For this entry in our 70th anniversary blog series, we’re focusing on the Jeep® CJ-5. This is the first vehicle we made with the now-classic rounded front-fender design and softer contours, and it’s instantly recognizable as a Jeep brand vehicle worldwide.

Introduced by parent company Kaiser, the 1955 CJ-5 offered slightly larger dimensions (both in its 81” wheelbase and its overall vehicle length) than its popular little brother, the CJ-3B. Although based on the Korean War M-38A1 military vehicle, the CJ-5 was such a thorough improvement over previous Jeep brand products that it was immediately loved by the general public. This was also thanks in part to a growing interest in off-roading, but the improved interior and seating, along with numerous special editions, definitely played a large role in helping the CJ-5 find loving owners.

In 1965, towards the end of its production run, the CJ-5 received an optional “Dauntless” V6 engine packing a whopping 155 horsepower – massive for its day and nearly double that of the standard four cylinder.

Over the course of its 30-year life (the longest of any Jeep brand vehicle), more than 600,000 CJ-5s were produced. Put all this together and it’s more than likely that the CJ-5 is our reigning off-road champ in terms of sheer miles logged.