Toledo auto workers cheered when the first 1993-model Jeep Wranglers rolled off the assembly line In July 1992. It was a proud moment and a victorious return for a descendant of the original Toledo-made, World War II-era Jeep. Workers had gone through a tumultuous couple of years at the plant. Chrysler announced it would discontinue production of the Grand Wagoneer in early 1991 and close the plant, laying off 1,000 workers. That summer, they announced they would reopen the plant and move production of the Wrangler from Brampton, Ontario, to Toledo. The first Wranglers rolled off the line a year later. In this 1992 Blade archive photo, Gov. George Voinovich, left and Bernard Robertson, a Jeep official, drive the second Wrangler off the line over a log and hay-strewn incline at the plant. Keeping Jeep in Toledo hit another bump in 1996 when Chrysler announced plans to move production within a 50-mile radius of Toledo. A $280 million incentive package and enthusiastic “Keep Jeep” campaign kept Jeep in town. Another move in 2014 to end Wrangler production in 2014 also was stalled by financial incentives. Go to thebladevault.com/memories to purchase more historical photos taken by our award-winning staff of photographers, past and present, or to purchase combinations of stories and photos.
