Co-founder Neil Richards-Smith...
Co-founder Neil Richards-Smith said: "Our cover can be car-based or we can offer personal membership. After all, why should someone with a three-year-old model pay the same as someone whose vehicle is 10 years old?" The company does without its own vehicles and technicians, relying instead on more than 4,000 independent operators.
Hot on the heels of...
Hot on the heels of the brand"s Commander, Compass, Patriot and new Wrangler, the practical truck concept is officially being considered for production. And the great news for British buyers is that if the project goes ahead, it"s more than likely to come here.
The car is known as the JT, and based on a Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited chassis. It has a host of mud-plugging features, including a three-inch suspension lift and 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tyres. There are also differential locks, a front sway bar that disconnects for extra wheel articulation and rock-rails under the flanks to prevent damage when going over boulders. A winch to help others out of trouble is also included.
The JT will appear at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in October. But what happens after that has yet to be decided. Jeep pick-ups have been sold in the US before, but a new one would compete with products from sister brand Dodge. However, Europe is a different matter because they"re not officially sold here. A source close to the project told us: "The idea of a pick-up is being evaluated, and Jeep UK has said that if the Americans do give it the green light, then we would be very interested."
The pick-up market in Britain has seen huge growth in recent years with the launch of cars such as the Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara.