Gladiator

The Gladiator nameplate first appeared on Jeep’s full-size pickup trucks for the 1963 model year, when the brand launched the new J-series truck line. Those original Gladiators were closely related to the Wagoneer and remained in production through the late 1960s before the Gladiator name was dropped in 1971, after which the pickups continued as J-Series trucks until 1987. Jeep revived the Gladiator name for a modern midsize pickup that returned for the 2020 model year, creating a second, separate production period after a 32-year absence. The revived truck brought the nameplate back into Jeep’s lineup as a body-on-frame, open-bed utility vehicle aimed at buyers who wanted Jeep’s off-road character in pickup form. Because the nameplate has appeared in two distinct eras, its history spans both the original full-size truck and the modern pickup revival.