The Jeep Wagoneer is a luxury 4x4 sold and produced for Jeep by several automakers from 1962 to 1991. Marketed as a station wagon, the pioneering design created the luxury 4X4 niche and became known in time as a "sport utility vehicle" (SUV). The 4WD Wagoneer stayed in production for 29 model-years (1963–1991) with almost unchanged body-structure, making it the third longest-produced single generation car in U.S. automotive history.
It was introduced in November 1962 for the 1963 model year as a successor to the Willys Jeep Station Wagon that had been built since 1946. Although sharing a pickup truck chassis (like its predecessor), the Wagoneer had a sophisticated station wagon body design, that was more carlike than any other 4x4 on the market. Compared with offerings from GM, Ford, International Harvester, and Land Rover — which were producing utilitarian work-oriented vehicles with spartan truck-like interiors — the Wagoneer's luxury set it apart. Together with the Gladiator Truck, the revolutionary Wagoneer SJ platform sported an advanced overhead cam straight-six engine, and offered features unheard of at the time in any other mainstream 4WD vehicle, such as independent front suspension, power steering, automatic transmission, a factory radio and optional air-conditioning.
The Wagoneer made its debut seven years before Land Rover launched its Range Rover in Great Britain, 18 years before the 4-door, and 24 years before that upscale marque appeared in the US. It was replaced by the smaller Jeep Grand Cherokee.
With competition from the "big three" automakers advancing on Jeep's four-wheel-drive market, Willys management decided that a new and more advanced vehicle was needed. Conceived in the early 1960s while Willys-Overland Motors was owned by Kaiser Jeep Corporation, the Wagoneer replaced the original Willys Jeep Station Wagon, originally introduced in July 1946 and in production until the 1964 model year.
Like its long-lived predecessor, the new 1963 Wagoneer took shape under industrial designer Brooks Stevens, while Willys' engineering staff handled the technical development. To appeal more to a mainstream public, the Wagoneer got a relatively low stance and car-like manners. The skirt-friendly entry height was accomplished with a married transfer-case and a thoughtful design that tucked the running gear up tight. Careful suspension tuning gave it a good ride, but because it was still a truck at heart, it could haul and tow as needed. Development took three years and cost around US$20 million.
The original Wagoneer was a full-size body-on-frame vehicle which shared its architecture with the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck. At first, it offered many body types, suspension, and drivetrain options. Available as both two- or four-door wagons, the two-door could be had as a "Panel Delivery" model with windowless sides behind the doors and double "barn doors" in the rear instead of the usual tailgate and roll-down rear window.
Early Wagoneers were powered by Willys' new "Tornado" SOHC 230 cu in (3.8 L) six-cylinder engine, which had debuted in 1962 as an option for Jeep's previous Station Wagons. The engine developed 140 hp (104 kW; 142 PS) and was noted for being quite fuel-efficient for its day. Both a 3-speed manual and automatic transmission were offered, each available with either 2WD rear-wheel-drive, or part-time four-wheel-drive without center differential, but with manually locking front hubs. The Warn hubs were utilized to engage or disengage the front wheels, to switch the drive-train between two-wheel or four-wheel drive mode.
Like on the original Willys Wagon, independent front suspension instead of a rigid front axle was again offered to give the Wagoneer a more car-like ride and handling. The original Wagoneer featured independent front suspension (IFS) as standard on the rear-wheel drive models and was optional on the four-wheel drive, for either $135 or $160.Instead of the Wagon's "Planadyne" design, the Wagoneer's IFS used swing axles and torsion bar springs, but they combined with short upper A-arms, tied into the torsion bars at their inner pivot points, such that the swing axles served as the lower control arms in a kind of double wishbone suspension design and the axles are located fore and aft by control links. On the four-wheel-drives, the IFS replaced the standard Dana 27AF axle with a single, center-pivot front axle that allowed the Dana 27 differential to swing with the curb-side half. Further, all Wagoneers had 11-inch drum-brakes all-around; seat belts were optional, and the 4WD came with a standard compass. Front and rear power take-offs were available for heavy-duty utility applications.
Shortly after introduction of the Wagoneer, in early 1963, Willys Motors changed its name to "Kaiser Jeep Corporation".
1964 introduced factory-optional air conditioning, as well as a lower-compression 133 hp (99 kW; 135 PS) Tornado engine, to remedy cooling problems and "pinging" at altitude the original had sometimes suffered. While it made less power, it returned greater economy, but this lower-compression version was phased out within a year.
As of 1965 all models came with a new standard safety package that included front and rear seat belts, a padded dash and high impact windshield, and a dual braking system.
Late-year 1965 Wagoneers and Gladiator pickup trucks were available with the 250 hp (186 kW; 253 PS) 327 cu in (5.4 L) AMC V8 engine, which proved to be a popular option. Additionally, the Tornado engine was replaced by American Motors' 232 cu in (3.8 L) OHV inline six. According to the automotive press this engine was smooth, powerful, reliable and easily maintained, but most likely it was cheaper.
Although the independent front suspension was positively reviewed, the option was not popular and was dropped from production, at least for the 4WD models, in 1965.
The 1966 model year also saw the introduction of the more luxurious Super Wagoneer, identified by a new more modern looking full-width grille. Initially sporting a higher-performance 270 hp (201 kW; 274 PS) version of the AMC V8, fitted with a four-barrel carburetor. With comfort and convenience features not standard or even available on other vehicles of its type at the time - e.g. push-button radio, seven-position tilt steering wheel, ceiling courtesy lights, air conditioning, power tailgate, power brakes, power steering, and console-shifted TH400 automatic transmission – the Super Wagoneer is now widely regarded as the precursor of today's luxury SUVs.
Production of the Super Wagoneer ended in 1969, and in total it is believed that 3,989 Super Wagoneers were produced.
Between 1967 and 1969, all rear-wheel drive only models, which the four-wheel drives had outsold from the beginning, were discontinued, and from then on all Wagoneers and Cherokees had solid axles and leaf-springs, both front and rear. At the end of 1968, the slow-selling two-door versions were also discontinued.
For 1968 through 1971, Wagoneers were powered by Buick’s 350 cu in (5.7 L) 230 hp (172 kW; 233 PS) Dauntless V8. The Dauntless made less horsepower than the previous AMC V8 (230 hp vs. 250), but more torque at lower rpm (350 ft⋅lbf (475 N⋅m) at 2400 rpm versus 340 ft⋅lbf (461 N⋅m) at 2600).
After the 1971 model year, Wagoneers were exclusively AMC powered.
In early 1970 AMC acquired Kaiser Jeep Corporation and began refining and upgrading the range. American Motors improved manufacturing efficiency and lowered costs by incorporating shared components such as engines. Reducing noise, vibration, and harshness improved the Wagoneer driving experience. Visually, a big change was made during the 1970 model year, by replacing the metal grill with a new plastic grill with an egg crate pattern instead of vertical bars.
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