Jeep Wrangler (1986–today)

American Motors replaced the CJ-7 in 1986 with the Wrangler YJ: the same 93.4-inch wheelbase and body tub with a wider track, a lower stance, rectangular headlamps and the 2.5-litre four or 4.2-litre six. Chrysler bought AMC in 1987 and moved production from Brampton, Ontario to Toledo in 1992. The TJ of 1996 put coil springs on both solid axles, brought back the round headlamps, and in 2003 added the Rubicon with locking differentials and a 4:1 transfer case; the 103.4-inch Unlimited followed in 2004.

The JK of 2006 was a new design: a wider body, the 3.8-litre and then 3.6-litre Pentastar V6s, and a four-door Unlimited on a 116-inch wheelbase that came to account for three-quarters of sales. The JL of 2018 kept the layout with an eight-speed automatic, a 2.0-litre turbo four, a diesel, the 4xe plug-in hybrid and the 6.4-litre Rubicon 392; the Gladiator JT of 2019 is its pick-up. Every Wrangler has been built at the Toledo complex.

4 chapters, 1948 → today

1YJ (1986–1995)1986 – 1995 2TJ and the Unlimited (1996–2006)1996 – 2006 3JK and the four-door (2006–2018)2006 – 2018 4JL and the Gladiator JT (2018–today)2018 – today

194819601975199020052025

11986 – 1995

YJ (1986–1995)

2 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTER

The YJ used the CJ-7’s wheelbase with leaf springs, a track 2.5 inches wider, anti-roll bars and the AMC 2.5-litre four or 4.2-litre six (the fuel-injected 4.0-litre from 1991). About 632,000 were built, at Brampton until 1992 and then Toledo.

Registry records · chapter 1

Wrangler YJ1986–95

Jeep CJ-71976–86

21996 – 2006

TJ and the Unlimited (1996–2006)

1 VEHICLE IN THIS CHAPTER

Coil springs on both axles from the Grand Cherokee ZJ, round headlamps, the 4.0-litre six and a 2.4-litre four from 2003. The Rubicon of 2003 brought Dana 44 axles with lockers and the Rock-Trac 4:1 transfer case; the Unlimited of 2004 stretched the wheelbase to 103.4 inches. Production ended in July 2006.

Registry records · chapter 2

Wrangler TJ1996–2006

32006 – 2018

JK and the four-door (2006–2018)

1 VEHICLE IN THIS CHAPTER

A clean-sheet body on 95.4 and 116-inch wheelbases, the 3.8-litre V6 and from 2012 the 285 hp 3.6-litre Pentastar with a five-speed automatic. The four-door Unlimited made the Wrangler a family vehicle and lifted sales past 200,000 a year in the United States; more than two million JKs were built.

Registry records · chapter 3

Wrangler JK2006–18

42018 – today

JL and the Gladiator JT (2018–today)

1 VEHICLE IN THIS CHAPTER

The JL of November 2017: aluminium doors and bonnet, an eight-speed automatic, a 2.0-litre turbo four beside the Pentastar, a 3.0-litre EcoDiesel, the 4xe plug-in hybrid of 2021 and the 6.4-litre Rubicon 392. The Gladiator JT of 2019 put a five-foot bed on a 137-inch wheelbase. Both are built at Toledo.

Registry records · chapter 4