As part of our blog series highlighting all of our various models over the years, we’re going to take a look at the Jeep® Gladiator pickup truck.

One of the longest-lasting pickup trucks we’ve ever made, the Gladiator debuted in 1963 and was in production until 1987 (albeit with a 1972 name change that lost the “Gladiator,” making it simply “J-Series”). The Gladiator was introduced in two configurations: the 120″ J-200 and the 126″ J-300. Both featured a Dana 20 transfer case and Dana 44s for both front and rear axles, and were offered with either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

We also offered them with various box layouts, including the popular Thriftside narrow box and Townside wide box designs. Although it had quite a comfortable ride and interior, this was still a rugged workhorse of a vehicle, and it quickly found a home among blue-collar workers across the country.