Oldest Continuously Produced Car Model

There’s some question as to what the oldest continuously produced car model might be. Corvette owners want to think it’s the Vette. They’ve been around since 1953. The Ford F-series has been around since 1948. Others think it’s the Chevy Suburban. They’ve been around since 1933, but it’s been in the form of a truck and station wagon and the name has been used by Chevy and Dodge.

You might have to go with Jeep as the longest continuously produced vehicle. And the ones made today aren’t really all that different from the ones first made for the Army in the early 1940s. At the time, Parade magazine called it “a small truck that can do practically everything." The Army had been looking for a fast, lightweight all-terrain vehicle since World War I and the search became urgent when World War II in Europe and North Africa began.

A challenge was issued to automotive companies for a working prototype, fit to army specs. In just 49 days, Willy's Overland Truck Company answered the Army's call. The new truck was christened "the Jeep." Some say it’s short for General Purpose vehicle. General Dwight Eisenhower said that America could not have won World War II without the Jeep.