Jeep Walk Arounds At Rugged Ridge’s Off-Road Success Center

SEMA is all about the vehicles, from high budget show pieces to the classics that are brought back to life it can all be seen on the show floor. Omix-ADA brings Jeeps from their large collection to the show every year, but change the theme.

This year’s theme for the show was Family. All of the Jeeps were used for families or have ties to being a family car. On display was a 1947 Willys Station Wagon, which is known as the world’s first SUV. These vehicles were as comfortable as they were luxurious and were created to accommodate multiple passengers.

With families growing in size the need for a vehicle with more than four passengers was needed. The Willys Station Wagon featured the first all steel bodies in North America, which was considered an improvement of the traditional woody.

The Willys Overland VJ Jeepster was created to bridge the gap between the utilitarian post-war universal CJ series and the 1-ton family-oriented station wagons. The center showcased a 1949 VJ Jeepster which was only offered in rear-wheel drive. This model Jeep did not attract the traditional Willys customers because of its sportier look.

Also on display was a 1966 Jeep Wagoneer which has 17,830 original miles on it. This Jeep was originally bought in 1966 to tow an Airstream trailer and was painted silver green to match the trailer.

There were two previous owners, one of which was Carmen Manzardo, a well-known sprint car racer, who drove it until 1989 when he parked it. A broker acquired it in 2015 and repainted the Jeep back to its original Glacier White.

The 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on display featured green paint and the iconic woodgrain paneling. This model Jeep also featured power accessories and a 360ci V8. The one on display was one of only 6,449 produced in 1990.

This area of the show is always a great place to shop and see vehicles that you do not see every day. Every vehicle in this spot is running and driving, not just on display for looks. We do have some ideas about next year’s display, but we will keep them tight until the show nears.