March 31st marks the beginning of the 46th
annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab Utah and just over a week ahead of the big
offroading event, the folks at Chrysler have teased three of the unique concept
vehicles coming to Moab. Each year, the Chrysler Group calls on help from the
folks at the Mopar division to modify a handful of vehicles to catch the eye of
show-goers while also being able to easily hold their own in the woods and for
this year’s show there will be at least three unique new concept vehicles.
There have been no mentions of any Ram trucks
coming to Moab but in past year, the Easter Jeep Safari has brought us awesome
Ram concepts like the first RamRunner so it wouldn’t be a huge shock if there
were more than just these three concepts – whether they are more Jeeps, Ram
trucks or maybe even a Dodge Durango.
The three pieces of artwork above are the only information
offered about the concept coming to the 2012 Easter Jeep Safari – with two new
Jeep pickups and what looks to be a concept based heavily on the production
Wrangler.All we know is what we can see
and derive from the name of the images.
The image of the left is named the Jeep J12 and this unique
concept pays homage to the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck of the 1960s and 1970s
with a distinct grille and headlight design. The middle concept is named the Jeep Mighty FC, again paying homage to
an old school Jeep – this time focusing on the Forward Control pickups from the
1950s and 1960s with a car-over-engine design. The last vehicle on the right side is the Jeep Wrangler Apache which appears
to take a production Wrangler and add offroad goodies like a Warn winch and
bigger wheel flares.
The 46th annual Easter Jeep Safari opens on March
31st so in a little over a week we should have full information on
these concepts and possibly more!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
March 31st marks the beginning of the 46th