3 Discontinued Jeep Models That Deserve A Second Chance

With its origins dating back to rough-and-tumble vehicles operated by U.S. soldiers across European battlefields during World War II, Jeep has long been a brand associated with toughness and durability. But in the years since Jeep's 4x4 acumen was no longer needed in battle, the company has transformed itself from wartime hero into a celebrated consumer brand fronting a lineup of street-ready vehicles that are as much fun to drive in the city as they are far off the beaten path.

Of course, with almost eight decades worth of consumer production under its belt, the Jeep lineup has, understandably, seen no shortage of overhauls, with the company offering all manner of off-road-ready vehicles to the adventure-loving masses over the years. These days, Jeep focuses mainly on models based largely on the vehicles it first sent to battlefields in the 1940s, as well as an impressive lineup of compact, mid-, and full-sized sport utility vehicles. 

As impressive as the current stable of Jeeps is, there are no doubt models from years past that longtime fans of the brand not only miss but might like to see make a return to the company's lineup via a modern revival. You can count us among that particular group of Jeep fans, so here's a look at a handful of classic builds from the storied brand that we'd love to see the manufacturer give a second chance. 

When one talks about the early days of Jeep's consumer auto production — when it was technically still going by Willys – the conversation tends to center on the CJ models that were, in effect, wartime builds that were modified for use by the general public. But even in the early days of the company's existence, the brand's design team was looking beyond just those utilitarian 4x4 vehicles — a fact evinced by the existence of the Willys Wagon. 

Inspired by the old woodies manufactured by major brands like Ford and Mercury, Jeep's version featured no wood at all, with the now super-rare Willys Wagon becoming the first vehicle in that style to be entirely made of steel when it debuted in 1946. That particular design change made the Willys Wagon far more durable than its wood counterparts. Meanwhile, the vehicle's drop-down tailgate proved a legitimately ground-breaking innovation, with Jeep even claiming the feature may well be responsible for the first tailgate parties. Likewise, the CJ-inspired front end gave the vehicles a tough, but fun-loving appeal.

More importantly, the vehicle was as fit for use around the neighborhood as it was in the field, boasting a roomy cabin and cargo hold as well as a washable interior to boot. The vehicle was discontinued in 1965, and it is tough to say exactly what a Willys Wagon might look like with a modern upgrade. But Jeep could arguably use a wagon-styled offering in its current lineup, and if we had our way, we'd push hard to keep any revival build looking as close to the '46 models as possible.

Given its utilitarian background, it made a lot of sense that Jeep would eventually venture into the pickup truck arena, with the brand's first full-on pickup — the Willys-Overland — making its debut in 1947. That debut marked a departure for Jeep as a brand, and the company would go on to develop several different models of pickups over the ensuing decades, many of which were of the full- or mid-size variety.

In 1986, the company pivoted away from making big-body trucks to deliver a stylishly sporty light-duty build in the Jeep Comanche. The regular cab pickup is, clearly, a spin on Jeep's then recently upgraded Cherokee SUV. For the Comanche, the brand essentially chopped off that vehicle's passenger-minded back end and replaced it with a truck bed, giving the vehicle a sporty, and decidedly approachable look for Jeep fans who might otherwise not have been looking to get behind the wheel of a pickup truck.

Perhaps in hopes of bolstering the Comanche's appeal to the truck-averse, Jeep even began offering it in a short-bed Sport version and a long-bed model dubbed the Chief. Unfortunately, the Comanche's run ended after seven model years, with Jeep killing the build in 1992. Surprisingly, the manufacturer did not replace the now very collectible Comanche with a new model pickup, and hasn't offered a truck that wasn't essentially just a Jeep Wrangler with a flat bed — see the Gladiator — since. We can't help but think it's time for Jeep to go all-in on a new pickup truck, and we'd love to see the Comanche serve as its inspiration. 

The 1960s were a time of change for many, and it indeed found Jeep making great efforts to broaden its lineup for a new generation of drivers. That included the addition of its first SUV, with the iconic Wagoneer debuting in 1963. In 1967, Kaiser-Jeep would offer another, distinctly different SUV in the Jeepster Commando. The vehicle was not the first Jeep to bear the Jeepster moniker, with the manufacturer offering a convertible sports car under the same name between 1948 and 1951. The Jeepster that debuted in the early '60s did share some design elements with its predecessor, but it was a different sort of beast, hence the addition of the Commando surname.

The Jeepster Commando essentially married the best of the Willys Jeepster and Commando builds to deliver a sleek and sporty build that had legit 4x4 capabilities. Though it never quite rivaled competitors like the Ford Bronco or Land Cruiser as Jeep had hoped, one could argue the Jeepster Commando was every bit as tough, with Jeep looking to seize on its sleek design to appeal to younger drivers — even going so far as to market it as a vehicle "designed to handle the elements and impress the ladies on the beach."

The model underwent several design changes during its seven-year production run, with Jeep eventually even ditching both the Jeepster name and the classic Jeep grille in 1972. While a case could be made the front-end redesign ultimately turned off many a Jeep fan, we also can't help but think it might make a great starting point for any modern revival of the Jeepster Commando.