Jeepster Beach Like Deja Vu at 2021 Easter Jeep Safari

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

Blend a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a 1968 Jeepster Commando and what do you get? A throwback that epitomizes why you build concept vehicles. I have to imagine it was as much fun for the designers, as it was the fabricators and the PR team that gets to display them this week at Easter Jeep Safari.

The second-generation Jeepster Commando body has been masterfully tailored to fit a current model Jeep JK chassis. Everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

Using the original chrome trim from the Jeepster is a bit of pure nostalgia, and it does make you think ‘what if’ Jeep had continued to produce this iconic two-door. The Jeepster had a certain sportiness, and an empire blue one that sat in front of Randall AMC-Jeep in my hometown of Mesa, Arizona certainly caught my eye.

On the update, someone on the design team or one of Jeep’s PR mavens is a craft beer aficionado, tabbing the colors as hazy IPA and zinc oxide. According to mrbeer.com, hazy IPAs are known for their tropical, juicy, hop flavor and aroma, and smooth mouthfeel. This golden color on the Jeepster Beach concept approximates what you see if you poured a Rogue Newport Daze into a frosty glass. The angular rear fascia or tailgate panel is what gives the Commando a look of its own, then and now.

In case you’re wondering, there’s a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with custom calibration that increases the engine output about 25 percent above any production version to 340 HP and 369 lb.-ft. of torque, proprietary information that Jeep doesn’t share with the automotive aftermarket. The twin-scroll, low-inertia turbocharger is mounted directly to the cylinder head, along with a cooling circuit for the turbo, intake air, and throttle body for added responsiveness, performance, and fuel economy. An eight-speed automatic transmission is mated to a 4:1 transfer case. The Jeepster rolls on 35-inch tires, adding a bit of aggression not present on the AMC original.

Removing the JK’s rear seat leaves plenty of cargo room, and in this case space for a chromed roll bar. The Jeepster Beach renderings show a topless version, but I’d like to see either a removable hardtop similar to that of the original Chevy Blazer or a convertible soft top. Both tops were offered on the original Jeep Commando, and following their styling would be the finishing touch on a very appealing design exercise. Removal of the carpeting and use of rub strips on the cargo area is also reminiscent of the short deck that closed out the space between the convertible top and body.

Red leather seating, door trim panels, and center console seem a little out of place on a true beach cruiser, but this could be the fantasy of designers who only get to the beach a few days a year, and don’t quite understand the need for drainage holes in the Jeep’s floor. A vinyl interior would be more in keeping with the hosed-down attitude of a true beach cruiser. Overall, it’s a concept we’d like to see Jeep put into production.

[Images: Jeep]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • SoCalMikester SoCalMikester on Mar 23, 2021

    buy a 2 door wrangler, remove rear seats and take the top off. BOOM! thats basically all this is, just goofier looking and more expensive.

  • Syke Syke on Mar 23, 2021

    I definitely like it, but have to agree with dal20402: The sooner this lifted crap ends, the better. You have no idea what a pain these things are, unless to do a lot of riding on two wheels (both motor and pedal).

  • Wolfwagen Is it me or have auto shows just turned to meh? To me, there isn't much excitement anymore. it's like we have hit a second malaise era. Every new vehicle is some cookie-cutter CUV. No cutting-edge designs. No talk of any great powertrains, or technological achievements. It's sort of expected with the push to EVs but there is no news on that front either. No new battery tech, no new charging tech. Nothing.
  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
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