THE MOST ICONIC OFF-ROADERS OF ALL TIME

These classics have been part of millions of epic adventures. Still, every conversation around offroad-ready beauties will have these names feature prominently

- Dhiram Shah

THE WILLYS JEEP CJ-2A is the world's first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive car, arguably making it the first production SUV in the world. Some of the most prominent modern SUVS are directly or indirectly related to the Willys Jeep, including the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Mahindra Thar. Its story can be traced back to the early 1940s when WillysOverland was one of the two main manufacturers of the World War II military Jeep.

By 1944, Willys considered designing a Jeep for the post-war civilian market as the wartime production of military Jeep started to wind down, which ultimately led to the birth of the Civilian Jeep (CJ). After building several iterations, Willy finally introduced the CJ-2A as its first full-production civilian model. The CJ-2A was largely the same as its military counterparts as many of the early units were produced using the remaining stock of the military jeep components. More than two lakh units of the Willys CJ-2A were built between 1945 and 1949 before it was replaced by an updated CJ-3A model. Although it has been more than 70 years since the last CJ-2A rolled off the production floor, the iconic off-roader's design continues to be an inspiration for SUVs up to this day.

MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS

THE legendary Mercedes-Benz G-Class, colloquially called the G-Wagen, needs no introduction. Originally developed as a no-nonsense military vehicle, the G-Class has transformed into an uber-luxurious SUV over the last four-plus decades of its existence. Yet its exterior design and its off-road capabilities have not been diluted over the years.