Eliminator Package: 1990 Jeep Comanche

We often think of vehicles like the Ford F150 Lightning and Chevrolet SS as the dominant high performance trucks of the 90s. This was  a new segment of vehicles that combined utility with strong acceleration. However, the Jeep Comanche with the Eliminator package may have actually been the first of its kind – a trend setter – that was never fully appreciated for being a segment-defining vehicle. While it’s certainly loved for being a durable pickup truck, perhaps it’s time we also recognize that the on-road performance was outstanding as well. Check out this Comanche with the rare Eliminator package listed here on craigslist for $19,500.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jack M. for the find. The Comanche was a home run for Jeep when introduced, but it was only after the revered 4.0L inline-six engine was introduced. The introductory engine choices were lukewarm at best, but the 4.0 transformed Jeep in numerous ways across the lineup. When the first year model offered up a tepid 115 horsepower, and the 4.0L followed that introductory effort with 173 b.h.p., it made the Comanche not only a reliable workhorse but one that could hustle as well. The Comanche would even go on to spur its own racing series known as the SCCA RaceTruck Series, where its speed and handling capabilities were on display.

Heck, the Comanche would even go onto set speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats. A truck that could reach 60 in under 10 seconds was downright impressive at the time, and the lightly-modified example in Bonneville routinely put down average top speeds of over 140 miles per hour! This was banana-land speed for a pickup truck in the late 1980s, and Jeep was stuffing showrooms with them. The Comanche offered other features that were unusual in a pickup truck, like a proper headliner, floor carpeting, storage bins, bucket seats, a proper gauge cluster, and an aggressive wheels and tire package.

The Eliminator package upped the ante even further, with a full gauge package including a tachometer, a color-keyed grill, front air dam, fender flares, and special decals. This Comanche features wheels from a later Cherokee, but the original 10-hole aluminum wheels are worth tracking down to complete the original look. The hot ticket was getting one of these with the 5-speed manual transmission for a rig that could truly run with the big boys, but the automatic that this Comanche is equipped with is more common. The seller reports mileage of just over 137K and that the truck runs well. With less than 1,000 made and plenty of them likely already scrapped, a survivor Eliminator package truck like this is a rare find.