The Jeep Wagoneer was the pioneer in bringing new innovations at the time it was first introduced. Many auto historians have even stated that the Jeep Super Wagoneer was the first-ever luxury sport utility vehicle that offered a better bang for the buck compared to the military and truck-like vehicles Land Rover was offering at the time.
The Jeep Super Wagoneer certainly started the trend of offering luxurious and spacious cabins in a fully capable machine, which has been carried over to today's full-size luxury SUVs.
Let's dive into some more details and find out why the Jeep Super Wagoneer is the big-daddy of luxury SUVs.
The Wagoneer History
Jeep released the Wagoneer back in 1963 and kept producing the Wagooner for more than 30 years. The Jeep Wagoneer was built and targeted more for outdoors and adventurous buyers. Offering a nice ride along with off-roading capabilities the Wagoneer was seen as a success. The first years of the Wagoneer model carried a 3.8-liter 6-Cylinder engine that was fuel-efficient for that time. Later models introduced new engines and made mechanical changes to the Jeep. The Jeep Wagoneer kept the same body style for over 30 years, much like the Mercedes G-Wagon. Some of the most exciting features of the time that the Wagoneer featured were standard independent front suspension for RWD models, additional features included double-wishbone suspension design, and a safety package introducing power brakes to SUVs, and air conditioning.
The Wagoneer was also a very comfortable ride for Americans, and despite the oil crisis back in the 70s, the Wagoneer was loved by many. The Wagoneer had foldable rear seats paired with a huge trunk area, and also the passenger seat was foldable, making the Wagoneer practical for any buyer. The interior and exterior of the Wagoneer was ahead of its competitors in terms of design and usability. While sports coupes of the time like the Chevy Corvette featured nice interior design and comfortable seats, the SUV race was foreseen more as work-oriented vehicles with truck-like features on the inside, rather than luxury for other automakers. The huge luxury feature that made the Wagoneer ahead of its time was mating an automatic transmission with a true 4x4 system, which was basically unheard of back then.
The Super Wagoneer: Super Before Grand
The Super Wagoneer was released in 1966 as a refreshment for the previous years. It was a very limited production model, we can look at it by today's standards as the Grand Wagoneer, or the Grand series Jeep releases. All the Grand models feature different body trims that make them stand out from the base models. The Super Wagoneer in particular features a wider grill that meets round headlights as opposed to the boxy headlights used in the 1963-1965 Wagoneer.
It also got a high-performance version of the AMC 8 that produced 270 hp. That was because of the four-barrel carburetor used in the so-called Vigilante engine. This 327 cu-inch engine was sold to Kaiser-Jeep from 1965 to 1967 for use in the Jeep Wagoneer SUV and Gladiator pick-up truck.
Fun Fact: Jeep Wagoneer was one of the last cars to use carburetors until the late production models in 1991.
Furthermore, the Super Wagoneer came standard with AC, power steering and brakes, and a console-shifted automatic. The rear tail window was electric, also the car featured tilt-adjustable steering and map lights. The woodgrain was much simpler in design, despite going across the fenders to doors and the rear quarter was slimmer and made the car appear elegant. Another nice feature of the time was the push radio button. Just four colors were available, Empire Blue, Indian Ceramic, Glacier White, and Prairie Gold. The luxury legacy continued in later production models as well. 1978 brought the Limited Edition, which featured power seats, air conditioning, more sound insulation, automatic transmission, cruise control, power windows, and safety features.
How Much Does A Super Wagoneer Cost Today?
The Super Wagoneer is a rare find. Most chances are that you will not find a well-kept Wagoneer without a resto-mod as 55 years of rust have worked their way through the car. The good thing is that the car is a sought-after collectible and Jeep enthusiasts are keen to rebuild any Super Wagoneer that will come up to them. To sum up the story, the Wagoneer was a pioneer in introducing luxury SUVs to the somewhat most preferred market segment for cars in America. Jeep has now revealed the 2021 Wagoneer, which will come up for sale very soon.
If you are looking to buy a Super Wagoneer, a fully restored 1966 Jeep Super Wagoneer is listed for sale at Top Classic Cars For Sale for $89,990.