1970 Jeep CJ-5 Renegade
Category: Show and Go
Kaiser Jeep began a sales offensive on the four-wheeling market in '69 by building a limited number of CJ-5s with a goodies package that included a V-6, rollbar, limited-slip axle, big tires, extra gauges, and other accoutrements. It was called the 469 package and as far as we know, the only ones built were for a big press event. For 1970, the package reappeared and sold as the Renegade. When AMC took over the Jeep line that year, it grabbed the ball and ran for several touchdowns. The Renegade was the first factory high-performance 4x4 package and it had all the goodies needed to claim that title. Four Wheeler didn't test one that year and might be accused of being a little slow to grasp the significance of the Renegade, but when the V-8-powered Renegade debuted in 1972, they made up for it with an enthusiastic test.
1971 International Harvester Scout
Category: A Better Binder
Had Four Wheeler been around when the original Scout debuted in November of 1960, there's no doubt the staffers would have been enthusiastic supporters. As it was, the Scout was tested no less than six times prior to the Scout II debut in the fall of '71. The Scout II didn't break new ground as the original had done, but it refined the breed to such an extent that Four Wheeler staffers were well and truly hooked on its solid dependability. The Scout II was tested 14 more times in the ensuing nine years.
1972 Jeep CJ-5 V8
Category: Eight Cylinders, Uses 'Em All
The '72 CJ was the first CJ to carry a factory V-8. This answered the prayers of legions of Jeep fans. The 304ci engine came from the AMC stable and offered more-than-adequate power for Jeep buyers not wanting to go the swapping route. Four Wheeler staffers lauded the extra grunt in a test of the Renegade in July of '72 and later tests of V-8-powered CJs were equally enthusiastic.
1973 Chevy Suburban
Category: Bigger Than Ever
The new Chevy and GMC body styles debuted into the pickup era. Where Four Wheeler had been firmly entrenched in the world of bobtails, the start of the '70s heralded the beginning of the pickup era. Some call it the "10-4, Good Buddy" era. Four Wheeler's first test of the new Chevy line was a Suburban. The Suburban's heyday really started later, but the new rig was praised for the improvements over the previous generation, most notably with the addition of the fourth door and much more room. Staffers called the big Sub a Baja Limousine. Until 1991, when the last Chevy with this body style was retired, Four Wheeler tested eight more Subs, five big Blazers, and 12 pickups, from 1/2-ton to dualie.
1974 Jeep Cherokee S
Category: The Forgotten Native American
Despite being Four Wheeler's first Four Wheeler of the Year (FWOTY) winner, the '74 -'84 two-door Cherokee isn't on many people's minds these days. Well, fate isn't always kind, but know this: The FWOTY award doesn't come easily and Four Wheeler staffers described the Cherokee S as "superb!" Two-door Wagoneers were available at the beginning of the run, but were dropped in '68. For '74, Jeep decided to push the Wagoneer upscale and the new two-door Cherokees were designed to replace the low-end Wagoneers and put something new in the lineup. They had a bunch of options available, including the AMC 401 V-8, and most of Four Wheeler's kudos had to do with this optional stump-puller. The big Cherokee models went bye-bye just short of a decade later, replaced by the more economical Cherokee XJ.
1975 Chevrolet Blazer
Category: Big Blazer Blathering
The Blazer had evolved greatly by '75. It continued to hold its own in an ever-growing market, despite fierce competition in the form of the Scout II, Dodge Ramcharger, Plymouth Trail Duster, and Jeep Cherokee. The Blazer evolution was enough to earn it the coveted FWOTY trophy that year. This was the year before the roof changed from fully removable to the more familiar metal half-cab design.
1976 Jeep CJ-7
Category: The CJ Grows Up
Just like everything else in the four-wheeling world, the CJ line had to grow up to keep up. Owners of recreational 4x4s were no longer willing to endure the privations of a cramped spartan utility rig. The CJ-7 stretched to a 93.5-inch wheelbase, which gave it enough room for real doors and a weathertight hardtop. For the first time in CJ history, non-acrobats could climb in and out of a Jeep. The best part was that trail prowess was only minimally altered-and for the better, many argued. The CJ-7 instantly went to the front of the line and arguably could be called a watershed vehicle for Jeep in many ways. Production skyrocketed and in 10 years of CJ-7 construction, the number of vehicles built exceeded 28 years of CJ-5 production. Four Wheeler did a full test of the CJ-7 in January of '76 and it appeared 10 more times until its demise in '86.
1977 Ford Bronco
Category: Into the Sunset
By '77, the Bronco had evolved into a fine ride. In fact, most Bronco experts regard this final year as the best of the breed in terms of refinement and quality. Four Wheeler tested the Bronco five times in its 11-year production run, including the ultra-rare Stroppe "Baja Bronco" version that has become a megabucks collectible. Not too many tears were shed when the small Bronco died, but the "classic" Bronco itself, and legions of fans, got the last laugh. While the three styles of Bronco that replaced it were fine rigs in their own right, none has earned the collector status the first Bronco now enjoys. It is close to being revered as much in the 4x4 realm as its popular stablemate, the Ford Mustang, has been in the sporty-car arena.
1978 Ford Bronco
Category: A Bigger Horse
When the larger and more refined new Bronco debuted for 1978, some might have cried, "The King is dead, long live the King!" when it scored the FWOTY trophy. The new Bronco was a fine machine, but it only lasted two years before being replaced by a similar but more highly evolved version of Ford's 4x4 pony. The '78 Bronco took all the good stuff from its ancestor, most notably a coil-spring front suspension and solid axle, and added the availability of bigger engines and tons more space. Everything was getting bigger, and the Bronco was one of the last ones to grow up. These days, this pony suffers from a recognition problem. Small wonder; it wasn't around long enough to endear itself to many four-wheelers.
1979 Chevy LUV
Category: Lost LUV
Like it or not, the LUV (for Light Utility Vehicle), built for GM by Isuzu, got the compact 4x4 pickup ball rolling. It was the first production 4x4 mini-truck to be offered, narrowly beating the Toyota 4x4 pickup into production. Most will rightly say it wasn't the best, but it was a popular rig in its day. Being first probably is what earned it a FWOTY trophy in '79. After the gas crunch of '74, the public was clamoring for high fuel mileage. Pickups were the craze and while economy needs were addressed for 4x2 pickup fans, beyond a few four-wheel-drive conversions in the mid-late '70s, it took a number of years to field a 4x4 minitruck. LUV was the first of many.