Timeline: A brief history of Jeep

Jeep, the iconic, rugged American brand, has gone through many owners since its origins as a World War Two military vehicle. It is now under the control of Italy's Fiat SpA which is planning a sweeping overhaul of the product range.

Below are some highlights of the vehicle's history.

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1940 - Willys-Overland builds WW Two Jeep prototype

1945 - Willys builds first civilian Jeep

1950 - Willys trademarks Jeep name

1953 - Kaiser Motors acquires Willys

1963 - Name changed to Kaiser-Jeep

1970 - American Motors acquires Kaiser-Jeep

1979 - France's Renault takes stake in AMC

1984 - AMC forms Beijing Jeep joint venture in China

1987 - Chrysler acquires AMC

1998 - Germany's Daimler AG acquires Chrysler

2007 - Cerberus acquires Chrysler

2009 - Fiat takes control of Chrysler

(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; editing by Matthew Lewis)