For decades now, Jeep has been one of the most enthusiastic employers of special editions and so there was no shortage of Jeeps to choose from for the Jeep-Eagle edition of this series. You won’t, however, see too many Eagle-branded models in this two-part feature. Chrysler missed an opportunity with that brand and the scant lineup received little in the way of special editions or unique models. There are a couple I’ll share with you, however, in addition to an array of distinctive Jeeps from the Kaiser, AMC and Chrysler eras of the company.
Jeep CJ-5 Camper
Years produced: 1969
Total production: 336
In 1969, Kaiser-Jeep launched a marketing campaign called the Great Jeep Escape, touting their “Jeep Recreational Fleet”. The marketing collateral highlighted the Gladiator truck’s available lightweight camper package with heavy-duty components, intended to support the addition of a slide-in camper. The Great Jeep Escape campaign also highlighted the ease with which a Wagoneer or Commando could haul a trailer. The most intriguing and unique inclusion, however, was the CJ-5 Camper, a CJ-5 with a camper shell sold through Jeep showrooms.
A businessman by the name of Chuck Prater designed the camper and sold the exclusive rights to Jeep, who contracted Honorbuilt to manufacture it. Naturally, the CJ-5’s short wheelbase posed a problem. To compensate, the camper itself had an axle with brakes. As it was a slide-in camper, Kaiser-Jeep’s marketing suggested you could literally “take it or leave it” – take it out to the sticks and leave it so you can do some serious off-roading. Just hopefully not as serious as this.
The overhang atop the cab was where the “master bedroom” was, though there were two seats elsewhere in the camper that folded out to become single beds. There were four camper configurations available and you could fit yours out with a stove, toilet, refrigerator or ice box and furnace, among other features typical of 3rd-party camper conversions. In all, it was a pretty neat little package.
Given the weight of the camper shell, Jeep recommended you also tick the option box for the 160 (gross) horsepower Dauntless V6. They also suggested you choose the 4.88:1 axle ratio instead of the standard 3.73:1 ratio. According to the brochure, the camper was available for installation on any post-1955 CJ-5; it’s unclear if the production number of 336 was for the camper itself or for ’69 CJ-5s with this factory option selected.
The factory-supported CJ-5 Camper lasted just a single model year. In 1970, Jeep’s sale to American Motors Corporation was finalized and Jeep’s new owners quietly dropped the little house-on-wheels. The number of survivors is probably in the single digits by now.
Eagle Premier 2.5
Years produced: 1988-89
Total production: ?
The Eagle brand was conceived to give Jeep dealers some passenger cars to sell after Chrysler acquired the off-road brand. Market research had found Jeep owners had some of the highest incomes of any domestic vehicle owners.
It would have made sense, then, to make Eagle a premium brand. Well, they didn’t—what was premium about some rebadged Mitsubishi subcompacts? Or the Talon which, while desirable, was scarcely different from a Plymouth Laser? The Premier was Eagle’s most unique product and Chrysler still didn’t know what to do with it. Up-spec trim levels were marketed as Acura Legend rivals while low-end models were aimed at the Ford Taurus. This led to an uncertain brand identity for both the Premier and the fledgling Eagle brand as a whole, a hatchling that had yet to find its wings (and never would). Despite this nebulous brand equity, however, Chrysler found the Premier sold much better in V6 form and the base four-cylinder was shown the door after just two model years.
The Premier 2.5 had always been a bit of an odd man out. Powered by a fuel-injected version of AMC’s venerable 2.5 four, the four-banger Premier was a heavily reengineered French Renault with an AMC engine in a Mopar showroom with a name shared with an old Plymouth (the Volaré Premier).
Although the V6 was available in base LX and upscale ES trims, the four-cylinder was only available as an LX. This meant a softer suspension tune and 55/45 split front seats instead of the 45/45 of the ’88-89 ES. Producing 111 hp at 4750 rpm and 142 ft-lbs of torque at 2500 rpm, the Premier 2.5 could reach 60mph in 11.6 seconds, around 2 seconds slower than the V6. The only transmission was an electronically-controlled four-speed automatic; a five-speed manual was planned by Renault/AMC but cancelled.
The entire Premier range proved to be a sales disappointment for the Chrysler Corporation. They’d projected 40,000 sales for its debut season in 1988 and produced 45,546, only to have 29,878 leave showrooms. Sales didn’t appear to improve for 1989 and contractual obligations to buy a certain number of PRV 3.0 V6s led to the creation of the rebadged Dodge Monaco. Because Chrysler was on the hook to sell the V6s and the four-banger was a slow seller anyway (though there’s no production breakdown), the Premier 2.5 didn’t survive past the 1989 model year; the V6 Premier and Monaco limped on for another few years.
Jeep Compass Rallye
Years produced: 2007-2009
Total production: ?
Despite the seven-slot grille and round headlights, the Compass and its more traditionally-styled Patriot sibling were front/all-wheel-drive models with four-cylinder engines, riding a platform shared with the Dodge Caliber. As a further shock to traditional Jeep values, the Compass was a very different animal, stylistically, from any Jeep past or present. Although the Compass helped attract female buyers and eventually morphed into a commercially successful mini-Grand Cherokee lookalike, these early models were rather awkward and a missed opportunity. The Rallye special edition shows what could have been a more compelling and unique offering.
Imagine a scrappy little Compass with the 285-hp turbo 2.4 four from the Caliber SRT-4, except with all-wheel-drive. That Compass could have been an intriguing American alternative to the Subaru WR-X. Instead, the closest it got to being sporty was the Compass Rallye.
The option package, priced at just under $2k, was purely cosmetic, adding 18-inch black aluminum wheels, a Mopar body kit, driving lights, rear spoiler and some other visual tweaks. As there were no mechanical changes, the Rallye was powered by the same 2.0 four-cylinder with 158 hp and 141 ft-lbs (2WD Sport models) or 2.4 four-cylinder with 172 hp and 165 ft-lbs (4WD and Limited models). There was a five-speed manual standard with the 2.4 but most Compass Rallyes were likely sold with the droning continuously-variable transmission. Despite being a small car, the Compass felt none too sprightly. A shame, too, as the chassis was competent and could’ve handled a lot more power.
The SRT-4’s turbo four wouldn’t have resolved the Compass’ other woes, like its cheap and nasty interior, but it certainly would’ve made for a more compelling compact Jeep. The Compass got off to a slow start, sales only picking up in 2011 when it received a handsome and comprehensive exterior makeover. By then, however, the Rallye was long gone.
Jeep Grand Cherokee TSi
Years produced: 1997-98
Total production: ?
Although Jeep and Eagles shared showroom space, there was very little synergy between the two brands. Just as the executioner’s axe fell on the beleaguered Eagle brand, Chrysler decided to share the TSi trim level with Jeep to create a distinctive, sporty-looking Grand Cherokee.
The TSi name had been used on top-spec versions of the Eagle Talon and Vision but the Grand Cherokee TSi was slotted between the base Laredo and posh Limited models. The TSi had a body color grille, unique 16-inch alloy wheels and lower-body cladding with Iris Blue pinstriping; it could be had with only three exterior colors. Feature-wise, the TSi had the same equipment as the Laredo but added leather trim and cruise control to justify the approximately $2k higher MSRP.
The TSi used the same engines as the Laredo and Limited. This meant a choice of 4.0 inline six (185 hp, 220 ft-lbs) or 5.2 V8 (220 hp, 300 ft-lbs) engines and a mandatory four-speed automatic. Like the flossier Limited, however, the TSi had Jeep’s full-time 4WD system dubbed Quadra-Trac instead of the Selec-Trac switchable 4WD system standard in the Laredo.
Though its cosmetic tweaks suggested the TSi was a sportier Grand Cherokee variant, there was no difference in suspension tune and no extra performance. Those seeking a more powerful Grand Cherokee in 1998 would have to pay a little extra.
Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited
Years produced: 1998
Total production: 14,286
It seems Jeep wanted to send the first-generation ZJ Grand Cherokee off with a bang. Despite 1998 being the ZJ’s last year, Jeep dropped the 360 cubic-inch Magnum (5.9) V8 into its most luxurious Grand Cherokee yet.
The Magnum V8, shared with the new Dodge Durango, produced 245 hp and 345 ft-lbs – considerably more than rivals like the Explorer V8 – and swept the new flagship Jeep to 60mph in around 7 seconds. The 5.9 produced an extra 20 hp and 40 ft-lbs than the existing 5.2 V8, sacrificing one mile per gallon in both the city and on the highway (13/17 mpg).
Although the regular Limited was available with rear-wheel-drive, the 5.9 Limited came only with Quadra-Trac full-time 4WD; the Trac-Lok locking rear differential was also made standard. However, the Up Country off-road package, with its tow hooks and skid plates, wasn’t available on the new flagship as the 5.9 Limited was targeted more at the kind of buyers less likely to go off-road. That’s not to say, though, that the 5.9 Limited couldn’t tackle the rough stuff.
The Limited was already a comprehensively-equipped SUV for the time with features like power seats, remote keyless entry and automatic headlights. Priced at over $4k more than a 4WD 5.2 Limited, the 5.9 Limited justified the extra cost with a sunroof, heated front seats, CD player and a ten-speaker Infinity sound system. The interior used unique gathered “calf’s nap” leather upholstery and bird’s eye maple trim.
There were also some cosmetic tweaks made to make the 5.9 Limited stand out, including a mesh grille and hood louvers. In all, it was an impressively differentiated package for a one-year-only model. Its high price, however, meant only 6% of ’98 Grand Cherokees were 5.9 Limited models.
Jeep has been making special edition models as far back as the 1960s. Though many recent special editions have been more luxury and sport focused, Jeep has retained its off-road pedigree. In the next instalment, we’ll look at some luxurious and sporty Jeep special editions from decades before “crossover” was part of the American lexicon, as well as another Eagle.
Related Reading:
Top 10 Obscure Special Editions and Forgotten Limited-Run Models: AMC Edition
CC For Sale: 1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (ZJ) – The Last Jeep Grand Wagoneer?
Call me crazy, but I still really like the Premier. It’s really a shame that they’re virtually non-existent today, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person in my adult life. One can only wonder if the Premier would have been more successful had Chrysler’s management been different (i.e. the old guard execs bowing out earlier than they did in the early-1990s).
Chrysler’s LH design was based on it. So it lived on through its progeny.
The LH platform was based on the American Motors-developed and Renault-derived Eagle Premier. According to Bob Lutz, “[t]he Premier had an excellent chassis and drove so damned well that it served as a benchmark for the LH … the spiritual father, the genetic antecedent of the LH is the Premier.”[2] Like the Premier, the LH-cars featured a longitudinally-mounted engine with a front-wheel drive drivetrain, unusual in most U.S. front-wheel drive cars, but a hallmark of Renault’s designs.[3] This arrangement meant that the design team had to use a chain to connect the automatic transmission with the front differential, a design reminiscent of the original Oldsmobile Toronado though subject to greater wear and noise.
The LH platform team was headed by François Castaing, who was previously responsible for product engineering and development at American Motors Corporation (AMC). Working with an engineering team of only 700, it took just over three years from the styling studio to the showrooms.[4] To give focus for the platform engineering team, the benchmark target was the Eagle Premier.[5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_LH_platform
It wasn’t just change resistance of the old guard execs that doomed the Premier.
There were a number of other factors. The success of the lower-priced Taurus was one. The controls and ergonomics of the Premier were a bit quirky. And perhaps most importantly, due to the components (particularly the engine) that had to be sourced from Renault and costs of a new factory that had yet to be amortized, the Premier’s production costs were much higher than that of the K-car derivatives, which were still selling relatively well.
That being said, it was nicely engineered, if a bit bland. And it provided the genesis for the LH platform.
“Call me crazy, but . . . ”
OK, you’re crazy. 🙂 Seriously, I don’t think it was Chrysler management so much as it was the car. French cars have never done well in the US mass market and this was one. Mrs. JPC test drove one about 1989 and I remember it as coming across as a little odd in several of the controls and in its general vibe.
It had a sort of generic European kind of styling that while not unattractive was not really the kind of thing to make your heart beat faster either. I also recall that it did not develop a distinguished service record. Everyone knew that it was basically a Renault, which did not help the car after the quality fiasco that was the LeCar.
Chrysler tried like crazy to push it, even putting a Dodge version into a second dealer channel. But it just didn’t have a constituency. Chrysler buyers considered it sort of foreign and there were not enough AMC/Renault fans to make it a success.
French cars have never done well in the US mass market
Perhaps Peugeot 504 and 505 were an exception? They were doing very well in the US.
Renault Alliance and Encore (based on Renault 9 and 11) were selling well for four years. More than 600,000 units came out of Kenosha assembly line before Chrysler bought out AMC in 1987 and pulled the plug.
I liked the wagon the best with its longer wheelbase.
It seems AMC treated anything Renault as a red-headed stepchild with regard to manufacture and marketing. Chrysler just carried on with that attitude.
That wasn’t a Premier wagon; it was a Medallion wagon, a stretched version of the next-size-smaller Medallion sedan, and known as the Renault 21 outside of the U.S. and Canada. It was briefly sold as a Renault before being rebadged as an Eagle, but seemed glued to dealer lots no matter which badge they used.
Here’s a pic.
That CJ-5 Camper!!
Part of me really likes it for the boondocking utility and the fun of it, but that low geared V-6 would return MPGs in the low teens at highway speeds, and the single digits in the rough – and, more importantly, who would be nuts enough to drive the ALREADY tippy under normal conditions Jeep at 70 mph without overloading an even shorter wheelbase CJ with the wind-catching camper? That combo would make a VW Bus feel like the height of stability in the gentle breezes of Wyoming and Montana.
Yes… already tippy — and that’s just riding in the Jeep itself. I wonder what it would be like riding in the camper part?!? By today’s standards it’s shocking to see that the kids were expected to ride in that camper, but safety issues aside, that’s got to cause some serious motion sickness.
I’d love to talk to someone who actually rode in (no, make that ‘survived a ride in’) one of these CJ-5 campers.
“That combo would make a VW Bus feel like the height of stability ”
And if you really want the VW bus experience, fit one of the campers into a Jeep powered by the Hurricane 4. The fuel mileage would probably be just as bad but you would get glacial acceleration besides.
The Go-Devil 4 would transform into the No-Devil 4:-)
The brochure has a section noting that you can also add the Jeep camper to any existing CJ-5 made since 1955 by modifying the body, although they recommend only V6 and 4.88:1 axle Jeeps be used with the camper for “adequate highway performance”. I wonder if any previously-owned CJ-5s were actually modified in this way to use this camper.
Wow, the CJ-5 camper – this is a new one for me. What a concept – uncomfortable for the driving part of the trip and cramped for the camping part. Really, would there be a less-relaxing car to take on a road trip than a CJ-5?
That Jeep Compass reminds me that Chrysler’s styling efforts late in the Daimler era were truly awful. Is there a single vehicle other than the 300 that has aged well?
A Grand Cherokee with a 360 would be a hoot.
Upon consideration, I think any rational adult (please note there were 336 who were not rational) with the desire to camp and go off road in just this manner would tow a Jeep (or set of ATVs) with their slide-in camper equipped 4×4 pickup. The utility and certainly the safety and roadability would be greatly improved.
– I wonder if the CJ-5 Camper was one of those ideas that looked good on paper but didn’t work in reality, or if it was a good idea all around but just a tough sell.
– A Compass SRT4 would be a good idea but they probably were looking at Toyota Matrix XRS sales vs the Matrix XR which had the appearance package but not the 2ZZ and mandatory 6MT of the full-fat model and decided that the market for sporty manual-only tall wagons was limited and unlikely to look in a Jeep showroom.
– I still say the PRV V6 was a Deadly Sin in its’ own right. Chrysler was wise not to adapt it into their own K-derived models, no matter how much the minivans needed more power or how many they were contracted to buy.
– The GC TSi looks almost identical to the Laredo which probably hampered sales. If they had given it the Limited’s bodycolor trim without the gold accents, or even let it inherit the early base trim’s side moldings instead of full cladding but in body color, it would’ve given the trim level a distinct look without much more effort.
– The 5.9 Limited is truer to form for a ’90s SUV or anything in a newly-hot segment where they don’t know where the top end on this is yet, don’t want to put too much expense in plumbing it but don’t want to leave any customer money on the table.
I’ve seen that CJ5 camper things in photos before. Never seen one in real life of course. There are innumerable “Jeep rollover” videos on Youtube, I can only imagine the mess one of these would make tumbling down a hill.
I used to see Eagle Premiers around occasionally in the 90’s. Maybe the local uptake was higher since I live close to Brampton where they were assembled. I think the big problem with these cars was the Taurus. Jelly bean styling was in and a square rigged sedan was not going to cut it.
Strong sales of the Dodge Dynasty and Chrysler New Yorker, introduced at around the same time and similarly sized, would argue otherwise. They were about as square-rigged as any car of its time that wasn’t a Volvo 760.
They were also firmly still in the Brougham Era, while the Premier tried to be much more modern and didn’t quite pull it off.
Add to that the fact that the Dynasty and New Yorker were sold under familiar nameplates, whereas Eagle was a newcomer.
The Dynasty listed for almost 10 percent less than the Premier.
And finally, Brougham buyers expected to find what they were looking for at a Dodge or Chrysler dealership. Buyers of Euro sedans – which is what the Premier was trying to be – didn’t expect to find them at a Jeep/former AMC dealership.
Yep, there are so many good reasons why the Premier failed; it would’ve been a big surprise had it actually succeeded.
Attempts to create “new” brands from a hodgepodge of dissimilar cars, often made by different manufacturers, don’t ever succeed. See also: Scion, Geo. . (and in Canada, Asüna)
The Premier was a thoroughly modern car in that era, much sportier and elegant than the New Yorker or Dynasty.
Even a police man was impressed, asked me who made the Eagle. I had more favorable comments on the Eagle by passers by than I had with BMW or Volvo. People knew what BMW was, but they were curious and enticed by the Eagle Premier.
The most memorable event with my 1991 Black Eagle Premier ES Ltd was this Korean guy in a Korean Restaurant, when I parked in the parking lot. He said, my the god, what kinda of a car is a this? He was so impressed, did 360 around it, kept looking, called someone else.
It wouldn’t surprise me to find that the inspiration for the CJ5 Camper came from a Tonka toy. There is just a childish impractability about it.
I have never seen such a vehicle either in a photo or in person.
All I have to say is: You have got to be kidding me!
I wonder how traction at the rear axle was affected by the tag axle under certain conditions like crossing a gully. It had to reduce it considerably. No wonder 4WD was mandatory.
Interesting factoid about the ZJ 5.9L Limited: It was the only ZJ Grand Cherokee to feature a fold-down rear armrest (as seen in the top-down interior pic), which was then discarded when the new 1999 WJ series Grand Cherokee came out. Considering a lot of under-the-skin stuff was re-used for WJ, it seems odd to do all that work for a single model/single year only special trim level.
Those Jeep campers were available for the Commandos also. I got to see one in person before it was sold.
That Jeep looks about as overloaded as the Lark Wagonaire camper
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/automotive-history-outtake-the-studebaker-wagonaire-camper-present-consumer-reaction-studies-will-be-continued/