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Jeep dealer buries WWII Willys GP in showroom floor

The Willys MB Jeep earned icon status during World War II thanks to its ruggedness, simplicity and go-anywhere ability. Following the war, it didn't take long for the handy vehicles to be scooped up by the public, and a brand slowly grew around the vehicles that has continued to thrive. Fast-forward to present day, where it's not uncommon for auto dealers to try to grab some of the magic of yesteryear by displaying classic models to connect customers with their brands' proud histories. Now, a Canadian Chrysler Group dealer is taking that notion to the extreme by actually making a vintage WWII Jeep part of its foundation.
Bay King Chrysler in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, recently completed its new showroom, and the franchise really wanted to show its dedication to the Jeep brand. As dealer principal Jamie Richter tells Autoblog, the inspiration for the Jeep installation came from his brother, who became fascinated with a home that had a glass floor looking down into its wine cellar. The company already had the 1943 Willys MB to display, but it had originally planned to build a jungle gym around it for customers' kids. Now, the classic is literally in the floor as customers enter. Richter tells Autoblog that customer reaction so far has been "fantastic."
It's certainly a novel way to bring people into the showroom, and seemingly a nice nod not only to Jeep, but to the men and women who served in the war. If you want to see more about how the Jeep was actually installed and what it looks like, check out this video.

2019 Jeep Cherokee base model costs less, but other prices jump

Jeep just recently revealed the revised 2019 Cherokee crossover with a milder nose and tail, and even a bit more cargo space. The redesign has also brought new pricing that presents a $300 discount for the base Latitude trim, but sees increases across most of the rest of the trim lines. The destination charge also increased from $1,095 to $1,195. Four-wheel-drive is now a flat $1,500 increase for all models, whereas it varied between trims on the 2018 model. At the base of the Cherokee lineup is the Latitude, which now gets a price of $25,190, and that $300 reduction from the 2018 model carries over to the four-wheel-drive version. Latitude Plus sees a slight jump in price by $300 for the two-wheel- and four-wheel-drive models, with the two-wheel-drive one starting at $27,690. The Limited trim is up by $680 with both drivetrains, with a base price of $31,570 for one with two-wheel-drive. The biggest price increases come on the Trailhawk and Overland models. The Trailhawk soars $2,425 higher than last year's model, for a base price of $34,515. The Overland two-wheel-drive model also sees a big increase of $2,280 to a starting price of $36,275. But if you want four-wheel-drive in your Overland, the difference is a much more reasonable $535, for a base total of $38,970. View 104 Photos The 2019 Jeep Cherokee will be arriving at dealers soon. In addition to front-wheel-drive and two kinds of four-wheel-drive drivetrains, one with a single gear range and another with low range, a selection of three engines will be available. The standard engine on all Latitude, Latitude Plus, and front-wheel-drive Limited is a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine with 180 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. All of those trims can have the optional 3.2-liter naturally aspirated V6 making 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque. The aforementioned Latitude Plus and Limited trims also have the new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder available as an option. That engine makes 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The four-wheel-drive Limited, and all Overland and Trailhawk trims have the V6 as a standard engine with the turbo four-cylinder as an option. All engines are coupled to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Cherokee: Detroit 2018 View 21 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips, Jeep Jeep Car Buying Crossover SUV Off-Road Vehicles

Happy 50th birthday, Jeep Wagoneer

The Wagoneer got the SUV on the radar of buyers looking for something capable, comfortable and rugged.
The Jeep Wagoneer was introduced 50 years ago, and it's that vehicle we have to thank for the herds of excellent crossovers and SUVs that make up our current automotive landscape. On a personal level, I have always loved the full-size Jeeps and their crisp Brooks Stevens styling, which aged well over their long tenure on the market. The SJs, as they're known among enthusiasts, were the Wagoneer and its two-door counterpart, the original Cherokee. The Wagoneers had become true luxury vehicles by the end of their run, which stretched form late 1962 as a '63 model all the way to 1991, when they were offered exclusively under the Grand Wagoneer nameplate.