Thursday, March 9, 2017

1971 Jeepster Commando Station Wagon Hurst Edition

Here's one from Bolo - many thanks!

When is a station wagon not really a station wagon? When it's an SUV, of course.

Nowadays, that's not really much of a distinction and don't get K2 started on the subject, if you value your time and sanity (Hey, now!). So it's odd that the corporate marketing department and the powers that be chose to create the Station Wagon Hurst Edition trim level of the Jeepster Commando. The later part I get; what car enthusiast over the age of 20 hasn't heard of Hurst. But why label it a station wagon?

Despite the marketing, this wasn't a vehicle aimed at families even if they did live in rugged terrain, which is now the tres chic outdoor mall parking lot these days.

500 were planned, but supposedly only about 100 were produced. Actual production numbers are shrouded in mystery and lost in the mists of time, much to K2's chagrin (Hey, again!). The promised performance never lived up to the stripe job; the handling and braking were atrocious and dangerous in emergency situations. And the engine was woefully under-powered, despite six cylinders and a eight thousand redline. So much so that engineers addressed these issues for the 1972+ model year. But by then the Station Wagon Hurst Edition was gone and quickly forgotten.


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