Mahindra & Mahindra acquired the licence to build Willys Jeeps in 1947 and began assembling the CJ-3B in India. What started as licence production became a family of its own, with a diesel engine in 1975, a Civilian Legend badge in 1994 and a last iteration, the Mahindra Major, in 2003.
Mahindra CJ at a glance
| Maker | Mahindra & Mahindra, India |
|---|---|
| Licence | Willys Jeep, acquired 1947 |
| First built | Willys CJ-3B assembled in India; CJ-3A and Willys MB also built under the Willys name |
| First diesel | CJ 500D, 1975 |
| Engine, 1975 | MD2350, 2,350 cc, 38 hp at 2,300 rpm |
| Engine, 1989 | MD2450, 2,522 cc, 38 hp, Warner T90 three-speed, Spicer T18 transfer case |
| Engine, 1991 | MD2500 direct injection, 2,522 cc, 40 hp, 140 Nm |
| Renamed | CL 500 DI in 1994; CL stands for Civilian Legend |
| Body | Body-on-frame, rigid axles, leaf springs, open body with soft or hard top |
| Successor | CL-550 MDI, then the Mahindra Major of 2003 |
The English Wikipedia article covers the American Jeep CJ; the Mahindra chapters come from the article on the Mahindra Major, which describes the CJ 500D, CL 500 DI and CL-550 MDI.
History of the Mahindra CJ
In 1947 Mahindra & Mahindra took a licence to build Willys Jeeps in India and started assembling the CJ-3B. The CJ-3A and the wartime MB were also assembled there, and for a while they were still sold as Willys rather than as Mahindras. In this way the CJ formula — a separate body and frame, rigid live axles on leaf springs, a tapering nose with flared fenders and a fold-flat windscreen — arrived in India and stayed for more than half a century.
The decisive step came in 1975 with the CJ 500D, the first Mahindra Jeep with a factory-fitted diesel engine. The MD2350 unit of 2,350 cc produced only 38 hp against the 72 hp of the Hurricane petrol engine, but it was cheap to run and it made the vehicle the rural workhorse of India for the next 35 years. A direct-injection MD2500 of 40 hp followed in 1991, and in 1994, after the agreement with Chrysler ended, the CJ 500 DI was renamed CL 500 DI, with CL standing for Civilian Legend.
The CL-550 MDI of 1996 to 2005 brought a 55 hp MDI3000 engine, updated in 2000 to the MDI3200 with 63 hp. What had begun as a licensed copy of an American jeep ended as the Mahindra Major in 2003, a vehicle that carried the same basic body but a new chassis and engine.
Design and features
- Licence-built body: separate frame, live axles, leaf springs and a fold-flat windscreen, as on the Willys CJ.
- Diesel from 1975: the CJ 500D used a tractor-derived International BD-144 diesel, later Mahindra’s own MD-series units.
- Simple transmission: Warner T90 three-speed gearbox and a Spicer T18 two-speed transfer case in four-wheel-drive versions.
- Long life: the same basic vehicle was built from 1947 until the Major of 2003 and beyond.
Mahindra CJ versions
- CJ 500D (1975–1989): the first diesel Mahindra Jeep, MD2350 engine of 38 hp.
- CJ 500DE (1989–1991): MD2450 2.5-litre diesel to meet the 1989 emission rules.
- CJ 500 DI / CL 500 DI (1991–1996): direct-injection MD2500 of 40 hp; renamed CL in 1994.
- CL-550 MDI (1996–2005): 55 hp MDI3000, later MDI3200 with 63 hp.
- Body styles: soft-top, hardtop, pick-up and ambulance bodies were built on the same chassis.
The CJ line led to the Mahindra Major, and its long-wheelbase estate descendants became the Armada and the Maxx. More vehicles are in the Mahindra collection.
Sources
- Jeep CJ, English Wikipedia: CJ layout and history
- Mahindra Major, English Wikipedia: Mahindra licence, CJ 500D, CL 500 DI, CL-550
