The YJ-era Jeep Wrangler is a favorite of anyone who digs cars and trucks from the 80s and 90s, but it’s also just a great example of an era of 4x4s that were cheap as chips to run and easy to fix should they break. Obviously, the Wrangler has gotten increasingly complex over time, and these days it’s more suited to commuter duties than being an off-road plaything for someone who prioritizes 4WD capabilities over comfort and tech features. The Jeep shown here on eBay is a rare Renegade edition, which made the YJ just about the ultimate expression of 90s-era styling cues.
The Renegade is one of my favorite products of any company from this era in automotive history, but I also love that it coincided with the YJ. This generation of Jeep just seemed to over-index on being a product of its time, which the birth of multiple special editions like the Sahara and Islander packages that spoke directly to people who lived in places like Sedona or down by the beach and wanted to achieve a certain lifestyle. These were nothing more than decals and some special colors, but those trim lines are among the most sought after of any 4×4 made in the middle 90s. The Renegade is lesser known but a far more substantial styling package compared to those two.
What’s fascinating about the Renegade is the short-lived trend that Jeep was attempting to tie into. The “sport truck” niche was focused on building aggressive-looking pickups – typically 2WD models – through the use of aero enhancements, grippy tires, sharp wheels, and perhaps even a firmed-up suspension. The Ford Ranger GT is one that comes to mind, along with the Nissan Hardbody Desert Runner, which was one of the few 4WD models that was built for the same audience as the Ranger. The Wrangler Renegade is right there in between the two, offering standard 4WD but with a racy fiberglass body kit that makes it look lower and meaner than the standard YJ.
It was also marketed as being a “high end” Wrangler, a truck that had practically every one of the (limited) options offered by Jeep as standard equipment. Of course, Renegade package or not, the 4.0 I6 engine didn’t change, and that’s not a bad thing. The seller’s truck has just over 100K miles so it hasn’t seen much use in recent years, and it is equipped with the preferred 5-speed manual gearbox. Purportedly owned previously by a NASA engineer, the most recent owner is a woman who apparently only used it sparingly, and the seller reports that it runs smoothly and the paint came back to life with a quick detail. Bidding sits at $2,600 at the moment with the reserve unmet.
Nice rims on these Renegade edition Wranglers.
Jeep Outlaw rims Stan.
š pretty much Rw
91 first year for 4.0 H.0 , last year for that style roll bar…
Does it make sense to have a/c in a vehicle that does not have glass windows
in the doors?
Not the best looking jeep front end.
Same argument could be made about the heater but like a parachute you donāt miss it until you need it. Installed a clear fabric panel in my ā79 CJ5 behind the front seats, very effective in somewhat heating the front cab area on cold winter nights.
Iām interestedā¦Iād like to see Howard weigh in on thisā¦
Howard I bet approves Gary. The Chrysler Torq-flite autoloader on the column may be his preference though š¤ š
:)
This is when Jeep was a Jeep although you can see they are slowly moving into the more upscale crowd with its driving lights planted in the fenders, integrated painted front and rear bumpers and padded complicated dashboard.
But at least even though the top is plastic, not much else is. Future Jeeps are all plastic.
But as Jeeps go, these are among my favorites.
What is the BIN Price?
Throw in a pair of white British Knights and you got a deal……