Wednesday 14th November 1962

The Jeep Wagoneer was introduced. it pioneered the sport utility vehicle concept. Based on a pickup truck chassis with a station wagon body style, the Wagoneer was more carlike than any other 4×4 on the market.[6] Compared with offerings from General Motors, International Harvester, and Land Rover — which were producing utilitarian work-oriented vehicles with spartan truck-like interiors — the Wagoneer’s luxury set it apart. Based on the Jeep SJ platform, the revolutionary Wagoneer sported an advanced overhead cam straight-six engine, and offered features unheard of at the time in any other mainstream 4WD vehicle, such as an independent front suspension, power steering, and automatic transmission.

The Wagoneer made its debut seven years before Land Rover launched its Range Rover in Great Britain, and 24 years before that upscale marque appeared in the US. It was replaced by the smaller Jeep Grand Cherokee.