We have a long history of building go-anywhere pickup trucks, and while you may best remember our Jeep® Comanche built between 1986 and 1992, we got started long before that model hit the streets. In 1947, Willys-Overland debuted its Willys pickup truck that served up everything that a farmer or laborer could want without much else. Buyers could have their truck with a pickup bed or a stake bed, or they could even take home a bare chassis if they liked depending on their needs.

The Willys pickup was available in either two-wheel or four-wheel drive. Over the course of its long run, multiple engines and transmissions showed up on the order sheet, though the vehicle’s design changed very little from the time that it arrived until it was phased out in 1967. With as often as we change vehicle generations, it’s hard to fathom a single model soldiering on for 17 years.

We’re digging through our archives for our 70th anniversary celebration, and more posts are on the way. Stay tuned.