The Jeep® brand has been around for seven decades, with 2011 marking our 70th anniversary. We’ve decided to create this blog series to look back at our history and review all our models one-by-one.

The Jeep CJ-6 was introduced for 1956, and was in production for just under 20 years. It was essentially identical to the classic CJ-5, just stretched by a massive 20 inches. This longer 101” wheelbase added substantial cargo space to the vehicle and was our answer to the endless requests for a roomier vehicle.

In 1965, the CJ-6 benefited from the same “Dauntless” V6 engine as the CJ-5, which meant a tremendous 155 horsepower (practically double that of the base engine) was now on tap for those who opted for it. This quest for power took another step forward in 1973, when parent company AMC shoved a 304-cubic-inch V8 (or the optional 360-cubic-inch) under the hoods of all CJ models. AMC also improved the rest of the vehicle by equipped heavier axles, bigger brakes and a wider track.

The CJ-6, while loved by the people in need of the extra space, was a relatively slow seller, moving just 50,172 units over the course of its two-decade life. It wouldn’t be until the early ‘80s that we introduced another long-wheelbase variant (the Scrambler).