The epilogue scene of James Cameron’s masterpiece “The Terminator,” which became a blockbuster hit after its release in 1984 and won numerous titles in film history. Sarah Connor, who was on her way to Mexico to fight for the coming “Judgment Day” with her child, the future hero John Connor, in her arms, was flying a 1983 AMC CJ-7 Renegade.
In “Judgment Day,” the second Terminator movie, Sarah Connor has changed from the image of the first movie to that of a warrior.
The image of the 1983 AMC CJ-7 Renegade in the ending scene of the first film, which was the turning point, was the very image of the “future of the all-purpose Jeep” as perceived by the American people at that time. The story of the adoption of the CJ-7 by director James Cameron, who was famous for his perfectionism, is another part of the story that helps us understand the character of the CJ-7 as a universal civilian jeep….

The original Jeep, the “Willys MB” and the “Ford GPW” were born in 1941 against the backdrop of World War II….

The Jeep was designed to meet the development requirements set by the U.S. military: to cruise over rough terrain at speeds of approximately 100 km/h, to cross rivers 50 cm deep, to climb hills up to 60 degrees, and to travel 100 km on three wheels even if it stepped on a landmine. The flat hood of the Jeep was used as a map table for commanders, a field altar for pastors on Sundays, a poker table for soldiers, a field operating table, and for anything else you could imagine. It was a small four-wheel drive vehicle used for everything imaginable….

After the end of World War II, the Willis-Overland Company saw that there would always be a demand in the civilian world for a sturdy and nimble 4WD vehicle that could be driven anywhere, and developed the CJ series as a civilian jeep….

The CJ series was developed by Willys-Overland as a civilian Jeep….
In 1961, only eight years after the birth of the Civilian Jeep in 1953, Willys-Overland, the manufacturer of the Jeep, was acquired by Kaiser, which was also acquired by Kaiser nine years later in 1970 by American Motor Corporation (AMC). In 1987, AMC also moved to Chrysler and changed its name to “Wrangler”….
In the midst of all the excitement surrounding Jeep, AMC produced the toughest, muscleiest, most modern, and most comfortable Jeeps in America until the “CJ” name was dropped….

AMC’s first task in the mid-1970s was to address the concerns of the CJ-5, which had been developed during the Willis-Overland era in 1955….
The CJ-5’s ultra-short wheelbase, which prioritized climbing ability, allowed it to run nimbly on steep inclines, but it was also criticized for its tendency to lose its balance.

The enlarged wheelbase made it possible to install an automatic transmission for the first time in a Civilian Jeep, and in pursuit of greater comfort, an FRP hard top and steel doors were installed…. Reflecting the affluent American society of the time, the standard engine from 1979 onward was an enlarged inline 6-cylinder 258 cu in (4.2 L), powerfully managed by a Carter BBD 2-barrel carburetor….

The 20 years between the launch of the CJ-5 in 1955 and the CJ-7 in 1976 was a time of dramatic changes in daily transportation for the American people, including the development of the Interstate Highway system….

Expectations for comfort in daily use had risen dramatically, and the CJ-7 was the first Jeep ever to be equipped with an automatic transmission called the “Hydra-Matic”…. The new “Quadra-Trac” system, which drives all four wheels without complicated operations, was also installed. In addition, the CJ-7, with its passenger car-like roof and doors, power steering, and air conditioning, was perfectly suited to the conditions of the time. The CJ-7 was well received by the American public, who demanded toughness in their everyday vehicles, and during the 11 years from 1976 to 1986, AMC manufactured 379,299 units, accounting for 30% of the total number of Civilian Jeeps produced, which is said to be 1.5 million units. It has been described as “the most successful CJ ever made”…!