The Jeep Wrangler YJ is the first generation of Jeep Wrangler four-wheel drive small off-road vehicles, rebadging and succeeding Jeep's CJ series, which was produced from 1944 to 1986. The first Wrangler (internally "YJ") was launched in 1986 and ran through 1995. Although the new Wrangler stood out from its CJ predecessors by its square headlights, its body was a direct evolution of the preceding CJ-7, and rode on the same wheelbase. The Wrangler featured an updated interior, offered more comfort and improved safety and handling, through a revised chassis that included a wider track and a slightly lower stance.
Development of a potential CJ-7 replacement was green-lit in 1982, with engineering and design work (under Chuck Mashigan) commencing. After approval earlier in 1983, a final design freeze occurred by the fall of 1983, with CJ-7 based mules being built in late 1983 and the first production body test prototypes in the spring of 1984. By late 1985, development concluded, as the transition from pilot to series production began. In February 1986 the 1987 model year Jeep Wrangler was unveiled. It entered production that March and went on sale on May 13, 1986.