This Insane 1970s Custom Wagoneer Nicknamed ‘Jerrari’ Is Exactly What You Think
Jay Leno gets behind the wheel of a casino mogul’s Ferrari V12-powered Jeep Wagoneer SJ
Imagine that you’re a wealthy 1970s hotel and casino impresario who needs a fast SUV to rapidly transport showgirls between the airport in Reno, Nevada and your property on Lake Tahoe come rain, sleet, or snow. Next, imagine that you also happen to own both a Jeep dealership and a Ferrari dealership. The result could very well be the vehicle showcased in a recent video from Jay Leno’s Garage YouTube channel.
Ferrari refused to build a 4×4 for Harrah
As legend has it, casino owner and car fanatic Bill Harrah approached Enzo Ferrari about building a speedy four-wheel drive vehicle that could also conquer the occasional Tahoe snowstorm. When the request was declined, Harrah decided to come up with his own solution.
The original Jerrari was actually a green 1969 Wagoneer (SJ). The SJ not only got a Ferrari 365 GT powertrain, but its entire front clip. That’s right — the fenders, hood, and bumper from a Ferrari car were grafted to the first-gen Wagoneer body. This strange looking project was completed in-house by Harrah’s private shop, which more typically tended to his collection of more than 1,500 automobiles.
Reportedly, Harrah found the original 1969 Jerrari to be a bit too unique. Specifically, he was tired of instantly being recognized while driving it. The solution was to swap the V12 engine and 5-speed manual transmission into a then-new orange 1977 Wagoneer that’s the subject of our video.
While the orange Wagoneer appears mostly stock, a measuring tape will reveal that the front clip is actually stretched 2.5 inches to accommodate the Ferrari’s six cylinders per bank. An adapter mates the 5-speed manual to the Jeep’s factory transfer case, so part-time four-wheel drive is retained. If you’re wondering, the green 1969 Jerrari is still around. Nowadays, it’s propelled by a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine. We guess that makes it a “Jevy?” Or is it a “Jevrolet?”
Its top speed was over 140 MPH
The 4.4 liter Ferrari V12 that motivates the Jerrari is said to make about 320 horsepower. In the modern era of the 710 horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat, that might not seem too impressive. However, in the Malaise-era of 1970s low-compression smog engines, it was a bruiser. It’s mentioned several times in the video that Harrah would frequently run the Jerrari up to about 140 miles per hour. As Leno says, “Bill Harrah was a character.”
Sadly, Harrah only enjoyed his creation for about one year before he passed away in 1978. That said, he racked up about 15,000 miles during that time, proving that this vehicle really was daily driven. When Leno isn’t out test driving the Jerrari, it can be viewed in-person at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
Photos: Jay Leno’s Garage/YouTube
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