appeared as an option for both models, producing 157 hp DIN (about 115 kW), nearly twice the output of the standard four-cylinder engine.[10](https://www.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl/jeep/press/historia-pojazd%C3%B3w-marki-jeep%C2%AE) The CJ-6 kept the CJ-5 powertrain, the F-head 134, but rode on a wheelbase a full 20 inches longer, with sheet-metal inserts ahead of the rear wheel openings.[12](https://www.cjclub.co.il/files/jeepengines.pdf)
## CJ-7 and CJ-8: the final generation
The CJ-7, introduced in 1976, was the first major change in Jeep design in 20 years.[5](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history) • [2](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf) It rode on a 237 cm (93.5 in) wheelbase, described as a compromise between the CJ-5 and the CJ-6, and its base engine made 105 horsepower.[5](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history) • [7](https://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Jeep-Models.pdf) • [13](https://www.iseecars.com/compare/jeep-cj__7-vs-jeep-wrangler) The CJ-7 and the CJ-5 were built side by side until 1983, when demand for the larger CJ-7 led AMC to discontinue the CJ-5 after its 30-year production run.[5](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history)
Mechanically, most CJs used Dana 18, Dana 20, or Dana 300 transfer cases; the Spicer 18 is credited as the transfer case that started the four-wheel-drive revolution, and the CJ-7 commonly carried the Dana 300.[14](https://jeep-cj.com/community/wiki/transfercases/)
## End of the line and legacy
AMC recorded record sales in the 1980s and discontinued the CJ series, introducing the all-new [Jeep Wrangler (YJ)](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeep-wrangler-yj) in 1986 to replace the long-lived line.[4](https://www.jeep.com.sg/en/history/1980s.html) The CJ family of compact all-terrain vehicles had been built and sold across more than 40 years, from 1945 to 1986.[3](https://www.media.stellantis.com/br-es/jeep/press/primer-jeep-civil-cj-2a-cumple-75-anos) The line later evolved into the Wrangler, which remains in production.[1](https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/08/04/motor/1407145424_573535.html)
Among collectors, condition and documentation move prices furthest on the CJ-8, the pickup-bodied variant of the final CJ generation.[11](https://classiccarsarena.com/magazine/features/jeepcj-the-jeep-cj-story)
## References
1. [Los padres del automóvil, El País](https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/08/04/motor/1407145424_573535.html)
2. [Jeep Heritage | History (PDF)](https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/gsmcontent/images/JeepHeritage/JeepHeritage-LoRes.pdf)
3. [Primer Jeep civil, CJ-2A cumple 75 años, Stellantis Media](https://www.media.stellantis.com/br-es/jeep/press/primer-jeep-civil-cj-2a-cumple-75-anos)
4. [Jeep History in the 1980s, Jeep Singapore](https://www.jeep.com.sg/en/history/1980s.html)
5. [Jeep History, Stellantis Media](https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/jeep-history)
6. [The Oldest Restored Civilian Jeep, MotorTrend](https://www.motortrend.com/features/1507-the-oldest-restored-civilian-jeep)
7. [The first civilian version of the military-inspired short-wheelbase Jeep, '42-'86 (PDF)](https://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Jeep-Models.pdf)
8. [Civilian, Jeep-CJ.com wiki](https://jeep-cj.com/community/wiki/civilian/)
9. [CJ2A Operation and Care Manual](https://cj3apage.com/index/Tech_Tips/operation_and_care_manual/Manual%20Getting%20Startedl.htm)
10. [Historia pojazdów marki Jeep, Stellantis Media](https://www.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl/jeep/press/historia-pojazd%C3%B3w-marki-jeep%C2%AE)
11. [The Jeep CJ Story: 1945 to 1986, Full History, Classic Cars Arena](https://classiccarsarena.com/magazine/features/jeepcj-the-jeep-cj-story)
12. [Jeep History 13 (engines), CJ Club](https://www.cjclub.co.il/files/jeepengines.pdf)
13. [Jeep CJ-7 vs. Jeep Wrangler, iSeeCars](https://www.iseecars.com/compare/jeep-cj__7-vs-jeep-wrangler)
14. [Transfer Cases, Jeep-CJ.com wiki](https://jeep-cj.com/community/wiki/transfercases/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › American automobile models › SUVs and crossovers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license