(first posted 7/31/2017) In today’s world where SUVs/CUVs come in all shapes and sizes, with everything from car-based, front-wheel drive, inline-3s to truck-based, four-wheel drive, V8s and everything in-between, and in fact outsell sedans in the U.S., it’s hard to believe there was a time when SUVs didn’t seem to rule the world.
Flashback half a century and in fact, SUVs did exist, but hardly as the family-friendly vehicles we find all over suburbia. Back then, SUVs existed solely for utilitarian purposes of getting where no other vehicle could go. People nearly exclusively purchased SUVs out of the necessity of four-wheel drive, as few other vehicles were capable of confidently conquering unpaved roads.
The original “SJ” Jeep Wagoneer debuted in 1963, replacing the vintage-1946 Willys-Jeep Station Wagon as Jeep’s largest sport-utility vehicle. Based on the Jeep Gladiator pickup, which was also introduced for 1963, the Wagoneer was available in 2- and 4-door versions, as well as a 2-door “panel” wagon with no rear windows and a split barn door tailgate.
Despite its availability in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, the latter overwhelmingly outsold the former, resulting in four-wheel drive becoming standard in 1968. The less popular 2-door Wagoneer was discontinued after 1968, although it would return as the Jeep Cherokee in 1974.
Basics aside, Jeep proved they were truly on to something with the 1966-1969 Super Wagoneer, a range-topping model that may very well be considered the first “luxury SUV” available in the U.S. Upgrades included a more powerful (270 horsepower) V8 with four-barrel carburetor, special center console with car-like console shifter, air conditioning, upgraded interior trim, fancier wheels, and a special grille among other features.
Although it wasn’t produced in high numbers, the idea of a luxury SUV stuck, proving it was here to stay. Following AMC’s buyout of Kaiser-Jeep in January 1970, the eight-year old Wagoneer was treated to a number of mechanical and cosmetic upgrades over the next year, most notably the addition of a woodgrain accessory package (though just a thin strip at this point), something which would prove to be one of the vehicle’s most iconic traits.
Jeep’s Quadra-Trac full-time four-wheel drive was introduced for 1973 as standard equipment on all Wagoneers. Featuring front and rear differentials with a limited-slip center differential, it eliminated the manual-shift transfer case and locking hubs, making Wagoneer operation more car-like.
Cashing in on the Wagoneer’s appeal to wealthy buyers, the following years would see a more prominent rise in its levels of luxury, price, and status. The ensuing years saw it gain features such as a redesigned dash, upgraded interior materials and finishes, standard 360 cubic-inch V8, standard front disc brakes, redesigned leaf springs for increased ride comfort, and various new options. As a result of the Wagoneer moving upmarket, an entry-level 2-door model, dubbed “Cherokee” was resurrected in 1974. A 4-door Cherokee would arrive in 1977.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, 1978 saw the debut of the Wagoneer Limited, a range-topping model that included standard leather interior, woodgrain instrument panel trim, 22-ounce carpeting, air conditioning, AM/FM/CB radio, aluminum wheels, and extra sound insulation.
The vehicle’s last significant exterior refresh came in 1979, with new grille and headlight styles. Mechanical revisions and enhancements were almost a yearly treat, with items such as available part-time 4WD (for better fuel economy), return to standard 6-cylinder power (with the V8 still optional), redesigned engine block for the I6 that saved weight, and newer, more modern transmissions occurring between 1979 and 1983.
1981 saw Jeep split the Wagoneer lineup into three distinct trim levels, Custom, Brougham, and Limited, with only the latter featuring standard full-woodgrain sides. Despite offering buyers these choices in levels of equipment and price, the Wagoneer was increasingly purchased in top-spec Limited guise, a nod to the social standing of both its core demographic of buyers, and that of the Wagoneer itself.
By the time the vehicle officially became the “Grand Wagoneer” in 1984, a result of the introduction of the compact XJ Cherokee and its luxury Wagoneer sibling, just about every previously available option was now a standard feature on the SJ vehicle. Everything including leather interior, power windows/door locks/mirrors/front seats, AM/FM stereo with cassette deck, digital clock, and halogen fog lamps were included in the base MSRP of $20,407 ($48,202 adjusted to July 2017 USD) carried by all 1984 Grand Wagoneers. Interestingly, Grand Wagoneers inherited the vertical taillights of the SJ Cherokee.
Also by the time the vehicle officially became the “Grand Wagoneer” in 1984, it was a vehicle entering its 22nd year of production in the same body style. While this is a deplorable act in a highly competitive segment, in the case of the full-size luxury SUV during the 1980s, there was virtually no competition besides the Range Rover, which was nearly as old and more expensive.
Buyers, however, didn’t seem to care much about the Grand Wagoneer’s age or price. Well-heeled customers, many of them repeat, kept scooping up the quintessential American luxury SUV, probably full cash purchases too, “For a better deal, right?”. Maybe the case back then, though today it’s actually quite the contrary.
Sales of the Grand Wagoneer actually shot up for 1984, to their highest level in five years. Sales hovered around the 20K mark for the next few years before slowing dropping off, though not by a drastic percent until the final two years. Regardless, the Grand Wagoneer always remained a favorite among the wealthy, particularly college-educated professionals with median incomes of $100K.
The last significant update occurred in 1986, highlighted by a new instrument panel with revised woodgrain and improved climate controls, and a new steering wheel. Headlights and wipers now featured more modern steering column-mounted stalk controls, and the front fascia gained a new grille and standard stand-up hood ornament.
The Grand Wagoneer’s lengthy production had its benefits too. Reliability was good, better than most American cars of the time, due to its tried-and-true and relatively simplistic mechanics. With tooling having been paid for long ago, profit margins on Grand Wagoneers by the mid-1980s were upwards of $5,000, or 25% of total vehicle price. This latter fact made the Grand Wagoneer a very nice bonus prize in and an influential factor in Chrysler’s decision to buy out AMC for ownership of the Jeep brand in 1987.
Under Chrysler’s ownership, an effort was actually made to improve build quality and refinement on the quarter-century-year-old vehicle. Between 1987-1989, upgrades included revised interior color schemes and door panels, a more reliable A/C compressor, a new optional tilt/slide sunroof, remote keyless entry, and an overhead console coming from Chrysler’s minivans.
With sales steadily declining and an onslaught of modern competitors (including its own ZJ Grand Cherokee successor) flooding the market, Chrysler ended production of the Grand Wagoneer after a limited run of just 1,560 Final Editions for the 1991 model year. Surviving through three decades, three different owners, and an always-changing automotive landscape, at the time of its discontinuation, the Grand Wagoneer was the longest-produced American vehicle on a single platform.
The story of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer is truly one for the books. Already a classic while still in production, interest and demand for the vehicle has never truly lapsed, with values remaining high and professionally restored examples going for multiples more. So many other classic cars turn heads, but the Grand Wagoneer does it with a level of admiration few others can match. Is there truly any other truck more iconic?
Photographed: Rockland, Massachusetts – May 2017
Related Reading:
1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition
Two favourites here, the original with that clean riff on the Jeep lines fronted by a contrary grill that should be preposterous (but isn’t), and its dotage opposite, the tart in fake wood and just too much makeup generally that doesn’t improve the lines (but which somehow succeeds in projecting “expensive”). Hard to imagine what sort of college degree high-earner bought them, though; a peacock-type with finance qualifications I shouldn’t wonder, because it could not be based on the drive experience. They looked great, and still do, but they remained very unrefined.
Great photos. I have an urge to step through the screen into the ad drawing of the original for a visit.
A lot of of those rich GW owners didn’t use them as daily drivers. They only took them out when it was snowing, or left it parked at their ski cabin, etcetera. A lot of doctor/lawyer dad types, I imagine.
The article brings back wonderful memories of the 1990 my late wife and I owned, given to us by her parents. As we’re talking 2003 when I took ownership of it, and it having spend its entire life in Bangor, ME, it was far from the most trouble-free vehicle I ever owned.
Lots of electrical problems due to salt creeping up in all sorts of places, starting with the alternator that died on the drive home. The car endeared itself to me by dragging itself on the battery, thru a bad summer rainstorm, right up to the Ashland Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealer’s driveway where it died fifteen feet from the service bay garage door.
Unfortunately, bringing the car south seemed to release all the pent up rusting that had been developing over the years up north. Within two years, I’d sold the car, due to being unable to keep up with the damage by using my very amateurish body work skills.
Just the same, it did the job wonderfully during Patti’s prime real estate years. Backed up with our 2000 Cherokee, there was no place she couldn’t take a client, and her off-roading skills were definitely superior to her fellow agents.
I still get the occasional yen for one of these. When they were more common, the problems in midwestern cars were that they rusted like mad and that they were always very pricey, even when rusty.
These were an interesting size. They were actually pretty trim by 1963 standards, certainly smaller than most other “big” wagons, especially the 4WD competitors like the Travelall or the Suburban. And you have to hand it to AMC – for all the boneheaded moves they made in the 70s, they were right on the money in moving the Wagoneer so high upmarket and trimming it out in a way that made it work at the crazy prices they charged. This is the template International Harvester should have tried with the Travelall.
> And you have to hand it to AMC – for all the boneheaded moves they made in the 70s, they were right on the money in moving the Wagoneer so high upmarket and trimming it out in a way that made it work at the crazy prices they charged.
Not to mention how smart they were to buy Jeep in the first place. I can’t imagine AMC would have survived to see 1987 without the Jeep purchase.
> This is the template International Harvester should have tried with the Travelall.
IH’s decision to abandon the light-truck market on the other hand would prove to be quite boneheaded in retrospect. To be sure, I can see how in 1980 with two fuel crises in the last six years, the future for pickup trucks and SUVs may have seemed bleak. But there must be someone at what is now called Navistar looking back at that decision and scratching his head. I can imagine the Travelall and Scout by now having the same sort of cachet and panache the Grand Wagoneer, Range Rover, and Mercedes G-wagen have today.
Make mine an early vertical-grille model, with the OHC Tornado six, AC, power-steering, automatic, and disc-brakes, plus that buckets & console interior.
Probably were never available that way, but if I just had some of Leno’s money and garage-space….
Happy Motoring, Mark
Great write-up. I remember reading at some point that in the late 1980s, Grand Wagoneer buyers had the HIGHEST income demographics of any model of car in the US marketplace — higher than any BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, etc. I’m not sure if that’s quite true, but if not, I’m sure it was a close call. And that’s pretty remarkable that a vehicle designed decades earlier and barely updated could attract a clientele that would usually spring for the newest and fanciest toys. It’s a phenomenon that’s unlikely to happen again.
Just a few weeks ago I saw a 1980s Grand Wagoneer on a construction site. Its owner was installing signs on the site (promoting new, luxury townhouses). When I saw it, the Jeep was surrounded by larger construction vehicles and pickups, and the owner was well dressed, wearing a hardhat, and pulling these big rolled-up signs out of the lowered rear window. It looked like a scene from a Wagoneer brochure from 30 years ago. Too bad I couldn’t get to my camera in time.
Growing up in the ’70s I knew of one family with one of these. He was a superior court judge (“Justice” being the proper term), and they used it to commute between their city and country houses. Their other car was a W114 Mercedes.
Hmmm… The early ones with that Tornado engine were not that reliable. My uncle had an Israeli-assembled Wagoneer and he always said “that thing” was what converted him to Scouts and Travelalls, to which he remained loyal until he retired in the 90s.
But AMC did sort out the issues later and IH is no longer making anything like the Travelall…
I love these trucks. I would take a ’66 Super Wagoneer in a heartbeat. That being said, most of the people I know with a college degree ended up flipping burgers for a living. They could not afford a Toyota Tercel in ’83, let alone one of these Grand Wagoneers
Must be a reflection of the people you know.
Perhaps the degree obtained?
In hamburger flipping?
Seriously, college grads on average earn 56% more than non-college grads. Yes, some college grads might have flipped hamburgers for a little while, but note that he said: most of the people I know with a college degree ended up flipping burgers for a living. That is NOT a representative way college grads end up making a living.
JEEP was (obviously) on to something when it built a product that Ford AND GM wound up “copying”. Still, I didn’t know the complete story behind the Wagoneer, excellent write-up.
I would imagine Audi, indirectly, could be “blamed” for starting the world down the path to CUVs for everyone. Until Audi put AWD into it’s sedans, the possibility and availability of 4wd in vehicles of nearly every size and type seemed unlikely. Then after Audi, every car manufacturer tried putting AWD into at least 1 of it’s sedans.
AMC put AWD into its sedans before Audi did. By the time Audi showed its first Quattro concept car at the Geneva auto show in 1980, Eagles were already in AMC showrooms.
Beautiful. Always liked these, especially in black or dark blue. Anyone who has one as nice looking as the one featured here and is looking to sell it. They are sitting on a gold mine. Check the prices being asked for these!
The GW’s rise in its image and owners’ income demographics was remarkable to watch over the years. The Super Wagoneer was ahead of its time, and must have sold in very small numbers. But once the 80s kicked into gear, the Wagoneer was unstoppable.
The GW is not my cup of tea, being a bit to overwrought, but I was somewhat drawn to the base 6 cyl version with a manual; more like an American Land Cruiser (of the times) than a Range Rover. But you know how I roll.
My daughter’s lacrosse coach drives a white one identical to the one in the pictures. It makes quite a statement in a parking lot full of late-model SUVs, many of which are luxury marques, and always garners a lot of attention. The team absolutely loves it, with lots of competition among the girls to ride in it. Though in immaculate condition, it apparently is not all that reliable and Coach himself prefers his much newer Suburban if driving for any distance.
Great post! I have been fascinated to see how these have taken off as collectibles in recent years. I think for a lot of people, the Grand Wagoneer combines “vintage” looks with the “modern” SUV form factor, making it very easy to use daily. A wood trimmed traditional RWD wagon of the same vintage simply doesn’t have the same cachet for most casual modern collectors (“yucky old wagon” versus “cool old SUV”).
This was also the model that cemented Jeep’s image as a more upscale multi-purpose vehicle. Advertising way back in the 1960s with Popular Mechanic’s Tom McCahill touted how you could “dress up” in the “tough” Jeep for a night on the town. Jeeps thus became known for being “casual chic” and became the “go to” choice for upscale Americans looking for a workhorse vehicle (not for nothing did the Grand Wagoneer make it into The Preppy Handbook as one of the “right” vehicles to signal a person’s status on the snob appeal scale).
And that of course was a blatant rip off of the Scout Sport Top advertising. https://i2.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IH-1966-International-Ad-03.jpg
Was the Scout the first vehicle to use the term “All Wheel Drive” in its marketing and on the badges on the SUVs themselves?
My buddy used to have a 2 door Waggoneer. The base model not the 4 door with fake wood siding. We were headed back from a concert in central Alberta when it lost power on the side of the highway. A quick look under the hood and it was determined we needed a new fuel filter. Hitched a ride to the nearest gas station and they actually had it in stock and we were on our merry way. It was a pretty good truck other than being a bit thirsty with V8.
These things are iconic, and have been for a long time. I realize that crashworthiness and other regulations preclude this, but if Chrysler still built these, people would still buy them.
2 Honorable Mentions :
#1.
I.H. Travelall
Honorable Mention #2:
Studebaker Wagonaire
It is ironic that of the two wagons designed by Brooks Stevens for independent automakers and introduced as 1963 models, one died after 4 model years while the other went on for nearly 30. There is no denying the similarities between the Wagoneer and the Wagonaire.
Speaking of aging design Brock Yates (of Car&Driver fame) wrote, back in 1990, he picked up a brand new Grand Wagoneer from the dealer. The first thing he did was fill it up at a gas station. The attendant said “Hey, thats a really nice looking Jeep…………. Did you restore it yourself?”
I’ve always had a thing for these–a classmate’s father had one in the late 80’s/early 90’s when I was in elementary and middle school, and I thought it was one of the coolest vehicles around. He was a successful insurance agent and it did project the right kind of image parked in front of his office building.
I tend to think part of the appeal today is that many of these never reached beater status the way many lesser SUVs did. Yes, you did and do see them from time to time used by tradesmen doing hard work, but it was rare to see one bought cheaply to be used as disposable transportation. Too big, too old-fashioned, or maybe the entry price never got low enough, but for whatever reason these kept a certain type of acceptance among the well-to-do even at the nadir of their value in the early 00’s. And now? Forget about finding a good one for not a lot of money. Values have gone a little crazy. Too bad, because this is one of the very few SUVs that I’d really love to own.
I’d have to agree with you on most points, but the early to mid 80s models did achieve beater status. Into the 80s the were truly appreciated in a different way. These Jeeps had a certain something about them that made them special, much like the two seat Thunderbird. The difference is the Thunderbird had it out of the gate while it took the Jeep a while to be appreciated in the same light. They looked best in black or white with the wood paneling.
Why didn’t you buy it when you could afford to? Or did the attraction increase as the value went up? Retarded logic…
When they were affordable I was a broke college student for whom a V8 SUV wasn’t the best choice (if you could even find one for sale). It wasn’t that the attraction increased as the value went up, it was that the values happened to go up before I was in a situation where trying to buy one made sense.
The quintessential old-money vehicle, and what a beautifully preserved example. Thanks, Brendan!
Yep. “Old Money” indeed! Certain folks with plenty of dough either don’t need the latest styling or reject it outright. Plenty of “Colonial’ homes are still built. Same concept.
Yup! If I recall, that’s exactly who the drivers of this car were… preppy in the most flattering way. They didn’t trade this in, by the way, but merely bought a Clubman as an additional car from one of my co-workers.
They truly don’t make them like they used to – that car is beautifully kept, and to me that was the US equivalent of the original Range Rover. A serious off-roader with a luxury look and feel to it, not the vulgar status symbols big SUVs have become of late, including the current Rangie.
What could have been. 1991 concept for 2000 GW.
https://www.autopaper.com/1991-jeep-wagoneer-2000-concept-car-original-color-sales-brochure-folder.php
Very interesting find. Would this have been on the WJ Grand Cherokee’s platform? I wonder how it would have been received in 2000, assuming it wasn’t riddled with quality issues: would Lexus have seen it as a threat, or would it simply be considered sacrilege?
Some designs are so good that they can transcend superficial updates, Jeep in general had that ability until Chrysler got their mitts on them and added “production cycles” to what was once a company that made 4 wheeled tools. If range Range Rovers and G wagons can survive, so should these.
I have never been a fan of SUVs but the Wagoneer stops me in my tracks every time I see one. Maybe had SUVs and SUV inspired CUVs been a little more like this and not wind up looking like the dinner rolls they are my very vocal derision of them would be silenced.
The difference is that the G Wagon has the underpinnings for the long haul, as in an all-coil long-travel suspension. The Wagoneer’s leaf springs on both ends were barely up to date in 1963, never mind 2003. And the G Wagen has much better interior space utilization, with its tall boxy body. And other issues. The Wagoneer was getting very long in tooth when it was finally euthanized.
It was not engineered for the 21st Century.
A 63 Jeep CJ wasn’t either, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t modernized into the 21st century Wrangler. I suspect G-wagon’s tall space utilization isn’t much of a selling point for the buying demographic, ahem…
Sylvestor Stallone
Kylie Jenner
Britney Spears
Kim Kardashian
Iggy Azalea
Hilary Duff
Diane Keaton
Indeed, I suspect the main G-Wagen buyers these days, at least on the US market, buy it because it’s the most expensive Mercedes SUV regardless of fitness for purpose.
It’s telling that the AMG version whose wheels/tires (and other features?) seriously compromise its’ off-road ability while leaving its’ on-road comfort at the level of vehicles costing one-tenth the price, is the best seller.
+1
The Mercedes GLS-Class (formerly GL) is a far more luxurious, comfortable, and technologically advanced vehicle by far and costs less. But those look similar to any other wealthy soccer parent mobile.
People buy the G-Class wagen for its exclusivity and the “look at me” factor. But hey, if you can afford it and that’s how you roll than go for it, I don’t judge. In fact, I’d probably do the same.
Thank you Dam for giving an “Honorable Mention” to the IH Travelall. The one depicted is the 1968 and technically the last of the series although a few were built as 1969 models – long story. I had a 1965 and then a 1968 Travelall, my 1968 being as the one depicted. Compared to the Wagoneer, it was no luxury vehicle. One interior color was offered – HARMONIZING CHAMPAGNE BEIGE. Being the deluxe model it had insulation under the hood for 1967 and 1968 – WHOOPEE! Mine had air conditioning and the V-304 eight- cylinder engine which was designed for commercial applications hauling up to 24, 500 pounds GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight). Quite a horse of an engine with about 180 horsepower or maybe it was 160 HP. Due to lack of heavy insulation throughout the body and the metal structure of the doors that only had thinly padded panels for a portion of them, when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the vehicle took a lot to stay warm, even with the most expensive heater, which was called the Super Capacity heater and Defroster. Brakes were four-wheel drum – great when they got wet! Eventually I added a Blaupunkt AM/FM Stereo radio and a power antenna. It was a fun vehicle but sorely lacked in common sense comforts. Built like a rock, I might add.
Until the new “1x00D series” was introduced IH didn’t have “model years”. They changed the letter designation to indicate the new model, and the time of the year that they did the change over varied significantly over the years. Many times it was at the first of the year, while in other cases it was whenever they got around to it.
Examples
D1x00 trucks were produced from Jan 65 until Mar 66
1x00A trucks were produced from Apr 66 until Dec 66
1x00B trucks were produced from Dec 66 until Dec 67
Confounding everything was that all the other mfgs would do the changeover at labor day so lacking any regulation or mfg defined model year you saw vehicles occasionally titled based on year sold.
What changed that was the fact that the gov’t started basing regulations on model years after a few cases of the mfg taking advantage of the previous regulations that specified vehicles built after Jan 1st.
I never paid much attention to these until very recently. I didn’t care for these, I didn’t see the big deal in them and the few that I saw elicited just a “meh”. But the more that I learned about the history and context, the more my appreciation for these grew. I think these designs are like the original Range Rovers, there’s this elegance in its simplicity that just makes them seem timeless in a way that most designs only wish they could achieve.
Of course, I never realized that the value of these cars were so well retained. I came across a website that’s essentially a dealership that specializes in nothing but selling Grand Wagoneers and I was blown away that most of these are actually going for six figures. I didn’t think they were worth that much, but now, I can kind of see it.
The dealerships that specialize in the GW and there are/were a couple, often also do full bumper to bumper, no bolt left unturned, restorations and those are the ones that they get the 6 figure prices for and many get upgraded as part of that process.
I used to clean the office of an owner of a white GW much like the one pictured. He had a real estate business, just himself and a part-time secretary. He catered to the wealthy, brokering gorgeous waterfront property in Maine and Nova Scotia. Around his office were many photos of himself and his buyers on beautiful pieces of land, often with the Grand Wagoneer in the photo as well. If you want a glimpse at who was buying the GW, read the link. It might appear to be a lot of puffery, but I’d say it’s an accurate description of the man. And the zinger, his initials were GW too! http://bangordailynews.com/2009/07/22/obituaries/goodwin-goody-wiseman-2/
I was surprised to read Brendan’s praise of the GW’s reliability…. I know a few people who used to have them, both back-in-the-day and as collector vehicles. They they all say that it’s an untrustworthy, poorly-built rattletrap. But they all loved their GWs, regretted letting them go, and wished they still had them. Every single one.
There’s a persistent but unproven urban legend that the woodgrain became mandatory after 1983 because it was used to disguise poor panel fits caused by the worn-out body dies.
this article is the first I’ve seen that cites reliability as an asset of the GW
Around 1995 a colleague of mine bought a mid 80s version. He thought it was cool, and he was ahead of his time on that score. He wasnt rich tho, and it ate him alive on repairs and left him stranded often.
He came to hate it.
IIRC, none of these 4WD vehicles, whether an early SUV like the GW or just a truck, were the epitome of reliability. They rode very stiffly which certainly contributed to them rattling apart.
But even worse were the 4WD systems that seemed to have a very finite life. Seems like even if meticulously maintained, they all ended up in the shop in relatively short order, particularly if they were regularly driven on pavement at normal highway speeds. To this day, I’m fascinated at the jacked-up ‘bro-dozers’ flying down the streets and wonder how long they’ll last. Simply put, I don’t think the geometry of those heavy-duty 4WD systems (especially if they’re altered) are designed for pavement use.
I wouldn’t call my words praise of the Grand Wagoneer’s reliability… I merely meant that it was more reliable than a lot of other vehicles at the time. The 1980s were not the epitome of reliability for the American auto industry by any means.
The as adjusted price of $48,000 in today’s dollars is a surprise. I always thought of these as the grandfather too today’s Navigators or Escalade. If you look at current prices for those, the Grand Wagoneer was a bit of a bargain in its day.
I wonder if the featured vehicle in this article is a restoration from the Texas based company Wagonmaster….For some reason, these Grand Wagoneer restorations are popular in Cape Cod….and the condition of this white example seems to speak restoration.
If a vehicle had to get stuck in a time warp, you could do a lot worse than American car design of the early / mid ’60s. In the late ’80s, this was about as close to a 1965 full-size luxury car as you could get, and that obviously appealed to people with some bucks in their pocket.
We thought of these as really outdated back early 80’s and then they morphed into luxury vehicles–If you think how cars where being downsized and the fact no super luxury Suburban was being built this vehicle had the market to itself.
I had a ’77 2 door Cherokee in the early oughts with a tough looking orange/blackout scheme. It was fun, but the ancient leaf spring suspension belied the modernized trim. It cannot be over stressed what a kidney rattler it was — an ox cart that AMC successfully dressed up to fit the vogue of the times. I recall a lame duck test in C&D or R&T that appeared just before this original version was replaced; they said, in essence, that the Grand Wagoneer was a dead man walking because you could only use if comfortably on a billiard smooth road… just the opposite scenario for which the body was originally designed.
Known south of Boston as the Duxbury Cadillac, the last carburetored US passenger vehicle. Back in the 60’s most owners in Duxbury drove them on the beach, along with Scouts,Travelalls and the odd VW dune buggy. I managed to rust out 3 K-Blazers doing so. But thats another story. I can remember the ritual of almost everyone stopping to unlock the hubs after coming off the beach, those where the days! Always wondered why Chrysler never installed their own V8’s and Overdrive transmissions. BTW they used the Buick 350 in the late 60’s. Maybe I’m wrong but I think they had a 3 door like the 67-72 Suburbans.
My uncle had one of these late Grand Wagoneers here in Australia, that he bought 10-15 years ago and sold several years ago when his health deteriorated. I never saw it (he lives over 1200 miles away), but did ride in his previous 1983 Cherokee (as they were sold here).
In 1985 when Jeep stopped importing them, the Cherokee Limited was AUD$35k, which was pretty well the same as a Range Rover.
The Range Rover wouldn’t have towed their giant, heavy caravan as well though, although the Jeep did get through the fuel; about 13-14 mpg on the highway or 10 when towing the van.
I dont recall seeing any in NZ whatever the price was you can treble that by the time it landed and the only people I know on that kind of income arent into Jeeps, I do remember seeing them in OZ I got picked up hitch hiking by a guy in a hurry driving a V8 Grand Cherokee it wasnt his car it belonged to an actress he worked as caretaker for on her FNQ property anyhow the road between Mossman ad Cairns is far from straight and he drove that thing as fast as it would go which is unnervingly quick it rocknrolled around bends then the V8 roared getting it back up to cruising altitude then onto the brakes for the next corner rinse and repeat the whole way It was a quick trip, he had to meet a plane he said, I did not see many more of them as I suspect most Aussies wanting a 4×4 shopped at the Toyota or Nissan store.
It’s kind of an accepted truism that the Grand Wagoners had the highest income demographic as their buyers. Much as Today, the Range Rover, and to a lesser extent the GMC Denali fill that need. There were always people that didn’t like to flaunt their wealth or call too much attention to themselves or their lifestyle. It makes sense back then, as these affluent people also owned vacation homes at the lake or up in the mountains, and were involved in activities like snow and water skiing. There weren’t any real alternatives to the Jeep. At a certain income level, the price of gas is pretty much irrelevant, it’s more important to have a large capacity fuel tank, so that gas stops don’t become inconvenient.
I read articles like this and think I’m in some sort of alternate universe. OK, I never had a Wagoneer, but I had as close a sibling as there could be, an early Jeep Gladiator pickup. And that thing was so bad in so many ways it was dumbfounding. Bad engine, the 327 Rambler/AMC rated at 250 HP that must have been 150 real world HP on a good day. Maybe. The 3 speed manual with terrible gear ratios. Transfer case was going at 80K. Nice thick skid plate on the oil pan, but the gas tank hung a good 2″ below the frame rails, causing it to drag first. 4400 pound weight in a truck with a GVWW of 5,000. Meaning a whopping 600 pound cargo capacity, including the driver. The overall level of crudeness made the early 60s VW Bugs I was used to driving in that era seem like the proverbial luxury car.
Now I suppose any of those things are correctable so you could take a body and frame and build everything new after that, and I did like the styling for the era, but it just seems hard to believe they would redesign it so completely so soon after it’s initial release. I dunno, maybe I just needed to drive one. But color me skeptical.
My first father-in-law bought a new Jeep Wagoneer in 1978 or 1979. Not a wealthy man, but he acquired it as a retirement gift to himself. With the added purpose of a tow vehicle for a sizable sailboat. I think that they were just starting to become a status symbol.
I rode in it many times on trips to the Cheasapeake or Del. beaches. Quiet and smooth. His was not a top optioned unit, but it did have the 360 engine and Quadratrac. He was fastidious with it and didn’t use it as a daily driver. His constant complaint was of battling the start of rusting in many areas of the Wagoneer. As a mechanical engineer, he thought that the construction was on a very subpar level. After about 8 or 9 years he wanted it gone and sold to his son for a bargain price. He replaced it with a Ford F150 with a 4.9 I6. That truck did surprisingly well towing.
I can’t help but feel sad when I see a 2022+ Grand Wagoneer.
Stellantis had a chance to reenvision a classic, timeless design. Instead, they decided against going “retro” and designed an awkwardly-proportioned land barge based on the Ram 1500. I squint and find different viewing angles, but there’s no way I can make this thing look right in my mind.
Perhaps the failure of the Commander also fuelled their desire to build on a full-size platform; but regardless, they could have and should have knocked this out of the park. I just don’t get it.
Just back after a couple of months on Cape Cod. These GW’s aren’t exactly everywhere on the Cape, but it’s a rare day when one doesn’t see a few. It’s been a favorite for many years there; I think I see as may now as I did 40 years ago.
Wealthy degreed professionals. “Dr Marvin! Dr Leo Marvin!”
We had a 77 Wagoneer which we bought around 1985 or so. It was already a rusted heap. I was always amused by the stickers saying “this vehicle has been protected with Rust-Away”. Truth, since it was rusting away. Many times it struggled to start. But the Quadra Trac always worked. Because of that, my dad has loved Jeeps ever since. We mostly used it as a winter daily driver, and to tow a firewood trailer.
About 10 years ago I saw one of these for sale locally for $20k. I thought they were nuts. In hindsight it could have been a moneymaker, but I never wanted to own one anyway.