SEMA Jeep alert! Jeep always makes a big splash at their booth, and this year is no exception. Showcased on the floor is their CJ6 concept vehicle. On the outside it is very cool looking, especially in its bright copper-gold metallic (nearly orange) paint scheme, it is what’s underneath that makes this Jeep stand out.
Jeep Introduces a "Wrangler CJ" at SEMA
The outside body is a modified “Tuxedo Park Mark (MK)” series Jeep. At its fundamental core, it is a
CJ-5. However, in 1961, Kaiser (who made Jeeps back then) wanted a vehicle that was not so “farm” related and a bit more “upscale.” They offered it as a trim option, with added accessories, such as more chromed add-ons (much like Jeep folks do today!). There were three slightly different versions and were sold as the Mark I, II, and III designations. In 1964 Kaiser sold the CJ5 Tuxedo Parks as its stand alone model package. Again, chrome parts were a large proportion of the options. Either way, they were not sold in high numbers, and are rare to find today. Not that that would be hard for Jeep (the FCA) to find one and bring it back to life. However, Jeep took it one step further by adding the body to a slightly more modern
TJ Wrangler frame. But not with the 4.0L - they stuffed a Mopar V8 in the engine compartment, and hooked it up to a six-speed transmission. To round out this hot package, they gave it Dana 44s front and rear.
While messaging the body, they did slip in some cues from the JK Wranglers. Specifically the hood scoop inserts, along with some headlight bezels and bumpers, not to mention the center console. The custom steering wheel goes further with a Jeep 50th anniversary Moab Easter Jeep Safari logo, and the sport seats are right out of a Dodge Viper. There are various other Jeep and Mopar parts added, as well as some aftermarket parts you might recognize, such as the Warn winch. We like the way they combined old and new technology, as well as looks, to build a Jeep that any Jeep fan would want to drive. What do you think?
