1969 Jeepster Commando proves that classic design never goes out of style.
At some time back in the mid-1960s, someone in a Kaiser Jeep boardroom must have asked the question, “Why should Toyota and International have the all the fun?” The two companies made the now-beloved Land Cruiser and Scout, respectively. Kaiser Jeep decided to crash the party with its Jeepster Commando, like this badass 1969 model that we recently ran across on the Leake online auction site.
Before AMC’s eventual ownership of Jeep, the slant-backed off-roader was available with four- and six-cylinder power in a variety of body styles: pickup truck, wagon, and convertible. According to the auction company’s description, this particular Commando was owned by the same family for 42 years and purchased from them. The interior is new and the copper paint seems to be fresh, too.
Kaiser Jeep offered early Jeepster Commandos with an inline four-cylinder engine or a V6 – the Dauntless 225 from Buick. This Commando has a Buick V6, but it’s a 231-cubic-inch unit, so the 225 has either been enlarged or the power plant is a true 231 from a mid- to late-1970s General Motors car (think Buick Skyhawk or Chevy El Camino). No matter what it came out of, it’s hooked to a manual transmission and four-wheel drive. And if we go by the Jeep(ster)’s reputation for reliability and endurance, this gem should still have plenty of years of open-air wheeling and four-wheel-drive fun left in it.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
