As you will have noticed, cars are getting bigger. Many think that also means they’re getting less exciting, less charismatic and a good deal more ubiquitous, but that doesn’t have to be the sad truth of the matter if you step outside the world of PCP deals and boot-space bragging.
Some hilarious SUVs can be found on a stroll through the classifieds, each serving as proof that opting for a bit more height doesn’t mean having no enthusiasm for cars. Take the Jeep CJ-7, for example – a high-riding runaround that couldn’t be further removed in its conception from today’s crop of jacked-up hatchbacks.
Preceding the better-known Wrangler and packing a whole host of refinements and luxuries not afforded to its military forebear, the Civilian Jeep is as much at home on the Rubicon Trail as it is cruising up and down Blackpool Promenade. With styling that has gone largely untouched since World War II, it’s America’s Land Rover Defender, if you like, and it certainly turns more heads on this side of the pond.
The one we found is particularly eye-catching, with the fantastically retro stripes and stickers that came with the Laredo package on top of its original gold paint, massive all-terrain tyres and chunky chrome bullbar. The original 4.2-litre AMC straight-six engine – revered for its dependability – remains, as do the Bestop Dualmatic canvas hood and tan leather seats.
It all looks in fabulous condition, too, probably because it has covered just 67,000 miles and been mostly garaged since it arrived here in 1986. A CJ-7 won’t be as cheap to run, easy to fix or ruggedly capable as a contemporary Land Rover, but it lends itself to regular use in all weather far better than a V8 muscle car of similar vintage so is Americana that makes sense to own in Britain.
Looks can deceive, though, so we would look underneath with a torch to check all the chassis’ known weak points, ensure the aftermarket Holley carburettors are tuned to perfection and thoroughly examine the notoriously troublesome electrics.
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A CJ7 won’t be as cheap to run, easy to fix or ruggedly capable as a contemporary Land Rover
Apart from running costs, yes it will! CJ7s are very capable and very simple, therefore easy to fix.
It's also strange to call it a America's Defender, when really the Defender is Britain's Jeep. Let's not forget that the Defender lineage was ultimately started as a copy of the earlier Jeep CJ series, for the UK market, a fact often played down by British media. Plus, the CJ7 predates the Defender nameplate.
Parts will of course be more expensive over here than Land Rover ones, due to having to come mostly from the US, but the Jeep will be just as rugged, capable and easy to fix.
I had to remove all quotation marks from this, otherwise the website spam filter wouldn't allow me to post. I'll replace them with asterisks in the quote above!
The Virage is sensational. The six wheeled insanitymobile is also very cool
Autocar please fix your spam filter. Please explain why I had to post the above 6 times, before removing the hyphens between six and wheeled, and insanity and mobile, before it would be accepted. Just ridiculous.
That Aston Martin Virage wasn't built at Gaydon. It was already about 12 years old when the factory there opened in 2003.