The first civilian Jeep CJ-2A went on sale in 1945.
Willys-Overland developed the CJ-2A from the wartime Willys MB, adapting the military four-wheel-drive vehicle for farms, industry, and civilian transportation. “CJ” stood for “Civilian Jeep,” and the model was marketed as the “Universal Jeep” and “All-Around Farm Work-Horse.”
The CJ-2A was not simply an MB with a new badge. Civilian versions added a tailgate, larger flush-mounted headlights, an external fuel filler, and a side-mounted spare tire. It retained the familiar 134-cubic-inch “Go Devil” four-cylinder engine and rugged four-wheel-drive layout.
A common mix-up is confusing the CJ-2A with the wartime MB or with the earlier CJ-1 and CJ-2 prototypes. Those earlier vehicles helped establish the concept, but the CJ-2A was the first full-production civilian CJ. Production continued through 1949, before the CJ-3A succeeded it.