What Does Jeep's 'Heart 419' Easter Egg Mean?

Easter eggs have become more and more prominent in the zeitgeist over the last couple of decades, largely due to an influx of filmmakers slyly adding nods toward cinema, books, and all things from the greater pop-culture sphere into their movies. But it would seem that certain factions from the automotive arena have also taken to the Easter egg frenzy of late, with some outfitting vehicles with symbols and numerical codes that allude to some little-known fact about them or the manufacturer's past.

Yes, you can count Jeep among that crew, with the automaker – which is now owned by the struggling Stellantis – going Easter-eggy with several of their builds, including the best-selling Gladiator pickup truck. Indeed, some Gladiator owners have discovered a rather mysterious set of numbers accompanied by a heart symbol on the left-hand side of the Jeep's truck bed. To be more precise, the numbers 419 are clearly stamped into the side of the bed, and they are preceded by a heart symbol. 

As it is, the Heart 419 Easter egg is far from Jeep's first, as the company has reportedly been adding such symbols to vehicles since the mid-to-late-1990s. If you're curious what, exactly, the Heart 419 means, the Easter egg reportedly references the area code of the Toledo, Ohio, plant in which Gladiators are made. As for the heart, well, it's likely that it harkens to the love that workers at the Ohio plan put into the making of every Gladiator manufactured there. 

For the record, there are several models of Jeep which have hidden symbols somewhere on their body. Since we're talking about the Gladiator, we'll continue to look at its Easter eggs, because there may be as many as eight hidden on the build, including the Heart 419. As for the other Easter eggs, it's likely you were drawn to the Gladiator in part for its polished black aluminum wheels. But if you've never closely examined the wheels, you might've missed the small red stamping of a Jeep on them, which actually depicts a World War II-era Willys.

If you look at the bottom corner of your windshield on the passenger side, you'll find another Willys etching there. While you're examining the windshield, also glance down at the cowl, as a pair of flip-flop sandals are inlayed there. Those sandals are reportedly a nod at auto journalist and longtime Jeep fan Rick Péwé, who fancies open-toed shoes.

You'll find another nod toward Jeeps of yesteryear on the climate control panel, which fronts what appears to be an old-school two door model. Yes, even the steering wheel design is an Easter egg in the Gladiator, as the three-pronged inlay circling the Jeep logo is inspired by the original Jeep steering wheel design. Likewise, if you opted for the halogen headlights, there's an O.G. Jeep grille design fixed in the middle. Finally, when cycling through the Trip Info screen in your Gladiator, pay close attention to the dash display, as a picture of a Willys will indeed flash by.