When the Gladiator returned for the 2020 model year, it was Jeep's first pickup truck in almost two decades. But back in the 1980s, the company had no fewer than three haulers in dealerships.
Introduced in 1962, the original Gladiator soldiered on with minor changes until 1988 (though it was renamed the J-Series in 1971). It was joined by a smaller truck based on the CJ-7 in 1981. Known as the CJ-8 Scrambler, it was offered until 1986. And that's when the Comanche, an even smaller pickup (based on the Cherokee), arrived.
While the Comanche was quite popular in the late 1980s, moving more than 30,000 units per year on average, the Scrambler went into the history books as a slow seller, with fewer than 30,000 examples delivered over five model years. But come 2022 and the Scrambler's lack of success turned the nameplate into a rare and sought-after classic.
Unfortunately, many of these trucks are rotting away in junkyards and barns, but a few unmolested survivors are still out there. Most of them are obviously located in the U.S., but Jeep collector Dennis Collins, who has been hunting down Scramblers for years now, found one all the way in Belize, Central America.
Originally sold in Texas, the pickup made it to the Caribbean country in 2016. And needless to say, it wasn't driven all that much before and after the move, because the odometer shows only 29,000 miles (46,671 km). And on top of being a fantastic survivor that will clean up nicely, it's also a rare example based on trim, specs, and color.
Collins says that only 20% of the Scramblers made in 1983 were delivered in top-of-the-line trim, which means around 800 examples of 4,000 made. He also says that only 10 to 20% of them were finished in red, which narrows it down to 80 to 160 trucks. The figure is likely even smaller if we take certain options and the T5 transmission into account, but one of 160 is good enough for a 1980s Jeep.
Needless to say, Dennis didn't pass up on the opportunity and purchased the Scrambler as soon as he gave it a quick inspection. And of course, he already arranged for the pickup to be transported back to the U.S., where it will sit next to other rare Jeeps in his collection.
Speaking of which, the video ends with another rare Jeep he purchased recently. It's a 1981 CJ-7 in Laredo trim. The SUV is in top-notch condition but the really cool thing about is that it's an export version with an Isuzu diesel engine under the hood. These CJ-7s weren't sold in the U.S. so they're rarer than hen's teeth on this side of the Atlantic.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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