The official headquarters for Jeep is in Toledo, Ohio and has been for years. As part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Jeep has parent companies. Chrysler is based in Auburn Hills, Mich., and Fiat hangs its hat in London.
However, for the true Jeep enthusiasts who loves to enhance, customize and self-repair their uniquely American vehicles, the center of the Jeep universe settles in a small suburb of Atlanta. Omix-ADA fills a sprawling complex in Suwanee, GA and serves as the world’s largest aftermarket Jeep parts maker and wholesaler in the world. If anyone wants to add something special to their Jeep, odds are they look to Omix-ADA.
This weekend, the company welcomed lovers of the iconic off-road machine to its HQ for the first Jeep Heritage Expo. Jeep owners and fans from throughout the Southeast and as far away as Minnesota and New York gathered despite a warm, muggy and sometimes rainy day to celebrate the machine that helped win WWII and kept folks moving across rough terrain ever since.
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Opening in the early 1990s Omix-ADA with its line of Rugged Ridge manufactured parts maintains a massive warehouse complex housing thousands of new and classic Jeep parts in an effort to fill the need of any customer or shop. In fact, the folks at Rugged Ridge scour the country for caches of discarded new Jeep parts — buying them and storing them away safely just in case.
In the same facility as the Omix-ADA and Rugged Ridge offices and warehouse, the companies’ specially curated Jeep Collection documents the creation and evolution of the brand. From three of the original 1941 wartime prototypes through various civilian uses to the present day consumer machines, the collection keeps the history of Jeep safe under one roof.
Highlights of the collection include a rare, custom-built Jeep fire truck and a Jeep Surrey built for Hilton Resorts. Of course, replicas of the Jeeps that fought off the Axis powers in WWII rightly make up a good quarter of the collection.
During this weekend’s Heritage Expo, enthusiasts had the chance to tour the collection for free. Meanwhile, outside on the Omix-ADA grounds, custom Jeeps from around the country parked side by side in friendly competition for special awards presented by Rugged Ridge staffers. All proceeds generated by the Expo went to the fight against Diabetes.
For a look through the Omix-ADA facility, its Jeep Collection and the big Heritage Expo, you can peruse through the gallery below.
All photos by John Scott Lewinski
Omix-ADA & Jeep Heritage Expo
Omix-ADA is the largest after-market Jeep parts maker and wholesaler in the world, and it welcomed lovers of the iconic American off-road machine to Georgia for the first Jeep Heritage Expo.
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Omix-ADA's Jeep Headquarters
Omix-ADA fills a sprawling complex in Suwanee, GA and serves as the world's largest after-market Jeep parts maker and wholesaler in the world.
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Omix-ADA's Jeep Headquarters
The Omix-ADA and Rugged Ridge warehouse contains thousands of current, classic and rare Jeep parts.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
The Jeep Collection at Omix-ADA includes three of the original 1941 Jeep prototypes built for WWII.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
This classic 1940s version at the Jeep Collection at Omix-ADA shows the rudimentary controls of a war-era model.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
This classic 1940s version at the Jeep Collection at Omix-ADA reveals the basic four cylinder engine that powered 1940s Jeeps.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
British commandos known as the Desert Rats used Jeeps like this one to thwart Nazi forces in North Africa.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
This amphibious WWII Jeep model (nicknamed a "Seep") was not a successful model. Fortunately, most of them ended up with the Russians.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
After the war, the automaker looked to make the vehicle more appealing to civilians with models like the Jeepster.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
Jeep executives convinced Hilton resorts in the 1950s to make use of their designs. The result was the Jeep Surrey.
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Omix-ADA Jeep Collection
The Omix-ADA facility displays grilles from Jeep's 60+ year history.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
The first Jeep Heritage Expo fended off Mother Nature to celebrate the titular vehicle and to raise money for the fight against Diabetes.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
The first Jeep Heritage Expo brought enthusiasts to Georgia from across the U.S.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
The military-style "Kilroy" custom is one of Rugged Ridge's own in-house off-road rides.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
The fangs studding the rims are a nice touch on this serpentine-themed Jeep.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
Some custom models are more custom than Jeep, but all were welcome at the Heritage Expo.
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Jeep Heritage Expo
The first Jeep Heritage Expo examined the entire history of Jeeps from 1941 to the present era.
