The XJ spawned a diverse family, but some members caught on better than others. The Wagoneer Limited was a better trimmed, Di-Noc-ed XJ that sported stacked headlights (Update: stacked headlights started in 1986; in ’84 and ’85, it used a variation of the Cherokee grille) to distinguish it from the lesser (but much more popular) Cherokee. Whether AMC had planned on replacing the heavy and thirsty Grand Wagoneer with the XJ Wagoneer is speculative; it certainly seems likely, given the explosive gas prices at the time it was being developed, but obviously, things didn’t work out that way.
The Grand Wagoneer got a new lease on life due to sinking oil prices, and it ended up outlasting the XJ Wagoneer by one year. The XJ Wagoneer just never really caught on, and 1990 was its last year. But that wasn’t the end of the D-Noc.
From 1991 through 1993, the Cherokee Briarwood kept the woody-Jeep theme alive a few more years. “Briarwood”: Who the hell came up with that? Ironic, naming a plastic-wood-clad car Briarwood? Gotta’ love those Naming Department Whiz Kids. How about “Liarwood”?
Update: there was also a base version of the Wagoneer without wood trim, but it was a wallflower in the sales stats.
To add to the nomenclature confusion, the ’93 ZJ “Grand Cherokee” was available in a woodie’d version known as…the Grand Wagoneer. It was really the first of the ZJs, available in late ’92 as a fully tricked-out model. Lasted a year.
Not bad looking, really.
Nice of Chrysler to lift “Briarwood” straight from the GM scrap bins!
My mistake—Chevy had the Brookwood and the Greenbriar, but no Briarwood. Still not as nice as a Kingswood!
GMH used the Kingswood badge from 68 thru 80 for their Holdens
From 1958-61 and again from 1969-72, full-size Chevrolet station wagons were not marketed as part of Chevy’s normal full-size model lineup, but had their own unique model names. At various times Kingswood and Brookwood were among them, as was Parkwood.
From 1968-72, the intermediate Chevrolet Chevelle followed a similar arrangement (the wagons were still called Chevelles, they were not entirely distinct models like the full-size wagons, but had their own unique subseries names rather than using the regular Chevelle subseries names like Malibu). One of the Chevelle wagons was called the Chevelle Greenbriar. Chevrolet had also used the name earlier for the Corvair Greenbriar, the passenger van version of the Corvair truck.
And the cheapest Chevelle wagon was called the Nomad. Lots of name recycling over at Chevrolet.
I always found it odd that Chevrolet recycled the Nomad name on the cheapest Chevelle wagon.
Both the original 1955-57 Nomad (which was a stylish, “quasi-hardtop” 2-door wagon) and 1958-61 Nomad (which was a conventional 4-door wagon, essentially the wagon equivalent to the Impala) were top-of-the-line models.
By contrast the 1968-72 Chevelle Nomad was a bottom-end stripper, apparently introduced as a replacement for the Chevy II wagon that was dropped after 1967. The Nomad is sometimes said to correspond to the base Chevelle 300, but there hadn’t been a base 300 wagon in 1967, and the base 300 sedan was completely dropped after 1969. I think a wagon existed at this trim level more to cover for the lack of a compact wagon than due to a perceived demand for a wagon among customers buying other Chevelles at this trim level.
We pondered that same issue here a while back: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-capsule-1969-chevelle-nomad-wagon-more-name-debasement-and-confusion/
Maybe Jeep should have called the Commander the Wagoneer instead. It probably wouldn’t have helped sales as much as more widely appealing styling, but it couldn’t have hurt.
The grille and headlights on the Wagoneer look like a 1980s interpretation of the 1965-1966 Ambassador front.
“Briarwood” recalls the Greenbriar designation used on the first Nash Rambler station wagons.
The grille and headlights on the Wagoneer look like a 1980s interpretation of the 1965-1966 Ambassador front.
Wow, I never noticed this before. Now I can’t un-see it!
“Briarwood” recalls the Greenbriar designation used on the first Nash Rambler station wagons.
Greenbrier was also a name used on the Corvair vans.
That was my first thought on seeing one of these years ago. I didn’t like it on those Ambys, and I didn’t like it on these XJs.
Why didn’t the all new 1993 Grand Cherokee be called “Wagoneer”? Well, the Cherokee name was like ‘Cutlass’ and had equity.
There was a ZJ Wagoneer too…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Wagoneer#ZJ_Grand_Wagoneer
..and the Grand Cherokee name has continued up until todays WK2 Model.
In parts of the world the KJ and KK Liberty continued to be called the Cherokee. IIRC Subaru holds the trademark on the Liberty name in some markets.
Reading AllPar the other night Fiatsler just announced that the 2014 Liberty replacement will be called the Cherokee everywhere.
I never got into the 4 x 4/SUV thing,it’s not that I dislike them I just never worked up the enthusiasm to own one or even read much about them.50s classics,muscle cars,pony cars, rag tops and woodies are my favourites,well written piece though.
These didn’t have stacked headlights from the get go, they were added mid run like 1986 or so?
1984’s had the same headlight layout as a Cherokee, but with a swankier grille treatment.
Right you are; almost forgot. The ’84-’85 Wagoneers had a Cherokee grille, with more closely spaced vertical bars. It seems the vertical headlights appeared in 1986.
I think what really kept these from selling that well was the Cherokee Limted option that came out around 1986 or so, which had a swanky leather interior, monochrome exterior and gold BBS style wheels that was more in tune with the yuppie type Cherokee buyer than the wood grained Wagoneer.
I knew 3 separate families with that identical Limited pictured, and one family that traded their 86 Olds 88 (Broh-ham) in on a red Limited. That picture brings back lots of memories from the days of gold wheels and gold trip on american cars…always thought it was more tasteful than the gold trip that you can have the dealer put over the chrome badges on your favorite new Acura or Toyota…
The base XJ Wagoneer (simply called “Wagoneer”) didn’t have the simu-wood, only the Limited had it. I can’t find any concrete evidence on the ‘net, but I’m positive that model was dropped around the time Chrysler took over. I can’t remember the last time I saw a plain sided Wagoneer in the wild.
It seems to me that the woody XJ Wagoneer sold well enough; I used to see a fair number of them, and there was certainly still a market for wood paneling in the late ’80s, as evidenced by tons of woody minivans Chrysler was selling. The XJ Wagoneer was squeezed both by the popular Cherokee nameplate (especially after the monochrome Cherokee Limited debuted) and by the iconic, Yuppie-tastic Grand Wagoneer.
I think Jeep was actively trying to get away from the Wagoneer name, as well. Otherwise, what was the point in the Briarwood? The Cherokee name had a lot of market penetration, and the brand was moving towards more rugged, Native American/western themed names (Comanche, Wrangler, etc) that were more in line with the competition. The “Wagon” part of the “Wagoneer” carried increasingly negative connotations.
You’re right; I’d forgotten that there was a “base” Wagoneer without the wood, but now that you’ve triggered that memory, I can see one in my mind’s eye. Needless to say, they were none too common.
It’s pretty obvious that Jeep didn’t know how the sales would fall between the XJ Wagoneer and Cherokee, and was covering their bases.
I’ve got one of those weird “Base” Wagoneers, one of the 1987 models that existed between the AMC/Chrysler purchase cutover with a mix of branding all over the place. It’s the other XJ in my life aside from my Jags.
Attached is is one of the piccies (here) of it taking a break from some mountain trails before we snagged a replacement grille. Sometime earlier on in its life it hit a deer and kept on going. It’s about to hit 300,000 miles and its time for the intake and exhaust systems to be gone over since I think it’s developed an exhaust leak and there’s something else just *slightly* wrong with it sapping the power.
I have a vague idea that they might have done a Wagoneer limited edition of either this or a Grand Cherokee (more likely), I don’t think it would have had the fake wood though, that never took off in the Australian market.
http://www.pgrramblers.org/amc/
Almost thought I solved the mystery, but alas, it was BriarCLIFF, not BriarWOOD.
I’ve seen several of these in person, but I knew I saw one of these in a movie once. Steve Martin and Diane Keaton’s characters drove one in Father of the Bride (1991):
There was one in The ‘burbs, too. Carol Peterson (Carrie Fisher) drove one.
Great movie by the way, one of my favorite ’80s movies, along with Planes, Trains and Automobiles and FBDO.
(image from imcdb.org)
yes, the XJ based Wagoneer came out in 1984 as base and Limited, the Limited had the wood. 84 and 85 had single headlamp set up with a diff grille than the Cherokee. In 1986 the Wagoneer had a redo on lights and grille to the quad lights. Still avail in two trims till 1990 Wagoneer and Wagoneer Limited. 1991 is when they were replaced with just a Cherokee Briarwood. Remember Chrysler bought AMC in 1987, late 1986. So, the 4.0 ltr replaced the unreliable gm 6 cyl. 1993 Was the new ZJ Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer. The Grand Wagoneer had 2 options, color and sunroof. Was made only 1 year. I happen to own a 1987 Jeep (Chrysler made) Wagoneer Limited and 2 1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneers.
[IMG]http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk157/Damoncaravanman/wtf003.jpg[/IMG]
I have a 1987 wagoneer limited w/the woodgrain
all around the body.My brother who works in a jeep dealership; warned me if I wrecked my vehicle I would havea hard time finding front endgrille facia.I might have to even convert it to a Cherokee front end. He told me they only built the small wagoneer for 3 years.Believe me he was right.I wrecked mine & it took me almost a year to find 2 in NC.If you needparts for your Wagoneer call 1.800.info for J&G Auto Wreckers in California,near Sacramento(northern California) ask for Ron.
I love these old woodies. But I cant seem to get my hands on one. Any sellers?
At the right price……..1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited, just turned 150K and had a birthday with gifts like new shocks, battery, starter. tires!
87 on 38″ tires with a 9″ lift
Looky here. 1990 with a new crate 242, transfer case, 4.5″ lift, and 31″ mud grips.
Curious what the price for a 87 Cherokee wagoneer limited with only 57000 miles would be
It depends if it has the v6 or the i6. Regardless, buy it.