Nearly 30 years in production, the CJ-5 outlasted all the other Jeep utilities by a comfortable margin. All told, 603,303 were manufactured, making them the most plentiful CJ by a bunch. Many special editions existed for the CJ-5, including the 1964-68 Tuxedo Park; the 1969 Camper; the 1969 "462'' model; the 1971 Renegade I; the 1972-83 Renegade II; the 1972 Super Jeep; and the 1977-83 Golden Eagle. The CJ-5 has been the basis for countless trail buildups and probably logged more trail miles than any other Jeep. Shown here is a '73 Renegade II. This package featured a 304cid V-8 (the first V-8 in a short-wheelbase utility), Mag wheels and a host of other goodies that included a Powr-Lok rear limited-slip. It belongs to Dan Chaffin of Nathrop, Colorado.
The only common complaint among early Jeep utility owners was for more room. This call was answered in the form of the CJ-6. Essentially a CJ-5 with 20 extra inches of wheelbase (101 inches total), the CJ-6 offered the storage space of a small pickup and the mobility of a Jeep. The demand was not great for the stretched CJ but they stayed in production from 1955 until the advent of the CJ-7 in 1976. They continued in production for export until 1981. Only 50,172 were manufactured, making them a fairly rare bird these days. As seen at the 1996 Easter Jeep Safari, this '75 CJ-6 belongs to Texan Sam Merrill.
The CJ-7 offered a compromise between the CJ-5 shortie and the long-arm CJ-6. With a 93.4-inch wheelbase, it was just long enough for room and comfort but short enough to get down and dirty on the trail. It has proven a popular rig on all fronts. A total of 379,299 units were built in just 10 years of production. The extra wheelbase also allows for a wider variety of drivetrain modifications than does the CJ-5. This rig belongs to Mike Golly, of Loveland, Colorado.
22: 1981-1985 CJ-8 (SCRAMBLER)
After the CJ-6's demise in 1975, there was another cry by owners for more room. AMC answered with the CJ-8 "Scrambler.'' Built as a 103-inch-wheelbase pickup, the CJ-8 came in hard- or soft-top models. The Scrambler was a very modest seller, with only 27,792 built. An upswing in popularity in the 1990s has turned the old CJ-8 into a very hot item. This well used CJ-8 belongs to Greg Noss of Glenwood springs, Colorado.
23: 1986-1996 WRANGLER YJ
With CJ sales lagging in the mid-'80s, AMC responded with the Wrangler. Lower and wider than the CJ, the Wrangler was not looked upon as a "real'' Jeep by the fans but gradually, it won them over and has proven to be a capable and adaptable design with a personality all its own. A total of 632,231 YJ Wranglers were built in its production run.
Starting with the basic Wrangler platform, Jeep engineers gave the little utility the most thorough working-over since the Quad evolved into the MB. Virtually nothing was left untouched. The coil-spring suspension makes this the best riding and best-performing out-of-the-box Jeep ever built. The TJ has been garnering rave reviews since its debut in late 1996 and it appears that Jeep has just begun making the Wrangler a more appealing sport-ute. The Jeep story goes on.