Long before the current Jeep Gladiator arrived on the scene, there was another pickup truck in Jeep’s line up, sort of a Jeep El Camino, half Cherokee and half pickup. Known as the Jeep Comanche, this versatile vehicle combined the Cherokee’s “go anywhere” ruggedness with “haul all of your stuff” functionality. Not seen often anymore, here’s a like new, 1991, example, located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and available here on eBay for a BIN price of $6,990. There is a “make an offer” option too.

Produced between 1986 and 1992, approximately 130K copies of the Comanche, designated model “MJ”, rolled off of the Toledo, Ohio assembly line. Built with two different sized beds, a six-footer like this example, or a seven-foot version, there was a multitude of different drivetrain configurations available for the Comanche.

Hands down, this is the finest example of a Comanche I’ve seen in years! They seem to have frequently ended up in trade service and wear the battle scars to prove it. The seller states that this Jeep is a former west coast resident and it has been babied, serviced and maintained. It looks it! With 98K miles on its clock, there’s not a hint of anything amiss on the exterior of this Comanche. Even the “Sport Truck” stripe still looks fresh not to mention the red finish which shows no sign of fading, a common trait for red. I’m no stranger to this era Jeep, I owned a ’91 Cherokee for twenty-five years and know where the exterior faults are. While there aren’t many, actually, this Jeep shows no signs of any.  Unlike a Cherokee, the Comanche has a cargo bed, obviously, and this example has kept its bed protected with a bed-liner. It’s in great shape.

The underside is a curious design. Like the Cherokee, it is a unibody architecture upfront but a perimeter frame is employed under the cargo bed with the fuel tank moved inside of the frame rails, just ahead of the rear axle on the driver’s side. There is no sign of rust or corrosion, just a few notable places when the undercoating has chipped away.

This Jeep employees AMC’s/Chrysler’s 2.5-liter in-line, four-cylinder engine, good for 130 net HP. The 4.0 liter, in-line six would have been the preferred engine, a completely indestructible design, but this 2.5-liter motor, which the seller claims, “runs exceptionally well” is certainly adequate. To add to this truck’s pulling-power, there is a five-speed manual transmission in place which thoroughly redeems any reticence that the four-cylinder powerplant may have. It is a nice, added bonus! The only thing that would add to this truck’s motivational capability would be the optional 4X4 set-up but it’s not included with this example, it’s just standard 2WD.

I’d recognize that instrument panel anywhere! I stared at one exactly like it for twenty-five years. While it is a spartan affair, it is in keeping with the entire vibe of the passenger compartment, which like the exterior, is also in magnificent shape. The odometer may register 98K miles but the interior appears unused; this Comanche has truly been babied and not really put to work. The interior fabrics, carpet and other materials in these Jeeps are durable but this interior is exceptional.

There is usually a lot of good stuff to mention in a write-up like this followed by a “but”, sometimes a big “but”. No buts here, there are no cautionary items to reference. I say, buy it, drive it and enjoy it, how about you?