The Jeepster Commando is a compact-sized recreational vehicle produced by

Kaiser Jeep Kaiser Jeep resulted from the 1953 merger of Kaiser Motors, an independent automaker, passenger car maker based in Willow Run, Michigan, with the Toledo, Ohio-based Willys, Willys-Overland Company. Willys-Overland had been at one point before W ...

from 1966 until 1971 and American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1971 through 1973. It followed the concept of the original 1948 through 1951 Willys-Overland Jeepster. The new Jeepster Commando was available in several body styles, including

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

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

, roadster, and two-door

wagon A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by Working animal#Draft animals, draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are i ...

. Following the acquisition of Jeep by

American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the mergers and acquisitions, merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 19 ...

(AMC) in 1970, the vehicle underwent a redesign for the 1972 model year, featuring new front-end styling, longer wheelbase, and AMC engines, and was renamed the Jeep Commando. The model was discontinued after the 1973 model year and replaced by the full-size Jeep Cherokee (SJ).

1966-1971: C101

Kaiser Jeep revived the Jeepster nameplate, introducing the Jeepster Commando (C101) in January 1967. The company had limited resources to design an all-new vehicle given the small market segment at that time. Kaiser was able to develop the new model by revising some of the tooling from the 1948 through 1951 Willys-Overland Jeepster and using the wheelbase chassis from the CJ-6. This iteration was designed to compete in the burgeoning recreational vehicle market that now included the

International Scout The International Scout is an off-road vehicle produced by International Harvester from 1960 to 1980. A precursor of more sophisticated SUVs to come, it was created as a competitor to the Jeep, and it initially featured a fold-down windshield. ...

and

Ford Bronco The Ford Bronco is a model line of SUV, SUVs manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company, 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 C101 was initially powered by the F-head "

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

" I4 engine, a descendant of the original " Go Devil engine" used in World War II Jeeps. An optional " Dauntless" V6 engine was also available and proved popular. Four-wheel drive was a standard feature, enhancing the vehicle's off-road capabilities. The C101 was offered in various body styles, including a station wagon with a full-length metal hardtop, a convertible with a soft top, a pickup truck, and a roadster with optional half- or full-length soft tops. The deluxe station wagon model featured sliding rear windows, full interior trim, and optional two-tone exterior paint. Three trim levels were offered: the "Jeepster" (also referred to as "Revival Jeepster" or "Jeepster Convertible"), the "Commando Convertible," and the open-body roadster. The "Jeepster" was the flagship model, featuring deluxe interior appointments, a powered convertible top, and an optional Continental tire kit. The "Commando Convertible" offered the same body style with more basic equipment. Following the acquisition of the Jeep brand in 1970 by American Motors Corporation (AMC), the Commando continued production. Engines: * 1966–1971: '' F134 Hurricane'' I4 , at 4000 rpm and of torque at 2000 rpm. * 1966–1971: '' Dauntless 225'' V6 , bore, stroke, and

Hurst Jeepster

A notable variant is the 1971 Hurst Jeepster, a limited-edition model produced by AMC in collaboration with

Hurst Performance Hurst Performance, Inc. was an American manufacturer and marketer of automobile performance parts, most notably for muscle cars. History Hurst Performance was originally named Hurst-Campbell. The company was established in 1958 as an auto repa ...

. It featured a Champagne White exterior with distinctive red and blue stripes, a roof rack, a sports steering wheel, and Goodyear G70x15 raised white letter tires on wider steel wheels. Hurst modifications included special exterior badging, an 8,000-rpm tachometer mounted on the hood scoop, and a Hurst T-handle shifter for manual transmission models or a console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifter for automatic transmission models. The Hurst Jeepster included many muscle car styling cues and while the appearance and Hurst name promised performance, the model was a C101 with the V6 engine with two-barrel carburetor. It is estimated that 100 were produced and was the last vehicle with Hurst/AMC collaboration. The Hurst Jeepster is now considered one of the rarest production Jeeps. 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:1971 Jeepster Commando SC-1 pickup orange i-Cecil'10.jpg, 1971 Jeepster Commando interior

1972-1973: C104

The 1972 and 1973 model years represent the second generation of the Jeep Commando, known internally as the C104. The new version was a significant departure from the previous C101 due to the changes implemented after AMC acquired Jeep in 1970. The "Jeepster" part of the name was removed; it was now called the Jeep Commando. Most noticeable was a new front end that departed from the traditional Jeep grille. The Commando now features a "conventional" full-width egg crate-type grille that mimicked that of the larger

Chevrolet K5 Blazer The Chevrolet K5 Blazer is a SUV#Full-size SUV, full-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) that was marketed by Chevrolet from the 1969 to 1994 model years. A variant of the Chevrolet C/K, C/K truck line, the K5 Blazer is a shortened version of the ...

. This redesign has described as the most uncharacteristic of what was expected of Jeep styling. The more substantial front end was one of the many upgrades to accommodate the longer and more powerful AMC engines. Replacing the I4 and V6 were or AMC Straight-6 or the

AMC V8 engine The AMC V8 may refer to either of two distinct Overhead valve engine, OHV V8 engine designs developed and manufactured by American Motors Corporation (AMC) starting in 1956. These engines were used in cars and trucks by AMC, Kaiser, and Int ...

. The wheelbase was also extended to to fit the new engines and this helped to improved the ride and increase legroom. Four-wheel-drive with a two-speed transfer case remained standard features, emphasizing the Commando's off-road heritage and capability. Other enhancements included wider tread and a stronger frame. The rear flanged-shaft rear axle was strengthened along with an increased capacity open-end front axle and ball-joint ends. The turning diameter was shortened with new steering box and linkage also reduced steering effort. A new rear-mounted gas tank provided an additional capacity to . Along with the bigger engines, the 1972 Commando featured larger drum brakes. The 1973 models were essentially unchanged except for including larger-sized tires as standard equipment. Engines: * 1971–1972: '' AMC 232'' I6— , bore, stroke, and * 1971–1972: '' AMC 258'' I6—, bore, stroke * 1971–1973: '' AMC–304'' V8—, bore, stroke 1971: , 1972:

Legacy

The Jeepster Commando is significant in Jeep's history despite its relatively short production run. It bridged the gap between the early military-derived Jeeps and the later, more refined recreational vehicles now called SUVs. The Commando also offered diverse body styles and off-road capabilities contributing to the evolution of the Jeep brand and wide variety of models. By the 1970s, the market had shifted to larger-sized four-wheel-drive vehicles. The compact Commando was discontinued and replaced by the full-size Jeep Cherokee (SJ) (a two-door version of the Wagoneer) introduced for the 1974 model year. The longer wheelbase CJ-7 was introduced to fill the compact market segment occupied by the Commando as well as the Scrambler CJ-8 with a wheelbase.

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