When a brand has lasted for as long as Jeep has, you can bet that it has left more than just a trail of history. Even better, it has likely left, in its amazing wake, a collection of stories to be uncovered and enjoyed by generations to come. Celebrating its 80th year is not simply about boasting of its legacy. Rather, it is making history anew and turning the page into a fresh decade.

Having started as a military service vehicle in 1941, Jeep was not always known as Jeep. In fact, true to its calling, it was first dubbed as a “General Purpose” vehicle, with the acronym GP. But say it five times fast and before the world could blink, the brand as we know it today was born.

Since then, Jeep has expanded its product offering and evolved into producing some of the most iconic premium 4x4 SUVs in the world. This started in 1945 with the Willys-Jeep, the first of the Jeep CJ (Civilian Jeep) models that were an indirect progression from the wartime era. Today, the brand has kept true to its utilitarian roots by ensuring that each vehicle that rolls off the line remains functional and supportive of an adventurer’s lifestyle and ever-changing taste.

While most SUVs on the market have adopted an almost-similar design concept, Jeep remains consistent with what made it an icon, in the first place. You can tell a Jeep apart from other vehicles from a mile away just by spotting the legendary seven-slot grille that has remained remarkably unchanged over the decades. Perhaps because it stands for the Jeep being the first vehicle to have set wheels on all seven continents or because there are seven directions in which a Jeep vehicle can take you. Whatever it is, as man’s curiosity drives him to keep exploring, Jeep is determined to be the partner that will keep inspiring him to push his limits.

There lies the constant — man. Just as the first Jeep vehicle was created to help man survive through one of history’s most critical and devastating eras, it is still for the modern man that Jeep continues to thrive. The past 80 years is a testament as to how the brand has endured to provide humanity with the means to break boundaries, push farther, and have the freedom to go wherever his imagination takes him. Man, in fact, is the inspiration behind the Jeep brand, just as the brand strives to be an inspiration for man to keep dreaming.

After all, owning a Jeep is not just about owning a vehicle. It is about owning and living a lifestyle that has seen history unfold and continues share that same sense of adventure and exploration. It’s a Jeep thing and it is all owed to you.