Jeep Classic Cars

The longest-running, most iconic civilian Jeep — nearly three decades of continuous production under Kaiser, AMC, and eventually Chrysler ownership.

The direct successor to the original Willys CJ-2A/3A lineage, the CJ-5 refined the classic Jeep formula with a slightly longer wheelbase and rounder styling while retaining the simple, rugged, go-anywhere character that defined the category. Its remarkable 29-year production run — spanning ownership changes from Willys to Kaiser to American Motors — makes it both the most recognizable and most variable Jeep to shop for, since early and late CJ-5s differ substantially in engines, trim, and refinement.

The longer-wheelbase CJ that introduced an automatic transmission option and became the platform Wrangler was built to replace.

The CJ-7 arrived in 1976 alongside the shorter CJ-5, offering a longer wheelbase for more interior room and, for the first time in a CJ, a factory automatic transmission option — genuinely broadening who the Jeep could appeal to beyond dedicated off-roaders. It remained in production alongside the CJ-5 until 1986, when both were replaced by the all-new Wrangler.

Kaiser Jeep's answer to the Ford Bronco and International Scout — a compact SUV built on the CJ chassis.

Introduced in 1966 by Kaiser Jeep, the Commando shared its chassis and drivetrain with the CJ-5 but offered a longer wheelbase and a choice of body styles — roadster, pickup, and wagon — aimed squarely at the same buyers considering a Ford Bronco or International Scout. It's a genuinely less common find today than either competitor, which appeals to collectors looking for something distinct from the more commonly restored CJ line.

The genuine original luxury SUV — real four-wheel-drive capability wrapped in wood-paneled, leather-lined comfort, still the market's reference point today.

The final and most refined evolution of a body style that had remained fundamentally unchanged since 1963, the Grand Wagoneer paired genuine off-road capability with a level of interior comfort and equipment no other 4x4 of the era offered — creating, largely by accident of a long production run rather than deliberate strategy, the template for the modern luxury SUV. Its distinctive simulated-wood body paneling and traditional American full-size proportions have made it one of the strongest and most rapidly appreciating collector vehicles of the last decade.

The direct successor to the CJ-7 — modernized underneath, but built to keep the same open-top, removable-door formula alive.

The Wrangler replaced the CJ-7 in 1987, addressing real safety and handling criticisms of the CJ line (a widened track and revised suspension geometry, in particular) while deliberately keeping the open-top, removable-door, fold-down-windshield format that defined the Jeep experience for decades. It remains in production today essentially unchanged in concept.