It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…Super Jeep?

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

The 1970s was an era of unique and short-lived fads; think disco, rollerblades, and pet rocks, just to name a few! However, not everything born in the decade left a bad taste in the mouths of consumers; 1973 also introduced the world to the first-ever four-wheel-drive hot rod SUV: the forgotten Super Jeep.

In this article, we’re shedding light on this hyper-rare special sales order, including what sets it apart from conventional CJ-5s, how many were produced, for how long, and the odd reasoning behind the SSO’s creation.

The History of the Super Jeep

By 1973, the muscle car craze was in full swing. Models like the Ford Mustang Boss 302, Chevrolet Chevelle SS, and Dodge Challenger R/T dominated the street and strip. However, the popularity of said muscle cars is one of the key factors leading to the 1972–73 shortage of mag aluminum alloy wheels.

During the early 70s, special edition Jeeps were often adorned with alloy wheels, including the top-selling CJ-5 Renegade. They were one of the model’s defining features; come the 1972 shortage, how could AMC manage sales without them?

Noting an abundance of steel wheels, Jeep concocted a plan. The company needed a means of moving inventory during this shortage of mag wheels, requiring a special edition CJ-5 that tapped into the hype of the Muscle car market, all while running Jeep’s less-expensive steelies. And thus, the 1973 CJ-5 Super Jeep was born!

What Makes a Super Jeep so…Super?

Now, AMC was no Stranger to the muscle car market. Having produced such models as the Javelin, Rebel, and AMX, the company understood the importance of a peppy V8 powertrain, wild exterior graphics, and a custom interior to match! To counteract the tarnished aesthetic of replacing alloy wheels with conventional steelies, AMC slapped its venerable 5.0L V8 under the hood, producing solid power figures and an unmistakable V8 rumble!

With the drivetrain taken care of, the Super Jeep needed aesthetics to match. AMC applied elaborate, swirling stripes down each side of the body, paired with a massive star just before the rear wheel. The Super Jeep was available in a total of 6 paint colors, each a little bolder than the prior, including Jetset Blue Metallic and Champagne White, which received blue and red stripes, and Butterscotch Gold, Daisy Yellow, Copper Tan Metallic and Fairway Green Metallic, which were all treated to orange and white striping.

Accentuating the daring paint jobs were a handful of appearance goodies far removed from conventional CJ regalia, including a curved chrome front bumper, two-tone vinyl seats color-coordinated to the exterior paint hue, and L78-15 whitewall tires mounted on bright white painted steelies.

How Many Super Jeeps Were Produced?

Unfortunately, the shortage of mag wheels only lasted a few months. Once replenished with a fresh stock of aluminum alloys, Jeep reinstated production of Renegade models, thus ending the short life of the Super Jeep.

If you haven't already inferred, the Super Jeep edition CJ-5 is rare, and we aren’t talking CJ-8 rare; we mean truly, undoubtedly, unequivocally RARE. Of the 600,000-plus CJ-5s produced during the model’s run, AMC only sold approximately 300 Super Jeeps. Of these 300 produced, it’s nearly impossible to know how many remain, especially in their original striped trimmings; however, one of the most well-preserved examples is owned by the founder of one of RealTruck’s brands, Omix-ADA. The pristine Jetset Blue Metallic Super Jeep can be found in the Jeep collection at Omix-ADA’s headquarters, just North of Atlanta Georgia.

Considering the special edition’s rarity, gauging pricing is also next to impossible. The only listing we can find any information on is a rare, all-original, Daisy-yellow model that graced eBay for $45,000 in 2019; for an immaculate example, that’s probably a fair price.

Legacy

While short-lived, the Super Jeep left a notable impact on the Jeep community. It’s an example of the ingenuity and quick thinking of Jeep during the early AMC years; can you imagine a current-day manufacturer producing a hyper-limited special edition to offset wheel shortages? If the recent supply-chain crisis has taught us anything, it’s that manufacturers would rather sell consumers non-operational vehicles missing wheels (or microchips) than formulate a creative plan to appease their loyal customers.

In 1973, Jeep served the people. The company held onto the assertion that anyone can be super, mag wheels or not. If you've taken anything from this piece, it's that if you happen upon a starred-and-striped CJ-5 rotting away in a field, knock on some doors with a handful of cash and a smile!