TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Thousand gathered in Downtown Toledo on Saturday to celebrate Toledo's most iconic brand that has been part of the city's fabric now for 75 years.
Long before it was one of America's favorite off road vehicles, Jeep was making an impact on the world's stage.
"You've got to remember this was launched as a military vehicle, this was the workhorse that basically won World War II, both in Asia and in Europe. That's how it all started. They needed a military vehicle that was tough rugged and could go anywhere. It got built in a tough rugged go anywhere kind of town," said Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken.
While it has remained tough and rugged, Jeep has adapted to the times.
With award winning SUVs and countless other models whose only battle is rush hour traffic, a lot has changed.
But one thing hasn't changed.
"When you think about who's owned and operated that plant over the 75 years. The Germans, the French, the Italians, the Chryslers, the Americans, a hedge fund company owned it for a while. But there's one constant theme: a great product coming out of a Toledo factory built by Toledo workers. And in every one of those corporations we had the highest quality for production standards," said Gerken.
So, Saturday wasn't just a celebration of a vehicle, but also a city, and the 75 years that shaped them both.
