The Jeep family tree is a large and complicated one. It started way back when the American military needed a rugged all-weather vehicle that could withstand all terrains during the war. Since then, Jeep has produced some wild and iconic vehicles that perform exceptionally well both on-road and off-road.
Despite the rich history characterized by iconic builds, the automaker has experienced some ups and downs, hits and misses. As a result, some excellent Jeeps just slipped under the radar, and many people don't even know they existed. This list features some of the most exciting Jeeps that history threatens to forget and some that no one even knew about. Dive in as we go down the Jeep memory lane.
9 Interesting And Forgotten: Jeep CJ-6
The CJ-5 and 7 are true icons — some of the toughest American classics you can buy today. In between the two is the CJ-6, one of the most forgotten vehicles in the world. This Jeep enjoyed a long production run between 1955 and 1981 as a civilian car.
The CJ-6 featured the same range of engines as the CJ-5. Despite being such a beautiful vehicle, this Jeep didn’t sell well in the United States. It exited the American market officially in 1975 when Jeep introduced the CJ-7 but continued in other countries, including Sweden and South America, until 1981. In the United States, the Jeep CJ-6 was mainly used as a Forest Service vehicle.
8 Never Knew Existed: Jeep Dispatcher Jeep
The Jeep DJ was introduced in 1955 as a modified version of CJ-3A. It featured a 3-speed manual transmission and an L-Head Hurricane 4-cylinder powerplant, which also powered Willys MB, one of the best military American vehicles of WW2.
The Dispatch Jeep came in either a hardtop or soft-top form and was the choicest vehicle for many delivery companies, including the United States Postal Service. It was one of the most reliable and most versatile little cargo vehicles of its time. The DJ-5 was the most popular of these little cargo haulers. It came with a very cool U.S Mail livery.
7 Interesting And Forgotten: Jeep CJ-10
Jeep didn’t build a CJ-9 for reasons we are not privy to. From CJ-8, they went straight to CJ-10. The truck was built between 1981 and ’85 specifically for export — only a few remain in the United States. The CJ-10 is based on the J10 truck platform but wears a CJ body.
The quickest way to verify its identity is to count its grille slats. While it’s not the only Jeep CJ to feature rectangular headlights, it’s the only one to have ten grille slats. Other CJ trucks have seven.
6 Never Knew Existed: Jeep Forward Control
The Jeep Forward Control is undoubtedly the weirdest of all Jeep creations. Brooks Stevens designed this Jeep in the 1950s. The designer drew his inspirations from cab-over designs commonly found on full-size trucks of the time. Also known as Jeep FC, the Forward Control was launched for the model year 1956, featuring underpinnings from a modified CJ-5.
This weird-looking truck came with three engine options; a Hurricane inline-four, a 226 cubic inch L-head inline-six, and a more potent 318 cubic inch V8 engine. Available transmissions were a three-speed or four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic.
5 Interesting And Forgotten: Jeep Commander
This SUV is relatively new to be forgotten. It was built between 2005 and 2010. The good news is that this truck might be coming back as a full-size SUV for the Chinese market or a flagship model for everybody.
Until then, the Jeep Commander stands on the edge of a cliff. The Commander was built as a five or seven-seater alternative to the Jeep Liberty. When it was discontinued in 2010, Chrysler said that the Dodge Durango would be its successor.
4 Never Knew Existed: Kaiser Jeep M715
The Kaiser Jeep M715 was a military vehicle built on the Gladiator platform. The truck was built as an alternative to the extremely expensive Dodge M37, the most adorable military truck at the time. Under the hood lay an overhead cam 238 cubic inches inline six-cylinder mated to a four-speed manual.
The M715 was a convertible, and it featured a foldable windscreen. To keep the costs down, the M715 used many components from the civilian SJ platform. The truck had a two-year production run which saw over 30,000 produced in Toledo.
3 Interesting And Forgotten: Jeep CJ-3A
The Jeep CJ-3A was explicitly built for agricultural purposes. It is the rarest CJ model. Before the CJ-2A was introduced to the market in 1945, Jeep had trademarked the name AGRIJEEP. The name was never used on any of Jeep’s vehicles. The 1949 CJ-3A, which could have perfectly taken on the name AGRIJEEP, came with a robust suspension designed to handle agricultural equipment.
The vehicle featured a shorter rear wheel, allowing the driver’s seat to be mounted further than the CJ-2A. The CJ-3A is one of the rarest Jeeps of all time.
2 Never Knew Existed: Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler
For anyone looking for a rare collector Jeep, the CJ-8 Scrambler is the real deal. The vehicle was available from 1981 to 1985. Despite being extremely versatile and practical, many people didn’t know what to make of this Jeep. It was fun to drive and performed excellently well off the road. It is relatively hard to find a CJ-8 Scrambler on the streets today.
President Ronald Reagan is one of the owners who made this Jeep famous. His wife bought him one as a present. The president’s Jeep was used to show dignitaries around, among other duties.
1 Interesting And Forgotten: Jeepster Commando
4x4s started taking shape in the mid-1960s. Automobiles like the Chevy Blazer, International Scout, and Ford Bronco ruled this segment. Jeep didn’t have as much money as these automakers to compete fairly, so they used the available resources to revive the Willys-Overland Jeepster. Those days engines had fascinating names, like the four-cylinder Hurricane engine, the same engine used by Kaiser-Jeep to power the Jeepster Commando.
The Jeepster was available in a convertible, a pickup, and a roadster body style. The rarest model of them all was the Hurst Jeepster, which had several upgrades and aesthetic additions.