Here is something unusual – and not just because there aren’t a whole lot of Wranglers rolling around the roads of Melbourne. I’ve seen this Jeep a few times over the last several years, and it is obviously a replica of the Jeeps that featured in the first Jurassic Park movie. Apparently JP-replica Jeeps are fairly popular, and why not – have you seen one?
Here is another view. I’m not sure if #23 was seen in the film, but apparently the Park had 25 of the ‘staff Jeeps’. The accuracy of the livery and accessories is very impressive, but there is one issue that you may have already noticed that I will get to in a minute.
First let’s see one of the Jeeps as it appeared in the movie, where the main characters played by Sam Neill and Laura Dern see the dinosaurs for the first time. Younger CC readers won’t have experienced this movie that was a landmark in CG effects when it was released in 1993.
Here are a couple of the Jeeps outside the main visitor centre for the park, where much of the action takes place.
In case you hadn’t picked it, the main obstacle for building an accurate replica of a Jurassic Park Jeep in Australia is that the YJ model Jeep was not sold here! So in true Hollywood fashion, our intrepid Jeeper has used a 1998 TJ as a stand-in; I must admit that because I don’t think I have seen the movie since 1993, it wasn’t until I looked up photos of the cars from the movie that I realised the difference.
Now I wonder has anyone seen a replica of the electric Explorers used in the movie?
Jason Shafar saw one of the original movie cars at the Celebrity Car Museum in Branson, MO, while David Saunders saw a ‘tribute’ on the Great Beater Car Challenge last year.
I HAVE seen the Explorer replica, twice in fact. One was fairly accurate, sans the acrylic skylight seen in the movie, but the paint, fog/spot lights, and front and rear bullbars were present and accounted for. The other was not an Explorer, but a K5 Blazer/Tahoe with the full livery at Victory auto wreckers, which is also back when that yard was mud/dirt and surrounded by overgrown trees, it looked right at home.
Never have seen the Jeep replicated yet. The Jeep was my favorite of the movie.
The acrylic roof would be the hard part!
Appropriate metaphor, since the Jeep CJ is a sort of living fossil in many ways. Jeep preserved the old arrangement of 4-cylinder front engine, floor shift, rear drive, through the long period when other cars moved away from those features. And Jeep preserves open-front fenders, a feature abandoned by other cars (including Willys!) in 1934. (This isn’t an advantageous feature, but it’s still a throwback.)
I’ve seen the Jeep livery on another vehicle, which I think was a GMC Vandura or some van that was similar to it, but I’ve never seen it on a Jeep. Nor have I seen the Explorer paint job on any vehicles. The only Jurassic Park vehicles I’ve seen are the Modified W163s from Lost World, one I remember was on the tour at Universal Studios Hollywood and the other one I’ve seen is at the Mercedes Benz Museum,
That is indeed very unusual. What’s with the rectangular amber lights perched above the taillamps?
Movie correct. Why? No idea
Definitely part of the movie prop dress-up, I gather they are supposed to be some sort of high-visibility light. On that basis they don’t have to make logical sense!
This Mazda2? Not quite as authentic.
Especially when you can’t tell if it is supposed to be a Jeep or Explorer/Mercedes ML – or did the newer movies use Mazda 2’s? Hehe
Similar but different, there is a ML in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart that was used in (presumably) one of the Jurassic Park sequels.
No Jurassic Park Jeeps, but I did once spot this on the road. Even a just cursory check reveals it’s not movie correct at all — someone just painted a Ghostbusters logo on an old Cadillac hearse and stuck some “sciency” looking stuff on it.
I saw this bad boy in traffic here in Denver a little over a year ago. It was very, VERY well done.
That’s the one I saw! You jogged my memory, I was in Denver for a few weeks in October-November 2016, it’s exactly how I remember it.
Yes, I have seen one in Florida.