In his latest YouTube video, Dennis Collins walks viewers through a collection of 28 classic Jeeps CJs that he’s putting up for sale. It’s a twist on his usual presentations that show how Collins acquires vehicles, but not what happens afterward. We even get to see a mint 1986 CJ-7 highlighted in a previous HotCars article. According to Collins, this gathering of Jeep CJ-5s, CJ-7s, and CJ-8s is worth about $1 million.
An Impressive Collection Of Jeep CJs
Whether you’re a CJ enthusiast or are just curious about one of the foundational vehicles for today’s SUV craze, you’ll learn something by watching the video. Equally as impressive as is this assemblage of classic Jeeps is Collins’ knowledge of these vehicles. The bulk of the 39-minute clip is his Jeep-by-Jeep walkthrough of each CJ. He spouts off paint colors, vehicle history, and unique characteristics with ease and familiarity.
Jeep CJ Origins
The CJ series is the last Jeep that can trace its roots to the iconic World War II vehicle initially developed by American Bantam in 1940. To meet anticipated wartime needs, the production of the General Purpose scout car (a name that would morph into GP or “Jeep”) was shared with Ford and Willys-Overland.
The beginnings of a “civilian Jeep” (the “CJ” moniker would come later) started in 1942 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture tested the car for farm use. Willys would continue to produce Jeeps after the war, and eventually, the vehicle crept into the consumer market primarily for farm and off-road use.
Debut Of The CJ-5
Fast forward to 1954, when the CJ-5 entered production as a more modern and street-friendly version of predecessor CJs. A longer wheelbase provided better road manners and many engines (which varied by production year) offered buyers choices running from an efficient four-banger to a gutsy V-8. Just before the CJ-5’s release, Kaiser Motors bought Willys. And Kaiser later sold its Jeep operation to American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1970. Renault would begin to take control of AMC in 1979.
But, despite the ownership turmoil, Jeep continued to crank out the CJ-5 through 1983. As Collins points out, the final year CJ-5 is a highly collectible version. A more extended version CJ-6 debuted in 1955 but didn’t see much success as only 50,000 units were sold over its 20 years of U.S. sales (the CJ-6 was more popular overseas).
The CJ-7 Appears
Shortly after dropping the CJ-6 in the U.S., Jeep debuted the CJ-7 in 1976. Its full door openings (at the bottom) made it easy to spot against the abbreviated door frame of the CJ-5. The CJ-7 featured a longer wheelbase and a range of car-like features, including automatic transmission, a one-piece hardtop, and metal doors with roll-down windows.
As evidenced in Collins’ collection, many CJ-7s were upgraded with exterior and interior appearance packages. An extended version with a pickup bed (dubbed the CJ-8 or Scrambler) would appear in 1981. The last year for the CJ-7 and CJ-8 was 1986, the same year that the Jeep Wrangler (YJ) launched. Chrysler bought AMC (and Jeep) a year later.
Sources: YouTube, Jeep, Collins Bros Jeep