By Andrew Boccuzzi

It’s been over 75 years since the United States gave life to one of the most iconic pieces of machinery to roll over the world. Driving off the assembly line for the first time in 1941, the manufacturer termed it “GP.” It’s still up for debate how it received its modern name, but  popular theories point towards a slurred pronunciation of its technical name or an adaptation of the name of a popular comic-book character from the late 1930s, Eugene the Jeep.

The Willys Jeep was designed to haul troops and supplies across the European theater; by the end of WWII Jeeps were quickly tweaked to be sold to any old Joe Shmoe that wanted one back home in the States. The name “Jeep” had become a byword for tough and dependable. CJs (Civilian Jeeps) sold by the tens of thousands by succeeding their original military design by pumping out… well, the exact same design, to be honest.

And this was a good thing for us all, because as time went on the Jeep naturally became more and more domesticated through the demands of consumers for additional creature comforts like a heater, stereos, doors, an airbag for both the driver and the passenger, and even some windows that could keep out all of the rain if you managed to install them correctly.

Which leaves us with the Jeep Wrangler as we know it today. All these years later the only thing that has really changed is the options list. Start with a boxy convertible with a short wheel base, a decent amount of travel in the suspension and a solid 4WD drivetrain, and give consumers a choice on the rest. They can choose between a lethargic four-cylinder or a more powerful six-cylinder. They can also decide to have a soft or a hard top, full doors or half doors, a premium sound bar and much more.

However, all these fancy doodads have nothing to do with why Jeeps always sell like they’re going out of style. The sensation you get while driving one is bizarre, but familiar. The handling isn’t particularly precise, but it steers and stops. The noise from the vibrating top creates an intense sensation of speed, at any speed. And its soft suspension urges the body to roll a little more than some people are comfortable with. But it all adds up to be one of the most fun cars to drive, on or off of the pavement.

Just by driving one of these you get the added benefit of being automatically enrolled into one of the most underwhelming yet desirable clubs around.

I own a Jeep, so I can confidently say that it is a fact that if you have a Wrangler, you are expected to be an active participant in this club every single time you get behind the wheel. All that is required is a subtle exchange that doesn’t mean much beyond “Hey.” Just an acknowledgment that you two own the same car, which I guess Jeepers decided was interesting enough to call for a polite “how do ya do” as you drive by. You just have to wave, and everyone does it.

Every wave qualifies, whether it’s lifting a few fingers off of the steering wheel, sticking your hand out of window or throwing up the peace sign. Just wave and carry on, and wave again and keep on moving on and then wave again, and again, and again, and, well… yeah. That’s why everybody’s waving, or, more accurately, that’s why everybody who owns a Jeep is waving. Because they own a Jeep, nothing more, nothing less. And now they have a reason that isn’t really a reason but still counts as an excuse to wave at other drivers for no reason.