As you have probably noticed, we’re delving into historical Jeep brand models over the course of our history (70 years, as of this year!). With this post, we’re shining a light on the famous Jeep CJ-3B.

The 3B was the third generation of our CJ model, and was a significantly more substantial update than the previous CJ-3A’s update over the original CJ-2A. The year it came out, 1953, was an important turning point in our long history as a brand, as it marked the moment that the entire Willys-Overland brand was sold to Henry Kaiser (60 million 1953-dollars, in case you were wondering). This change in ownership resulted a vast broadening of the entire Jeep brand range thanks to an extensive R&D program.

Now, let’s get back to the CJ-3B. This CJ is one of the most classically recognizable Jeep brand vehicles and was in production until 1968 – a good deal longer than the four-year lifespan of the previous two generations. Its new look featured a taller front grill and hood, both necessary changes in order to accommodate the taller valve train of the new four-cylinder engine, the “Hurricane” F-Head.