Jeep Proudly Highlights Its Gladiator Pickup's American-Made Manufacturing Roots
Jeep and its corporate parent are global manufacturers. However, the Jeep Gladiator is one of the most U.S-made automobiles on the market today. How seriously did Jeep take keeping the Gladiator American-made? It branded the Toledo, Ohio area code into the truck's bed.
The "love 419" brand is shown in our image above if you look closely. Jeep loves to hide these types of Easter eggs on its vehicles. This one is meaningful. Jeep takes great pride in the Toledo factory that produces its Wrangler and Gladiator and the stamp proves that. The Toledo plant has been making vehicles for 117 years and employs 6,000 workers.
The Jeep Gladiator isn't just assembled in Toledo. Many of the vehicle's parts are built on-site. And Jeep isn't the only automotive manufacturer in the area. Dana makes the Gladiator's "44" axles in Toledo.
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Jeep builds the Gladiator's engine in Trenton, Michigan. The Toledo and Trenton Jeep plants are just two of the 22 the company presently operates in America.
Jeep sources its transmission for the Gladiator from South Carolina's ZF (pronounced "zed eff"). The ZF plant employs 1,650 people and is one of the largest employers in its area. After the transmission is built, it is then tuned and calibrated by Jeep at the Jeep Auburn Hills Michigan location.
Jeep also uses soft tops made in Acton Massachusetts by Haartz Corporation. Haartz has been making textiles and convertible tops in the U.S. since 1897. The company presently has about 400 employees in Mass.
The tonneau covers Jeep uses are also made in Massachusetts by Haartz, as are some interior accessory components.
When possible, Jeep also uses U.S-based suppliers such as Fox, who provides Jeep with shocks.
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