Cars, trucks, and Vans. All modes of transportation, all designed to do different things. They can be made by any number of companies and all share similar characteristics across the board. When a new vehicle is needed, not much thought goes into it other than the questions: Car or truck? Color? Price. The average person will buy a car and never think twice about it. It?s simply a mode of transportation. It has no significance in either a historical or nostalgic context. There is one type of vehicle, however, which is etched into American culture like a firebrand. That vehicle is the Jeep? Wrangler.
No other vehicle enjoys the historical significance the Wrangler does. Since its conception in 1931, the basic style of the Wrangler (then called a MB or ?Willys?) has changed little. A military vehicle at heart, the early wrangler was, ?Up until 1981, the most used, reliable, and favorite vehicle of the armed forces?(Vanderploeg). The early Jeep? was spawned out of a government need for a general purpose vehicle that could be successfully implemented all over the world. That vehicle was required to be lightweight, equipped with a two speed transfer case and four wheel drive, and have a rectangular shaped body (Vanderploeg). Over sixty years later, the stout Jeep? Wrangler still lives true to those characteristics.
What has made the Jeep? so consistently popular? The go anywhere do anything attitude that the Wrangler possesses. People are able to identify with the characteristics found on Jeeps website describing the Wrangler. Words like performance, capability, adventure, and trail-rated. These words embody the American spirit to which we cling so dearly. The original Willys Jeep? was as rugged and dependable as the new Wrangler claims to be today. The old warhorse saw combat duties in Africa, Europe, Vietnam, Russia, and every theatre of combat during WWII (Foster 287). It has been described as the, ?the world's greatest fighting machine?(Foster 287). The tried and true style of the wrangler is a battle born concept so solid in its original design, that it still shares most of the characteristics which defined it through its war-time past.
The Wrangler also enjoys a cult like following. It would have to, to stay alive. Its body style is dated; the original design came from 1931! It has removable doors and a removable top. It?s too cold in the winter. It?s noisy, rides rough, and has the aerodynamics of a brick. Despite all of that, Wranglers remain immensely popular because they stick true to their heritage of a multipurpose off road vehicle. No other company claim ?Trail rated capability?, like Jeep? can. All new wrangler designs have had to make it in factory form over the Rubicon trail in California/Nevada. The most famous, and arguably the most difficult 4x4 trail in the entire world. The Wrangler makes a bold claim about it?s off road capability, and Jeep? proves it can back it up.
The Jeep? name embodies a certain type of people. A local area 4x4 group, Reno4x4 had the following things to say about why they own and love their Jeep? vehicles:
?Jeep means Jeep, the classic American off-road SUV??Connect.
?Jeep CJ,YJ, TJ and the like are all like blank canvases. easy to modify, very capable out of the box??Rafterman.
The Jeep also gets its share of ribbing from the enthusiasts.
?Just Everyone Else's Parts. Just Empty Every Pocket. Justify Every Expense Possible. ??RARECJ8
?people always ask when I?m getting? a real vehicle??stv in bfe.
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Many of these posters own their Wranglers or other Jeeps? so they can modify them true to their heritage. The Wrangler allows itself to become anything the driver wants through its simplistic design. There are hundreds of companies across the world that are dedicated solely to the off road modification of the Jeep? vehicle. Never will you see a Wrangler defiled in such a way that it sits with a lowered stance, 20? rims, and chromed out everything. These vehicles, when they do pop up become the laughing stock of the Jeep community. The Wrangler is designed to conquer trails, and the loyalists wouldn?t have it any other way. When you buy a Wrangler, you aren?t purchasing a comfy ride for your morning commute. When most cars have airbags, your Wrangler is conveniently equipped with a roll bar. When the rest of the city is trapped inside during a winter storm, you relish being the first one out in the virgin snow. In a world of vehicles which conform to their buyers, the Wrangler remains devoted to its design.
With so many vehicles to choose from, the Wrangler remains the niche for the 4x4 community. People who drive Wranglers are a different breed than the rest of the world. They define themselves through their vehicle, and that vehicle defines itself from its driver. When questioned why they continue to drive a noisy, uncomfortable, 15 mile-per-gallon money pit, the cold, beat up Jeeper will reply with a smile on his face, ?It?s a Jeep? thing, you wouldn?t understand!?
