One of the more interesting wrinkles in the modern enthusiast car landscape is when a modern vehicle becomes a collector’s item – but quietly. When the LJ-chassis Jeep Wrangler was introduced, it barely caused much of a flutter amongst enthusiast circles. The slightly longer wheelbase wasn’t necessarily all that astounding at first glance, but these long wheelbase TJ-series Wranglers have been hot for some time. Check out this low-mileage LJ here on eBay with bids to $16,600 and the reserve unmet.

The longer wheelbase amounted to about a 10-inch stretch over the standard TJ model, and made it possible to comfortably carry four adults and some gear, or two adults and a very respectable amount of luggage. The other benefits were less obvious but immediately known by off-road enthusiasts, which included better load transfer that comes natural to a longer wheelbase vehicle and helps to avoid the gut-wrenching “tipping” scenario that can unfold on trails with short wheelbase rigs. In addition, the LJ is still quite a bit shorter than the replacement model that followed, such as the JK or JL-series Wranglers, which were much longer and more geared towards being used as a daily driver.

Other attractive features of the longer wheelbase LJ is increased towing capacity, rising from a fairly limiting 2,000 pounds in the standard length TJ to a respectable 3,500 limit. That certainly opens the door for more utility and actually being able to tow something worth the decrease in fuel economy. Off-road hardware was impressive right out of the box, with the LJs equipped with a Dana 30 front axle and a rear Dana 44 with a limited-slip differential. If you find the holy grail of LJs – a Rubicon edition – you get even more off-road goodies.

And, of course, up front is the unkillable inline-six that made many of us fans of the Wrangler and the Cherokee in the first place. When you look at the modern Wrangler lineup, it can seem like we’re spoiled with endless options for an off-road friendly cruiser, but in reality, my feeling is we’ve spoiled the recipe through over consumption. The Wrangler used to be more of a niche vehicle, and along with that came more specialized models geared towards people who actually used their Wranglers as intended. If you’re in the market and can be patient, save your money and buy one of these limited-production LJs: you’ll get everything you want in a modern Jeep and have an appreciating asset in the garage.