Jeepster Commando
Encyclopedia
The Jeepster Commando was first produced by Kaiser Motors
in 1966 to compete with the Toyota
Land Cruiser
and Ford
Bronco
. Four different models were available: a pickup truck
, convertible
, roadster
and wagon
. The Kaiser line remained in production until about 1969, when American Motors Corporation (AMC) bought Kaiser in 1970. After AMC's acquisition, the Jeepster Commando C101 (101" wheelbase) steadily grew in popularity. In 1972, AMC shortened the vehicle's name to Commando C104, extended the wheelbase to 104", and changed the front-end design to accept the AMC I6's & V8 304ci, similar to the Ford Bronco. The new configuration, formerly an AMC best seller, quickly caused the line to drop in popularity and was taken out of production in 1973; it was replaced with the full size Cherokee
. The Jeepster is an ancestor of the modern Jeep
family produced by Chrysler
.
There are several Jeepster enthusiast clubs across the United States
.
Willys-Overland
, the original producers of the "Jeep" (originally manufactured for military use) also produced a "Jeepster" from 1948 until about 1950. This vehicle led to the later Kaiser productions.
The Jeepster was revived in 1966 in the form of the Jeepster Commando ("C101"). The F-head Hurricane
straight-4 was used (a direct descendant of the original Go Devil engine) and four-wheel drive
was finally added. This engine produced 75 hp at 4000 rpm and 114 lbft of torque
at 2000 rpm. The 160 hp Dauntless
V6
was optional and preferred with its 235 lbft of torque. A total of 57,350 Kaiser-spec "C101" Jeepster Commandos were sold between 1966 and 1971.
Body styles of the Jeepster Commando included station wagon, convertible, pickup, and roadster. The deluxe station wagon included sliding rear windows and full interior trim — and available two-tone exterior.
The 1971 Hurst Jeepster built with modifications by Hurst Performance
is possibly the scarcest model of all production Jeeps. Standard equipment included a Champagne White exterior with red and blue stripes, a roof rack, a sports steering wheel, and Goodyear G70 x 15 raised white letter tires mounted on wider steel wheels. Hurst equipment included special exterior insignia, an 8,000-rpm tachometer
on the back of the hood scoop in the driver's line of sight, as well as a Hurst T-handle shifter on manual-transmission cars or a console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifter with the optional automatic transmission.
The Jeepster Commando came in three types: Revival Jeepster, Commando convertible, and an open body roadster with no top at all. The Revival Jeepster, named "Jeepster", as shown in hood side emblem an VIN
decode or Jeepster Convertible was the showcase vehicle of the fleet, offering deluxe interior appointments, powered convertible top, and a Continental tire
kit (available only for this model). The Commando convertible offered the same body with just the basic finish and equipment.
Engines:
The Jeepster name was removed after 1971, but the model remained in production for two more years as the Jeep Commando. In 1972, it received a "conventional" full-width grille (see picture). The Commando had one of three AMC
engines, the 232 cu in (3.8 l) or 258 cu in (4.2 l) AMC Straight-6 or the 304 cu in (5 l) AMC V8
. A total of 20,223 AMC-spec "C104" Jeep Commandos were made in 1972 and 1973.
Engines:
Kaiser Motors
Kaiser Motors Corporation made automobiles at Willow Run, Michigan, United States, from 1945 to 1953. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors Incorporated, moving its production operations to the Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio...
in 1966 to compete with the Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation
, , , commonly known simply as Toyota and abbreviated as TMC, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corporation employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.The company was founded by...
Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
and Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Bronco
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a sport utility vehicle that was produced from 1966 to 1996, with five distinct generations. Broncos can be divided into two categories: early Broncos and full-size Broncos ....
. Four different models were available: a pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
, roadster
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
and wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
. The Kaiser line remained in production until about 1969, when American Motors Corporation (AMC) bought Kaiser in 1970. After AMC's acquisition, the Jeepster Commando C101 (101" wheelbase) steadily grew in popularity. In 1972, AMC shortened the vehicle's name to Commando C104, extended the wheelbase to 104", and changed the front-end design to accept the AMC I6's & V8 304ci, similar to the Ford Bronco. The new configuration, formerly an AMC best seller, quickly caused the line to drop in popularity and was taken out of production in 1973; it was replaced with the full size Cherokee
Jeep Cherokee (SJ)
The SJ series Jeep Cherokee was a full-size SUV produced from 1974 through 1983 by the Jeep division of the American Motors Corporation...
. The Jeepster is an ancestor of the modern Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
family produced by Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
.
There are several Jeepster enthusiast clubs across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Willys-Overland
Willys
Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...
, the original producers of the "Jeep" (originally manufactured for military use) also produced a "Jeepster" from 1948 until about 1950. This vehicle led to the later Kaiser productions.
C101
Willys Hurricane engine
The Willys F4-134 Hurricane was an inline-4 piston engine and powered the famous Jeep CJ in the CJ-3B, CJ-5, and CJ-6 models. It was also used in the Willys 473 and 475 pickups, wagons, and sedan deliveries...
straight-4 was used (a direct descendant of the original Go Devil engine) and four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
was finally added. This engine produced 75 hp at 4000 rpm and 114 lbft of torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
at 2000 rpm. The 160 hp Dauntless
Buick V6 engine
The Buick V6, initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962, was a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The block is made of cast iron and all use two-valve-per-cylinder iron heads, actuated by pushrods....
V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
was optional and preferred with its 235 lbft of torque. A total of 57,350 Kaiser-spec "C101" Jeepster Commandos were sold between 1966 and 1971.
Body styles of the Jeepster Commando included station wagon, convertible, pickup, and roadster. The deluxe station wagon included sliding rear windows and full interior trim — and available two-tone exterior.
The 1971 Hurst Jeepster built with modifications by Hurst Performance
Hurst Performance
Hurst Performance, Inc. of Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, manufactured and marketed products for enhancing the performance of automobiles, most notably for muscle cars.-Products:...
is possibly the scarcest model of all production Jeeps. Standard equipment included a Champagne White exterior with red and blue stripes, a roof rack, a sports steering wheel, and Goodyear G70 x 15 raised white letter tires mounted on wider steel wheels. Hurst equipment included special exterior insignia, an 8,000-rpm tachometer
Tachometer
A tachometer is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute on a calibrated analogue dial, but digital displays are increasingly common...
on the back of the hood scoop in the driver's line of sight, as well as a Hurst T-handle shifter on manual-transmission cars or a console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifter with the optional automatic transmission.
The Jeepster Commando came in three types: Revival Jeepster, Commando convertible, and an open body roadster with no top at all. The Revival Jeepster, named "Jeepster", as shown in hood side emblem an VIN
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
decode or Jeepster Convertible was the showcase vehicle of the fleet, offering deluxe interior appointments, powered convertible top, and a Continental tire
Continental tire
A Continental tire is an upright, external, mounted spare tire behind an automobile's trunk compartment. The term also describes a non-functional bulge that is stamped into the trunk lid or a cosmetic accessory to the rear of the car giving the impression of a spare tire mount.-Development:The...
kit (available only for this model). The Commando convertible offered the same body with just the basic finish and equipment.
Engines:
- 1966-1971 - F134 HurricaneWillys Hurricane engineThe Willys F4-134 Hurricane was an inline-4 piston engine and powered the famous Jeep CJ in the CJ-3B, CJ-5, and CJ-6 models. It was also used in the Willys 473 and 475 pickups, wagons, and sedan deliveries...
I4 —134.2 CID (2,199 cc), 75 hp (55 kW) and 114 ft·lbf (154 N·m) - 1966-1971 - Dauntless 225 V6V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
—225.3 CID (3,692 cc), 3.75 in (95.3 mm) bore, 3.4 in (86.4 mm) stroke, 160 hp (119 kW) and 235 ft·lbf (318 N·m)
C104
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
engines, the 232 cu in (3.8 l) or 258 cu in (4.2 l) AMC Straight-6 or the 304 cu in (5 l) AMC V8
AMC V8 engine
American Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
. A total of 20,223 AMC-spec "C104" Jeep Commandos were made in 1972 and 1973.
Engines:
- 1971-1972 - AMC 232AMC Straight-6 engineThe American Motors Corporation straight-6 family of engines was used by a number of AMC and Jeep vehicles from 1964 through 2006.-195.6:American Motors' first straight-six engine was the...
I6— 231.91 CID (3,800.3 cc), 3.75 in (95.3 mm) bore, 3.5 in (88.9 mm) stroke, 100 hp (74 kW) and 185 ft·lbf (250 N·m) - 1971-1972 - AMC 258AMC Straight-6 engineThe American Motors Corporation straight-6 family of engines was used by a number of AMC and Jeep vehicles from 1964 through 2006.-195.6:American Motors' first straight-six engine was the...
I6—258.08 CID (4,229.2 cc), 3.75 in (95.3 mm) bore, 3.895 in (98.9 mm) stroke - 1971-1972 - AMC–304AMC V8 engineAmerican Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
V8—303.92 CID (4,980.3 cc), 3.75 in (95.3 mm) bore, 3.753 in (95.3 mm) stroke