Most companies wouldn’t make a point of highlighting how slowly they’ve innovated over the last 75 years, but Jeep isn’t like most companies.

To mark the 75th anniversary of Willys-Overland signing the military contract to build Jeeps for World War II, current Jeep parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles built in Toledo a special, single version of the Jeep Wrangler that looks strikingly similar to an original Willys MB.

The vehicle was met with cheers Friday after rolling off the assembly line at Fiat Chrysler’s Toledo Assembly Complex and being promptly parked next to an original WWII Willys.

“I’m so glad that we did this because it shows how slow we’ve evolved. With a couple quick modifications, we took the doors and the roof off, retrimmed the seats, cut off the roll bar, put on some military ties, and the right color, it’s just a nice connection to the past,” said Mark Allen, the top designer for Jeep. “No one else could do this.”

To be fair, there are major differences between the 60-horsepower 1941 Willys MB and the 285-horsepower 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The WWII-era Jeep was doing good to hit 60 mph, didn’t have any kind of seat belts, sounded like a tractor, and lacked certain creature comforts, such as doors.

Still, put them side by side and there’s no question that Jeep has stayed true to its roots, even as the years and owners passed.

In a statement, Mike Manley, the head of the Jeep brand for Fiat Chrysler, said that the company created the Jeep Wrangler 75th Salute “to demonstrate that 75 years later, today’s iconic Jeep Wrangler is instantly recognizable and clearly connected to the original Willys MB.”

The build took about five hours to complete. The Wrangler 75th Salute, the only such vehicle the company will make, started life as a regular Sport model that got a special coat of olive drab paint. Workers at the plant threw out the doors, chopped off the roll cage, installed special seat coverings, bumpers from the Jeep J-8 export model, and 32-inch military nondirectional tires on steel rims. There also were other smaller touches, such as 419 stenciled on the bumper and Friday’s date stenciled on the hood in place of an Army vehicle identification number.

Plant Manager Chuck Padden said the company’s design office came up with the idea after plant officials had begun thinking about ways to celebrate the 75th anniversary. It took a few weeks of planning to prepare the line to build a one-of-one vehicle, but it all came together flawlessly.

“The team did a really good job of coordinating this,” he said. “We didn’t stop the line with this special build at all. In fact, the workforce is probably on track for about a record build today.”

Toledo-based Willys-Overland built 370,000 Jeeps for the military during World War II. The firm quickly shifted to civilian production as the war drew down. In the decades since, millions of Jeeps have been sold across the world. The Toledo Assembly Complex built about 530,000 Jeeps last year.

Fiat Chrysler intends to keep the one-of-one Wrangler for special events, likely to include the Toledo Jeep Fest on Aug. 13, a public celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Jeep brand set in downtown Toledo.

For Mr. Allen, a longtime Jeep employee, the project was one of special indulgence — especially the fact that it was built in Toledo.

“It was fun. We could have built it almost anywhere, any shop. But to build it on the line?” he said. “I think it’s good for the soul.”

Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134.

First Published July 16, 2016, 4:00 a.m.