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The Jeep of the 1970s and ‘80s, the CJ-7, combined unbeatable off-road abilities with loads of style and personality.
The Last Jeep
Few vehicles have the legacy, name recognition, the iconic status of the Jeep. To call the Jeep beloved is an understatement. From the battle fields of WWII to the Rubicon Trail, the Jeep has earned its rugged, go-anywhere reputation across decades of trial and toil. Today’s Jeep Wrangler can trace its linage all the way back to the Willys-Overland MB. That line, however, is not entirely unbroken.
In fact, the transition from the CJ-7 to the Wrangler is a demarcation between the civilized (literally) versions of military hardware that the CJ Jeeps were and the modern iterations of the YJ, TJ, and beyond Jeep Wranglers. The CJ-7 of the 70s and 80s was the last of the repurposed warhorses before the Jeep became fully domesticated with the advent of the Wrangler.
Today, the CJ-7 is still considered some of the best and most capable Jeeps ever created, making it a sought-after classic among off-roading enthusiasts.
Background
The origins of the CJ jeeps goes back all the way to 1945 when then owner Willys-Overland was looking for a way to adapt their MB military jeep for civilian buyers back home in the States. The new vehicle was called the CJ, aka the Civilian Jeep, and marketed to farmers and outdoorsy types as a rough and capable 4×4 runabout. Despite their “civilian” focus, the early CJ models were not especially comfortable for daily use and sales were not strong.
Kaiser Motors bought Jeep from Willys-Overland in 1953 and kicked off a new generation of CJ, the CJ-5, influenced in part by the MB Jeeps built for the Korean War. The new CJ-5 would eventually become the longest-running generation of Jeep, running all the way to 1983, overlapping with its successor, the CJ-7.
Ultimate Off-Roader
By this time, Jeep was in the hands of American Motors Corporation (AMC) and one of its rare bright spots of profitability amidst an otherwise struggling line up (see our coverage of Gremlin and Pacer). The new CJ-7 offered new trim lines, new engine options, and greater comfort and drivability, taking the Jeep to new levels of popularity.
As good as the CJ-5 was, it was still firmly rooted in the military MB jeeps of old and therefore lacked on-road stability. To solve this deficiency, the new CJ-7 Jeep, introduced in 1976, lengthened the wheelbase to 93.5-inches, ten inches longer than the CJ-5. The frame rails of the chassis were also moved outward for a wider stance.
Other changes that came with the CJ-7 included a removable hardtop, steel doors, square-off door frames, a new “Quadra-Trac” four-wheel drive system with high and low ranges, as well as more cargo room and an optional three-speed automatic transmission.
Engines included AMC’s 150 cu.-in. inline-four, GM’s “Iron Duke” 151 cu.-in. four-cylinder, 232 and 258 cu.-in. straight-sixes, AMC’s 304 cu.-in. V8, and, for 1980-82, an Isuzu 145 cu.-in. diesel. Numerous transmissions were offered as well including three-, four-, and five-speed manuals and GM’s three-speed Turbo-HydraMatic 400 automatic, the first time a Jeep featured an automatic transmission. Dana 20 and Dana 300 transfer cases were also offered as part of the four-wheel drive system.
The combination of new creature comforts, better on-road manners, and sterling off-road capabilities made the CJ-7 Jeep the premier off-road vehicle in America.
Golden Eagle Jeep, Jamboree Jeep, and More
If you are familiar at all with today’s Wrangler, you will know the outlandish number of trims Jeeps offers for the 4×4. Though not as extensive as today, the CJ-7 Jeep had a plethora of exciting and eye-popping trims to choose from.
The Renegade package added features like a padded roll bar, power steering, and power brakes. The high-end Loredo trim (’82-’86) got you chrome for the grille, bumpers, and wheels. The Golden Hawk trim was offered for 1980 only, produced in extremely low numbers (estimated at under 200) and is therefore extremely rare today. The Golden Eagle trim had a Levi’s soft-top, a spare tire lock, tachometer, clock, carpeting, fender extensions, and an eagle decal on the hood. Under the hood was the 304 V8.
The most famous of CJ-7 trims was the 1982 Jamboree Commemorative Edition, built to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rubicon Trail. The Jamboree came with a host of features including chrome bumpers and wheels, black carpeting, gold seat accenting, a padded roll bar with saddle bags, a black soft top, and Jamboree decals and spare tire cover. Paint colors came in either Gold or the exceedingly rare White, with less than a hundred of the latter produced.
The package as such cost $1,332 but could go all the way to $2,162 when accessing a list of performance options. These included a heavy-duty suspension, an upgraded battery, an upgraded cooling system, a tach, clock, 20-gallon fuel tank, bumper-mounted lights, power steering, power brakes, and a limited-slip rear axle. Originally, 2,500 units had been planned for the Jamboree Edition, but a scant 630 were built, making these Jeeps rare and expensive collectors’ items today.
CJ Epilogue
Like the CJ-5 before it, the CJ-7 had its roots in the MB military jeeps and it was clear that after ten years, the Jeep needed a makeover. Just as AMC was in its final days, the company released a new generation, the Jeep Wrangler (the YJ), in 1986 for the 1987 model year. The new Jeep was more comfortable and maneuverable than ever before. When AMC was bought out by Chrysler, what remained of AMC became the new Jeep-Eagle division.
There is a distinct irony when it comes to Jeeps and the Jeep brand. While the companies that owned Jeep kept running into trouble (Kaiser, AMC, and Chrysler), the Jeep brand itself remained successful thanks to its extraordinarily loyal fanbase, and for that Jeeps like the CJ-7 deserve much of the credit.
