If you put all the new rigs Four Wheeler has tried out over the past 40-plus years into one building, it would take one the size of the Las Vegas Convention Center to hold them all. When you go back and add it up, the numbers are staggering. If you figure that a rough average of two new vehicles were evaluated in each issue, that’s 960 rigs over the past 40 years. If you add in the multi-rig Four Wheeler of the Year competitions since 1974, the Pickup Truck of the Year (since ’89) and other multi-vehicle evaluations, that number could jump by several hundred. There are only a few magazines in the world that can match this record and level of vehicle testing experience. None of them are in the 4x4 realm.
That said, we thought you’d like to see a few of the vehicles that Four Wheeler testers looked at over the years. Many of them made history. Some faded into obscurity. Most are fondly remembered by at least a few people. In a few cases, the remaining Four Wheeler graybeards might mumble an unintelligible reply and change the subject when asked about a particular vehicle or test. The war stories could keep you chuckling for several days. We’ll refrain from telling those stories, but we will outline 40 of Four Wheeler’s favorites.