Willys was a famous United States auto manufacturer which introduced the concept of the Military Jeep during World War II. The company got its start in 1909, when a man named John North Willy took over another company called the Standard Wheel Company. During the 1910s, Willys became the second most powerful automobile manufacturer in the United States. Only Ford Motor Company sold more units.

That said, whereas Ford continued to grow and innovate throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Willys began to flounder. By 1936, Willys was just one of many relatively undistinguished U.S. automakers. Fortunately, the Department of the Army chose the company to help with the quick production of important military lightweight trucks.

In 1941, Willys began to assemble and mass-produce the MBs. During the first year of production, almost 9,000 of these vehicles were made. By the time World War II was over, the company had manufactured more than 359,000 MB vehicles, which were described as General-Purpose trucks. 'General Purpose truck' got shortened to 'GP' which itself got shortened to the word 'Jeep.'

Thanks to the massive success of the Military Jeep, Willys launched a civilian Jeep version. The CJ 2A was basically the military MB minus a few overtly militaristic features, such as blackout lighting. At first, the CJ 2A met with apathy from the general public. People didn't know what to do with it--nothing like the CJ 2A had ever been marketed. It didn't take long for consumers to wise up, however. In 1946, vehicle sales went through the roof, partially since the CJ 2A was one of the only vehicles 'fresh from the factory' which offered four-wheel-drive. In 1947, Willys released its very first Jeep utility truck. Eventually Willys Overland, Jeepster and Pickup models all caught the public's fancy.