The Jeepster Commando is an automobile which was first produced by

Kaiser Jeep Kaiser Jeep was the result of the 1953 merger of Kaiser Motors, an independent passenger car maker based in Willow Run, Michigan, with the Toledo, Ohio-based Willys-Overland Company. Willys-Overland had been at one point before World War II th ...

in 1966 to compete with the International Scout,

Toyota Land Cruiser The (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than ...

and

Ford Bronco The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mod ...

. Four different models were available: a

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

, roadster and

wagon A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...

. The Jeepster remained in production after

American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...

(AMC) bought the Jeep line from Kaiser in 1970. After AMC's acquisition, the Jeepster Commando C101 (101" wheelbase) steadily grew in popularity. In 1972, AMC shortened the vehicle's name to Commando C104, extended the wheelbase to 104", and changed the front-end design to accept the AMC I6 and V8 304ci, similar to the Ford Bronco. The new configuration, formerly an AMC best seller, quickly caused the line to drop in popularity and was taken out of production in 1973; it was replaced with the full size

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

. The Jeepster is an ancestor of the modern

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

family produced by

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

. There are several Jeepster enthusiast clubs across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Willys-Overland Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs ...

, the original producers of the "Jeep" (originally manufactured for military use), also produced a " Jeepster" from 1948 until about 1950. This vehicle led to the later Kaiser productions.

C101

The Jeepster was revived in 1966 as a 1967 model in the form of the Jeepster Commando ("C101"). The F-head ''

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

straight-4 A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...

was used (a direct descendant of the original Go Devil engine) and

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

was finally added. This engine produced at 4000 rpm and of

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...

at 2000 rpm. The '' Dauntless'' V6 was optional and preferred with its of torque. A total of 57,350 Kaiser-spec "C101" Jeepster Commandos were sold between 1966 and 1971. Body styles of the Jeepster Commando included station wagon (with full-length metal hardtop), convertible, pickup, and roadster (with optional half- or full-length softtop). The deluxe station wagon included sliding rear windows and full interior trim—and available two-tone exterior. The 1971 Hurst Jeepster built with modifications by

Hurst Performance Hurst Performance, Inc. of Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, manufactured and marketed products for enhancing the performance of automobiles, most notably muscle cars. Products Hurst produced aftermarket replacement manual transmission shifte ...

is possibly the scarcest model of all production Jeeps.Foster, Pat. "The Forgotten Hurst" ''Hemmings Muscle Machines'', June 1, 2005
retrieved on August 28, 2008. Standard equipment included a Champagne White exterior with red and blue stripes, a roof rack, a sports steering wheel, and Goodyear G70 x 15 raised white letter tires mounted on wider steel wheels. Hurst equipment included special exterior insignia, an 8,000-rpm

tachometer A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute (RPM) on a calibrated anal ...

on the back of the hood scoop in the driver's line of sight, as well as a Hurst T-handle shifter on manual-transmission cars or a console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifter with the optional automatic transmission. The Jeepster Commando came in three types: Revival Jeepster, Commando convertible, and an open body roadster with no top at all. The Revival Jeepster, named "Jeepster", as shown in hood side emblem an VIN decode or ''Jeepster Convertible'' was the showcase vehicle of the fleet, offering deluxe interior appointments, powered convertible top, and a

Continental tire Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis compo ...

kit (available only for this model). The Commando convertible offered the same body with just the basic finish and equipment. Engines: * 1966–1971: '' F134 Hurricane'' I4—134.2 CID (2,199 cc), 75 hp (55 kW) and 114 ft·lbf (154 N·m) * 1966–1971: '' Dauntless 225'' V6—225.3 CID (3,692 cc), bore, stroke, 160 hp (119 kW) and 235 ft·lbf (318 N·m) File:1970 Jeepster Commando.jpg, 1970 Jeepster Commando File:COMMANDO JEEP.jpg, Jeepster Commando hardtop File:1971 Jeepster Commando SC-1 pickup orange b-Cecil'10.jpg, 1971 Jeepster Commando SC-1 pickup File:Jeep Ebro Comando.jpg, Spanish

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-built "Jeep Comando"

C104

The Jeepster name was removed after 1971, but the model remained in production for two more years as the Jeep Commando. In 1972, it received a "conventional" full-width grille (see picture). The Commando had one of three

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

engines, the or AMC Straight-6 or the AMC V8. A total of 20,223 AMC-spec "C104" Jeep Commandos were made in 1972 and 1973. Engines: * 1971–1972: '' AMC 232'' I6— 231.91 CID (3,800.3 cc), bore, stroke, 100 hp (74 kW) and 185 ft·lbf (250 N·m) * 1971–1972: '' AMC 258'' I6—258.08 CID (4,229.2 cc), bore, stroke * 1971–1973: '' AMC–304'' V8—303.92 CID (4,980.3 cc), bore, stroke 1971: 210 hp, 1972: 150 hp

References

External links

The Jeepster Commando Club of America

Vintage Jeeps

American Jeepster Club
{{Jeep 1960s cars 1970s cars American Motors Jeep vehicles Kaiser Motors Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Trucks of the United States Vehicles introduced in 1966

C101

C104

See also

References

External links