The 70s weren’t all bad. Sure, we had an oil crisis and Watergate and Three Mile Island, among other even worse disasters. But we also benefited from the rise of disco balls, Atari video game consoles (hey, it was cool at the time), and Star Wars. If any of that creates a rush of fond memories for you, you’re going to like the newest crop of upfit options from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) for Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators.
For a limited production run, AEV is offering retro-styled Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Classic editions. They’re available in white or black at Rubicon trim level with period-correct orange, yellow, and black decal striping on the sides and hood. You wouldn’t be remiss if you were having flashbacks of Schoolhouse Rock and macramé wall hangings. As Streetside Classics so eloquently put it in its description of a 1981 Jeep Renegade, this color scheme is the off-road equivalent of the Trans Am Firebird hood decal.
Most importantly, the JL370 Wrangler Classic and JT370 Gladiator Classic come with a slew of add-on equipment by AEV, like a 2.5-inch DualSport RT suspension system, 7000 Series LED off-road lights, front geometry correction brackets, skid plate, steering stabilizer, white painted Salta XR wheels, and more.
Launched in 1997 in Missoula, Montana, AEV is known for its ability to stretch and mod off-road vehicles, primarily Jeep and Ram models. Sure, you could buy these parts separately and install them yourself but having them done by an upfitter like this is definitely easier. It’s going to cost you, though; the JL370 Wrangler Classic package starts at $20,500 and the JT370 Gladiator Classic package starts at $17,550.
It does not, unfortunately, come with a Members Only jacket. Sorry. But you can still crank up some Bee Gees, Exile, Commodores, or Eagles digitally and revel in the decade of groovy.
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