Jeep Chief concept

by Andrew Wendler | Photography by Michael Simari

Three days ago, the C/D office lost its collective mind over an insanely clean 1977 Jeep Cherokee Chief that popped up for sale on the internet. Pristine in nearly every measure, the Chief escaped our grasp and was awarded to a higher bidder (for nearly $27,000). But just as we were coming to terms with losing sight of that Chief, Jeep went and unveiled the Chief concept, a modern take on the classic Cherokee Chief that plunged many of us back into a deep internal dialogue regarding the existential relationship between the heart, the mind, the wallet, and vintage-4×4 ownership.7

Created for the forty-ninth-annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, the Chief’s unmistakable razor grille and chrome bumper are sure to trigger a déjà vu moment even in casual observers. A rich coat of sublime Ocean Blue paint perfectly conjures up a ’70s California beach vibe. Although the hue appears similar to a factory AMC/Jeep color of yore, Mark Allen, head of Jeep brand design, tells us it’s fresh from the color lab. The 17-inch classic slotted-mag wheels wearing 37-inch tires fall right in line with the design ethos. Motivation is provided by the corporate 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 mated to a six-speed manual. Mopar’s Jeep Performance Parts provides a cold-air intake for the V-6.

Based on the Wrangler Unlimited, the Chief concept’s doors and windshield were chopped two inches, and a restyled roof channels the vintage Chief two-door’s look as does the elimination of the exterior handles for the rear doors. The lack of C-pillars creates a long rear side window that continues the theme—or it would if the window had any glass, but it doesn’t and neither does the tailgate; hey, when you’re living the minimalistic beach life, the less between you and the ocean breezes the better, right? A Mopar two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks gives the Chief a slightly enhanced vertical perspective, and Dana 44 axles (also sourced from Mopar) with locking diffs provide a sturdy base for the Chief.

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The interior takes the beach theme to Hawaii, with floral-pattern seats in pink, blue, and white reportedly inspired by Tom Selleck’s iconic Hawaiian shirts as worn on Magnum P.I. Rosewood slats lend an air of vintage class to the cargo area, and any doubts about the influence Magnum P.I. had on the team will be squashed when you open the tailgate and find Selleck’s mug incorporated into the side panels. Vintage surfer logos are found on the console and the door handles, and a tiki-style shifter handle drives home the point.

While we’re always interested to see what the talented Jeep designers, engineers, and builders cook up for the annual off-road buffet known as the Easter Jeep Safari, it has been a while since a single model resonated so universally through our office. Who’s up for Carlsbad this weekend?

via http://www.caranddriver.com