Why does jeep have 7 slots in the grill

by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief

MOAB, Utah — For pretty much its entire history, you could count on a Jeep vehicle’s front end sporting that seven-slot look that made the vehicle instantly recognizable throughout the world.

Well, it appears that legacy is coming to an end starting with the 2022 model year.

During Wednesday’s concept reveal at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, multiple independent sources confirmed new Jeep owner Stellantis, created following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, will no longer offer a seven-slot front grille on new Jeep vehicles.

”We just learned this in February as the designs came in for the new model year,” said one source who Wednesday approached us in Moab's Walker Drug parking lot — site of the concept roll out. “To say we were surprised is an understatement. We knew Stellantis would want to shake things up once the merger settled, but there are a lot of us who are unhappy about this change”.

”It is simply a part of Jeep history that should have remained untouched”.

According to a rendering we acquired, the grille design will change beginning with the 2022 model year on all trim level Wranglers.

Instead of the traditional seven slots, the rendering shows that Stellantis is closing the front grille area on the Wrangler and incorporating its circular starburst pattern in the center of the grille.

Stellantis said in a statement that it does not comment on any pending vehicle updates.

The brand’s famous seven-slot grille stems back to the early 1940s, with a world at war and the United States military looking for a new truck that would be durable and agile in varying terrains.

Bantam Car Company first brought a prototype to the Army in 1941, and ultimately it was deemed the best design for this new truck. However, the Army felt Bantam was too small a company to supply the amount of vehicles needed. So, it supplied that design to Willys-Overland and Ford, both of whom modified the design before Willys was officially chosen.

Still, so many Jeeps were required that both Willys and Ford (and to a smaller extent Bantam) were given contracts to produce the vehicle. While Willys initially used the same front design that Bantam employed, which looked like an iron fence, Ford’s engineers soon figured out how to create a similar look by using a single piece of stamped steel that had nine elongated holes and would be less expensive.

Following the war, Willys decided to create a civilian version of the Jeep and wanted to trademark that now well-known nine-slot grille face. However, while Willys had the rights to the vehicle, Ford designed and produced the grille.

So, in order to get around that issue, Willys simply took away two of those openings which created the seven-slot look we know today.

Or, that is to say, the look that we used to know as Jeep's face.

”This grille face is something that has identified a Jeep for decades,” said a company source who stopped by our booth Wednesday at the Dixie Off Road Expo. “I don’t believe this is a smart change. And I’m pretty sure everyone else will think the same way once they see it come to life.”

While the 2022 Jeep Wrangler is set to hit showrooms later this year, don’t expect it to have anything else but the traditional seven-slot grille. That’s because everything you read above was made up. As far as we know, there is no way Stellantis would ever mess with the Jeep grille face.

April Fools.

Those seven grille slots are pretty much as significant to the brand as the name Jeep itself.

One thing that is clear, though — Jeep has some pretty significant models embarking to dealerships in the near future.

From the Wrangler 392 to 4xe, to the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, it should be a pretty significant year for Jeep.

Photo Rendering: Alan Close of Apoc Designs

75 years of history, summed up in 10 fun facts

Born in a time when the United States were preparing for war, Jeep is now just one of the brands owned by the Italians from Fiat. But this doesn't diminish in any way the brand's 75 years of history – there's plenty to admire about a car manufacturer that was synonymous with simple, inexpensive yet sturdy off-road vehicles.

And if you think you know everything about Jeep, think again. Here are some less known facts about the brand which you can impress your buddies at a bottle share.

1. Its first name was not Jeep

The ‘Jeep’ could come either from Ford’s GP abbreviation (Government/General Purposes) or from the Eugene the Jeep cartoon character. Most likely, it comes from the military jargon for untested military vehicles. Ah, and the first Bantam-made prototype was named Bantam Reconnaissance Car (BRC), Blitz Buggy, or Old Number One.

2. It took an incredibly short amount of time to finish the first prototype

Blueprints were done by in 2 days and submitted in 5, while the first car was hand-built in less than 60 days. Yeah!

3. Willys did not create the first Jeep

Engineers from American Bantam Car Company created the first Jeep, but Henry Ford’s political ties and Willys-Overland shrewd marketing campaign managed to split the Army contract between the three companies. Eventually, only Willys would keep the Jeep brand, before being bought by other entities.

4. The Jeep grille is, in fact, designed by Ford

It had initially 13, then 9 slots, but was eventually reduced to a 7-slot grill. Jeep stuck with this design ever since. It’s one of the very few major contributions from Ford on the original Jeep.

5. The round recessed headlamps were mounted on hinges for a practical reason

The lamps were designed by Ford engineers to pivot back and light up the engine bay. That’s the second important contribution from Ford to Bantam’s car. Even Marylin Monroe could have handled them.

6. The tank of the original Jeep was placed under the driver. Strategically

Engineers calculated that having the tank in any other part of the car would lead to increased risks of fire and explosion, so they put it under the driver, minimizing the number of "death shot" trajectories available to the enemy. If the driving soldier was hit, they were all dead anyway, so why not? Also, most army Jeep drivers were nuts anyway, so why bother?

7.  The four-wheel drivetrain that brought excellent off-road abilities was not made by any of the three Jeep original manufacturers   

It was made by Spicer Manufacturing, now Dana Holding Corporation. Ah, the same guys that provided the industry's first cruise control on 1958 Chrysler models and the first all-aluminum driveshaft on the 1983 Chevrolet Corvette. The company still produces high-quality parts for current Jeep models.

8. The first Land Rover prototype 'center steer' was built on a Jeep chassis

Because Land Rover’s creator, Maurice Wilks, was a Jeep fan. And he needed a strong technical solution. He got the best one. Meanwhile, all sorts of body types were built on a Jeep chassis, as you can see above.

9. Jeep practically invented the first SUV

Jeep Wagoneer came after the successful Willys Jeep Station Wagon and was, basically, the first luxury 4x4 that could perfectly fit the definition of an SUV, long before the term came into existence. Wagoneer was followed by Jeep Grand Cherokee, the one that truly started the American SUV revolution.

10. 2017 will be the year we’ll finally see a Wrangler Pickup

Nobody knows for sure how this long-awaited car will look like, but our bet is it will sell like hot cakes. And if we’re to remember Jeep’s crazy off-road concepts from this spring, good things await for Pickup and Jeep lovers!    

Do you also have fun facts about Jeep? Join us in the comments.

Our editor at large started writing about cars only after getting a taste for extensive road trips all across Europe, more than ten years ago. Cherishing the road more than the car, he finds it somewhat difficult to fall in love with today's supercars, but will go on talking for hours about n... Read more

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