At least not by some Europeans.
A few weeks back The Baron got folks’ feathers riled by showing them the Jeep 38 and telling them that Chrysler was becoming the automotive equivalent of Heckler & Koch.
This may be true, but look at what happened with the Hummer. I think that we will be able to see something similar in five years or so.
Personally, unless you absolutely had to have a diesel engine, I don’t know why someone would go for something so easily stolen. If you wanted something like the Jeep 38, buy a mid-90’s Comanche, slide a Dana 44 under the back with some overload springs, and bars over the bed to cover with your selected color of canvas, and you’d be set. Or you could just buy a Buddy, like I did (95% of all the Cherokee parts will fit on a Comanche).
Or, for those that don’t want to wait, you can go Italian
Okay, granted the Campagnola is not targeted towards mainstream buyers. But for a hard-core off-roader (or military procurement officer), Fiat’s truck subsidiary Iveco is now offering an alternative to the Land Rover Defender or Jeep Wrangler, only with some decidedly retro, premium touches. We brought you initial details on the Giugiaro-styled Campagnola just a few days ago, but now Iveco has released a whole new batch of high-resolution images and full details for your perusal. In brief, the Campagnola is based on the Massif, which Iveco launched just this past March, and is is powered by a 16-valve 3.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with variable-geometry turbocharger driving 176 horsepower through a locking differential and six-speed manual to all four wheels. It’s available only in green or beige, with matching steel rims and a fully outfitted cabin.
I don’t have a whole lot of experience with the Iveco trucks, but of the three that we have at my place of employ, only one has been in the shop for something other than an oil change in just under three years and an average of 90K miles. The records show a faulty relay of some sort, which figures, it is Italian.
The Campagnola passes Euro emissions, so it should pass them here as well. Which means that if you talk to an Iveco dealer, they could probably get you a line on one via Canada.
I see their box vans/trucks all over on a daily basis, so they have to be better than half-assed if folks are willing to fleet them. Anyone here got any extra info on Iveco?
That Italian sweetie is damn near $45,000 list.
Hummers were in the $70K range when they first hit and I’m sure the J38 would be well above $35K.
That is also why I suggested the Comanche. For under $10K you could get everything you wanted except for the diesel mill and locking diffs.