On June 7, 1941, the U.S. Army received its first shipments of the Willys MA, the rugged 4x4 vehicle that came to be called the “jeep.” This predecessor to today’s Jeep® Wrangler would prove so vital to the war effort that General Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed that we could not have won WW II without it.

One can only imagine what Ike might have said had there been seven Jeep vehicle models at his disposal.

“The seven Jeep models in our lineup today are the most available to retail consumers at one time in the 66-year history,” said John Plecha, Director – Jeep Marketing and Global Communications. “With the introduction of the all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty mid-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV), Jeep offers customers the freshest, most capable and widest range of sport-utility vehicles under one brand in the industry, bar none.”

The expansion of the Jeep brand began in 2005 when the Jeep Commander – the first Jeep vehicle with seven-passenger seating – was introduced as a 2006 model. (It shares its platform with the Grand Cherokee, a descendent of the Wagoneer and the legendary Grand Wagoneer.) Three vehicles debuted in 2006 as 2007 models: the redesigned Jeep Wrangler two-door, the icon of the brand … the all-new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, the first-ever four-door Wrangler … and the all-new Jeep Compass. In late 2006, production also began on the all-new Jeep Patriot. A 3.0-liter diesel is now available in the 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a first for the full-size SUV segment. Also available in that vehicle is a flex-fuel-capable 4.7-liter V-8 engine, which can use 85 percent concentration of ethanol (E85).

The new-from-the-ground-up 2008 Jeep Liberty stays true to the brand’s core values of freedom, authenticity, mastery and the capability to go anywhere. The Liberty’s redesigned exterior takes on a more rugged, classic Jeep look. On-road ride and handling have been improved and refined with the new independent front suspension, new five-link rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Jeep Liberty also has an industry first: the new Sky Slider™ full open canvas roof, which gives it that “Only in a Jeep” open-air experience.

The all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty offers two Jeep Trail Rated® four-wheel-drive systems: Command-Trac® and the all-new Selec-Trac® II. Jeep Trail Rated is a unique methodology used by Jeep Engineering to measure and predict off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles today and into the future. Through a combination of natural and controlled field tests, Jeep Trail Rated provides a consistent measurement of off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles. Only Jeep vehicles are Trail Rated.

The Jeep brand’s legendary 4x4 heritage has made it one of the most recognized brands in the world. International sales in 2006 grew 2 percent, to 85,591 units, compared to 2005. Global sales in 2006 were more than 595,000 units.

In addition to global brand awareness, Jeep vehicles have also produced some of the most passionate owners in the automotive industry. Some can be identified by their ownership of multiple Jeep vehicles. Some can be identified by their regular attendance at Camp Jeep and Jeep Jamborees, the family-oriented, owner-only, weekend off-road driving events held across the country every year. Some can be identified by their abundance of Jeep gear – branded products from clothing to baby strollers – that is available at Jeep.com and retail stores. They all have one common trait: the ability to go anywhere and do anything in their Jeep vehicles.