Secrets of Jeep design
Mark Allen, Head of Jeep Design, talks to Fox News Autos about what goes into styling the popular SUVs and what to expect from the new ones on the way.
The new 4-door Jeep Gladiator pickup is off to a strong start after the automaker received 4,190 orders on the day it opened the books for a special Launch Edition, but it’s already teasing the idea of a 2-door.
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Jeep always brings a batch of custom trucks to the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari off-roading event in Utah and this year’s includes a concept called the J6 that’s a Gladiator modified with a single cab and a 6-foot bed.
(Jeep)
The Gladiator Rubicon-based truck was created to show off some of the accessories Jeep’s working on for it, and includes several prototype pieces like a light bar, in-bed spare tire rack and deep-dish 5-spoke beadlock wheels. The blue pickup also features a body-color spray-in bedliner, which would be a factory first if it makes it into production.
(Jeep)
Jeep used to sell a conversion kit that turned a 4-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a 2-door pickup similar to the J6, but hasn’t offered a production truck like it since the 1980's Scrambler.
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Speaking of which, Jeep has also outfitted a 4-door Gladiator with a classic Scrambler graphics package for the event that's loaded with accessories and rides on 37-inch tires, but the retro look is what it’s all about.
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It can’t compete with the Jeep M-715 Five-Quarter for classic styling, though. The resto-modded 1968 Kaiser Jeep M-715 military truck has been updated with rear coil springs, Rubicon bumpers, modern Dynatrac axles a chopped convertible top and a perforated tailgate and bedsides. It’s also equipped with a 707 hp 6.2-liter supercharged “Hellcrate” V8 that’s slightly more powerful than the 132.5 hp Tornado straight-six the truck was originally powered by.
(Jeep)