I don’t pose this question lightly. With the release of the Wrangler-based Gladiator, the massive sales success of the current Wrangler line-up and more on the way has Jeep’s overall popularity killed the wave?
What is the Jeep wave anyway?
There are differing theories on how and when the Jeep wave started. My personal favorite is that returning GI’s from World War II bought the surplus Jeeps and knew that the other driver most likely served as well. It was a greeting between people who had been willing to sacrifice everything to preserve their way of life.
That tradition carried over as more people bought the Jeeps and although it’s not exclusive to Jeep the wave is intrinsically linked with Jeep life. Along the way, it was further linked to the Wrangler excluding the other Jeep models.
Does the JT change that?
Based on daily anecdotal research I would say the JT doesn’t change the Wrangler centric wave. Should it? I would venture to say that the JT is based on the Wrangler, it shares the entire front half of the JL platform and is a worthy addition.
Is the wave just dead?
That brings us back to the original question. With so many people buying Wranglers and Gladiators as regular transportation and not for legendary capability and history. Will the wave continue?
Tell us your thoughts!
