Oh wow. Does that thing even have doors?
Well spotted. When the Willys was built, doors were a luxury trinket. The car you see here is the Willys M38A1, not quite the original Willys, but it is not much different. The M38A1 was built by Willys between 1952 and 1971, and saw significant action in Korea and Vietnam. It was also sold to some friendly nations, and that's the version you see here. This Nekaf edition was built under license in the Netherlands and was so successful that we continued to use it here for over 40 years. Now that's reliability.
Then he must be good at what he does?
Yes. With a versatile base – they've been converted into everything from ambulances to mobile platforms for 106-millimeter rifles – and the ability to go literally anywhere, the Jeep is an incredibly capable machine even by today's standards. It has a 2.2-liter four-cylinder petrol engine (nicknamed Hurricane) with 73 hp and a choice of two- or four-wheel drive.
There is also a box with low range and thanks to the relatively thin tires and a lightweight body (it weighs 1,225 kilos) it can go just about anywhere. The engine is surprisingly powerful and on asphalt it reaches about 80 km/h. The engine itself could be even faster, but anything above that will tear the roof to pieces. It also has leaf springs all around. They are almost indestructible, but anything but comfortable. The Jeep makes a Land Rover Defender feel like a Rolls-Royce.
Are there any luxurious comfort items on board?
Well, a glove compartment! And, sit down, even windshield wipers.
That Wrangler must feel ultra-luxurious in comparison…
Say that. To start with: there is heating. And leather on the seats, Alpine audio with a subwoofer, DAB, navi – you get the idea. But despite the differences in age and military/consumer target group, you can still discover the bloodline here and there. And not just in the shape of the grille.
The Jeep Wrangler is one of the few modern off-roaders that can do just that: go off-road. It has low range and a 272bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, all built on a ladder chassis with live axles. And just like with the old ones, you can remove the roof panels – all very corona-proof.
Is it as good as the old one in the mud?
Of course. Where Jeep has taken a smart approach: it has given the new more civilization, but has also largely remained faithful to the roots. There are details that remind you of that heritage, like the splash screen that starts with a Willys turning into the current Wrangler, but it never feels like a parody.
Leaving the rigid axles for what they are would provide significantly better behavior on asphalt, but at the expense of off-road qualities, which would mean exchanging the pure Jeep philosophy for comfort. Bravo to Jeep for staying true to itself.
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