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Turn your Jeep into a scavenger hunt with these Easter eggs. Some are obvious, others you've probably seen a hundred times without noticing.
Austin IrwinCar and Driver
You won't find Jeep hiding behind Botox and a nose job in its old years—quite the opposite. Jeep is proud of its age, and in recent years celebrating it has turned into a
scavenger hunt. Fiat Chrysler has recently added design elements that are more than just rubber or plastic trim. Most of these Easter eggs pay homage to the 1917 Willys, the original Jeep. Many owners find them by accident, as Jeep has put them in some obscure and even unlikely places such as the headlight housings. Although our the 2020 Jeep Wrangler
Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel had LED headlights, Wranglers and other Jeeps with standard halogens have a tiny Willys grille stamped in front of the bulbs. When we inspected the 2015 Jeep Renegade, we found more than 30 Easter eggs. Check out the 20 we found during our testing of the
260-hp EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Wrangler.
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Tailgate and Door Warning
When it comes to classic shapes, there's nothing like the silhouette of a Jeep Wrangler—except maybe the new Ford Bronco. Where other manufacturers use some boring low-res 3D model of a generic depiction of their product, Jeep's tailgate and open-door warning light reminds Jeepers of more than just a loose latch.
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Willys Wheels
Our 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Diesel was covered in Willys signage. There's one on each wheel, including the spare, and a few more hidden elsewhere. For 2020, Jeep now offers a Willys Edition, built on the Wrangler Sport S, which carries specific features like the Willys hood decal, LED headlights, and a gloss-black sport grille.
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Grille on the Hood
It's a pretty important part of a car but Nobody pays attention to it—until now. Yes, the seven-slit grille makes an appearance on the hood where the windshield wipers attach.
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Dimensions
We doubt anyone is going to stop you on the street and ask how long the wheelbase is on your two-door Wrangler, but these days anything is possible. If it happens, your answer can be found conveniently riveted to the tailgate. Specs listed for Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited include overall length, wheelbase, water-fording depth and speed, overall width, and track width.
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Morse Code
Morse code proved as vital during World War II as the Willys Jeep itself. It was the quickest means of communication at the time between ships and airplanes, as well as across continents when you needed to keep track of enemy troop movement. What does this plastic transmission encode? JL. But it's all dits and dahs to us.
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Ignition Animation
In June 1940, the United States Army solicited bids from 135 automakers for a light reconnaissance vehicle, one that would be tough enough to last beyond World War II. Three companies responded: Bantam, Ford, and Willys. The Willys-Overland won the contract in July 1941, and the Army requested 16,000 revised MB models at a unit price of $738.74. That's why the year 1941 is so important and appears in the gauge cluster every time you start your Jeep. Also, a Wrangler drives across the bottom of the center cluster.
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Willys Windshield Silhouette
Found in a corner of car that's rarely scrutinized, the bottom corner of the passenger side of the windshield, a Willys drives up the frit. The what? The little black dots that border the glass is known as the frit, a black enamel added to the glass to help bond it to the vehicle. You can pretend it's volcanic rock. We're all entitled to our fantasies.
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Steering Wheel Secrets
If this one's hidden right under your nose, we suggest changing your seating position. Look closely at the center of the Jeep Wrangler's steering wheel. The three notches around the circle surround are a tip of the hat to the three-spoke steering wheel on the Willys. Neat, huh?
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On the Buttons
The interior of the latest-generation Wrangler is one of its biggest improvements. A bigger infotainment screen and improved ergonomics with texture and depth across the dashboard make it more adventurous and less base Dodge Charger than the previous generation. Not to be overlooked, the buttons for both recirculating air and hill-descent control use the iconic Wrangler shape.
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What's in a Taillight?
A closer look at the taillights reveals a familiar face. Maybe this one was done on purpose, or maybe it's just shapes being shapes, but the illuminated outline looks somewhat like a Willys front grille. It might be a very subtle nod to the original Jeep. Or maybe it's the head of a hammer or a frosty mug of your favorite lager. Maybe it's just a taillight?
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Willys Knob
Only offered on eight-speed automatic Jeep Wranglers, the thick gear knob holds another Willys design element, as seen on other parts inside and out.
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What's This Called?
There's no place too hidden, obscure, or small for Jeep designers to hide these nods to Jeeps of the past. We found another example of the seven-slotted grille on the cover for the forward facing radar camera. Jeep tells us the slots also help disperse heat, and although you would normally call it a coincidence, this was done intentionally to pay homage to a classic.
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30 Easter Eggs on the Jeep Renegade
Wondering what type of hidden elements are on the Jeep Wrangler? Here are 20 we found on a Jeep Renegade. See the List