Willys (Willys-Overland) Willys Jeep Station Wagon History
Catalog record
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History
Introduced in 1946 and styled by industrial designer Brooks Stevens, the Willys Jeep Station Wagon was the first mass-produced all-steel station wagon — replacing the wood-bodied 'woodie' wagons of the era with shallow-draw steel pressings that could be stamped by outside suppliers and even painted to mimic wood. It used the jeep's 'Go Devil' four-cylinder running gear.
A four-wheel-drive option arrived in 1949; from then the 2WD car was sold as the 'Station Wagon' and the 4WD as the 'Utility Wagon,' arguably foreshadowing the modern SUV. Over 300,000 were built in the US.
US production ran through 1964 (some leftover units titled as 1965s) before the Willys wagon was superseded by the Jeep Wagoneer, which had launched for 1963. The design lived on far longer overseas, built in Brazil into the 1970s.
Generations
Rear-wheel drive · Station Wagon (2WD)
The original all-steel two-wheel-drive wagon and panel delivery on the 'Go Devil' four; the Brooks Stevens body that pioneered the all-steel station wagon.
Four-wheel drive · Utility Wagon (4x4)
Added 4WD in 1949, marketed as the 'Utility Wagon' — an early forerunner of the sport-utility vehicle.
Body styles
- Station wagon
- Panel delivery
Related models
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