THE JEEP SUPER WAGONEER IS THE GODFATHER OF TODAY'S LUXURY SUV

Using the word “rare” to describe some vehicles built in the postwar era, particularly after the mid-Fifties, usually conjures the adage, “It’s rare because nobody wanted it when it was new.” While it may apply to select vehicles of then-questionable styling, it certainly doesn’t apply to all rare postwar vehicles. One such instance is this 1967 Jeep Super Wagoneer.

You’re forgiven for not knowing of it. Many haven’t, even among the Jeep faithful. When the name does surface, casual and veteran enthusiasts tend to assume Super Wagoneer is spoken in error, and that the Jeep of discussion is actually a Grand Wagoneer. The reality here is that the Wagoneer Limited, renamed Grand Wagoneer in 1984, was introduced in ’78, long after Super Wagoneer had made such a splash; it reigns as the most significant vehicle to carve a path for the modern luxury SUV.

To understand, one must look back to when Jeep - then under Willys-Overland ownership - was credited for introducing the first all-steel station wagon in 1946. Aside from providing room for seven passengers, the wagon could have been optioned with four-wheel-drive. Styled by Brooks Stevens, Jeep’s new wagon was bold considering the brand had but one vehicle to offer: the CJ-2A. Yet the wagon was still a basic utility vehicle.

Therein lies the charm, and success, of the pioneering Jeep wagon: It wasn’t like other sophisticated station wagons on the market. It was unique in offering the security and superior all-weather performance of four-wheel-drive. Plain and simple. What’s more, the formula remained when Jeep marketers and product planners realized, like all manufacturers, that Americans were demanding more features, options, power, and style in everyday vehicles. Jeeps initial answer was the October 1962 release of the two- or four-wheel-drive Wagoneer.

Longer and roomier than the outgoing wagon, and available in two- and four-door guise, the Wagoneer became the first four-wheel-drive wagon to offer an independent front suspension and, more significantly, the first four-wheel-drive wagon offered with an automatic transmission. The Wagoneer still boasted Jeep’s superior ground clearance, despite a lower step-in height for six passengers, and it had more features and car-like styling, the latter thanks to last-minute design tweaks by Stevens.

What Jeep’s front office likely didn’t see on the horizon was the SUV market’s popularity boom, or the demand for more luxurious versions. The need for a high-style version of the Wagoneer made itself apparent soon enough, and Jeep’s answer was the Super Wagoneer. Introduced for the 1966 model year, it was billed as, “The most unusual luxury wagon ever built.” It was hardly an exaggeration.

When unveiled, there was nothing remotely like the Super Wagoneer. Standard features included a 270-hp 327-cu.in. four-barrel “Vigilante” V-8; GM’s Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission with floor-mounted shifter; bucket seats and a center console; carpeted passenger compartment, lower door panels and cargo area with chrome skid rails; chrome bows in the interior headliner (on later models); a vinyl top; seven-position tilt-steering wheel; heater and defroster; power rear tailgate window; roof luggage rack; E-Z Eye tinted glass in all window frames; AM radio with antenna; power steering and brakes; air conditioning; unique wheel covers with spinners; and a glove box lamp. Options were few: an electric clock, an available limited-slip differential, and four-wheel-drive.

The Super Wagoneer’s color choices were restricted to Empire Blue, Glacier White, Indian Ceramic, and Prairie Gold, complemented by “fashion-styled” vinyl interiors in Marlin Blue, Charcoal, and President Red. Front bucket seats had an elongated embossed Jeep emblem on the back. Exteriors were highlighted by gold-anodized panels with stainless steel trim and Super Wagoneer front fender emblems.

The new Jeep oozed luxury, but it didn’t come cheaply. Super Wagoneers started at $5,980 ($56,786 when adjusted for inflation). To put that in perspective, the SUV sat in the same 1966 price bracket as a Cadillac DeVille sedan, Imperial Crown two-door hardtop, and Lincoln Continental sedan.

The first example was produced in October 1965, and although the dealer publication, Jeep News International, stated that “The Jeep Super Wagoneer . . . will make its debut in U.S. dealers’ showrooms during December,” an official press release from Kaiser-Jeep announcing the new vehicle didn’t occur until March 30, 1966. Understandably, the Super Wagoneer’s first year on the market was abbreviated. Its status as a bona fide rarity today was further cemented by the Super Wagoneer’s scant two-year production run that preceded is cancellation early in the ’69 run.

Jeep’s celebrity ad pitchman, Danny Thomas, had one (number 37). So did Kaiser-Jeep Corp. Chairman Edgar F. Kaiser (number 487), but they were among a small number of actual owners. According to Danielle Szostak-Viers at Chrysler Historical Services, production records were never kept at Kaiser-Jeep on just how many Super Wagoneers were built. Among the experts, there is some disagreement, too, but based on Vehicle Identification Numbers, it’s generally believed 1,485 were built in total: 1,299 Series I examples fitted with AMC’s 327-cu.in. V-8; and 186 Series II units equipped with Buick’s 350-cu.in. V-8. Series I VIN’s begin with “141D 100001” and Series II VIN’s with “1414D 300001.”

Mt. Dora, Florida, resident Mike Adams knows his Jeeps. Aside from owning several late-60’s Wagoneers within his 30-Jeep collection, Mike has extensive experience restoring an array of Willys-Jeep vehicles. So, when Mike found this rare 1967 Jeep Super Wagoneer advertised online, he jumped at the opportunity. The caveat was its location - stuck in an Eastern Tennessee cow pasture - and its condition.

According to Mike, “It was practically buried up to its rocker panels and had rusted quarter panels, floors, gutters, and cowl. It needed everything. The good news was that it was 95 percent complete, had a clear title, and it was a real Super Wagoneer - number 736 - loaded with extras.” And, it just happened to be Empire Blue, Mike’s preferred color of the four available.

The Jeep also had two compelling features that Mike never expected to see on a Super Wagoneer: a factory PTO Ramsey winch with winch bumper; and a factory delete of the standard vinyl roof. “This was no suburban hauler. It was a work vehicle that ran the backroads using its 4x4 option in the winter with an occasional winch recovery before it was finally parked,” Mike says. “It was the first Super Wagoneer I had ever seen,” he adds. So, $1,500 later, the Jeep was loaded on Mike’s trailer bound for Florida. “It was probably one of the worst vehicles I’ve ever purchased,” Mike admits.

How did Mike know the Jeep had the vinyl top delete option? Only on the Super Wagoneer were the rain gutters shortened four inches to accommodate the vinyl roof. This vehicle not only had shortened gutters, but it also lacked evidence of any trim at the bottom of the C-pillar where the vinyl top would have stopped.

Once back home, Mike fully assessed the Jeep and carefully tried to determine a budget for its restoration. That idea quickly dissipated, and reality set in. “It was a roller, so that was a good start. But you can’t pick up a catalog and order Super Wagoneer trim, or a padded dash. So, I told myself it was an investment in a very rare and distinctive SUV that would overshadow every other Wagoneer I’ve seen,” Mike says.

To accomplish this, Mike worked with Dan Stiteler of Leesburg Auto Body in Leesburg, Florida, on what would prove to be a four-year project. Dan and his staff managed the exterior restoration. This was pivotal. According to Mike, “Some of the stainless-steel trim on the sides and rear, along with the anodized textured die-stamped trim panels, are unique to the Super Wagoneer, and the right and left side are not interchangeable. Good luck finding them. It’s very rare to find even one piece, much less the set. If there were 1,485 Super Wagoneers made, that trim must have only been made 1,485 times! It’s very thin and extremely fragile.”

Dan’s team also rebuilt all the mechanical systems, including the engine, transmission, front transfer case, and rear differential. Ongoing simultaneously was Mike’s unwavering quest for NOS parts, as well as refurbished OEM parts from other Super Wagoneer donors. That’s right, Mike found two more Super Wagoneers during the first six months of the project and purchased both for parts. With so few survivors, Mike found himself using what he could to make one complete, authentic example.

“One of the best days of my life was finding five NOS Super Wagoneer hubcaps and a pair of front fender gunsights in Texas - in the original packaging,” Mike says. “The interior has a new custom molded dash patterned after the original; seat and door vinyl are NOS, as are a majority of the impossible-to-find interior items. I hunted for parts for three years to make this happen.”

All the hard work paid off. Mike’s Super Wagoneer debuted in 2019 garnering AACA First Junior and Senior Awards during the year, followed by an AACA National Award in ’20. Not only is the luxury SUV a showstopper, but it’s also an attention-getter and the subject of curiosity wherever it appears. It should also be noted that Mike has used his Super Wagoneer beyond the show circuit.

“Admittedly, I’m nervous as hell driving it. It’s one rock chip away from tragedy. This is a piece of history and deserves the best. But it’s really enjoyable to drive, has great power with the AMC 327-cu.in. V-8, and is surprisingly a good handling vehicle,” Mike says.

When asked if he is crazy enough to restore another, Mike smiles. “I have a 1968 edition in much better condition that’s about 80 percent there.”

2024-04-08T17:06:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd