The problem with the Scrambler was not function, reliability, style or even cost. In 1981, with the auto makers still in recovery mode, the American Motors Corporation decided to introduce the Jeep Scrambler CJ8 to compete with other American small domestic pickups such as the Ford Ranger and the Chevy S-10.Ĭlair's 1981 CJ8 Scrambler.click on photo for more!īy this time AMC was the number four American auto maker and desperate to have at least a few "hits" in the marketplace among the "Big Three": Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler.Īll the while the Japanese and European auto manufacturers were gaining a greater and greater foothold in the American marketplace as well as in the rest of the world. Okay.so the competition became greater to produce more efficient vehicles in every automotive category. The timing couldn't have been better for the foreign (non-American) car/truck market which already produced smaller, cheaper, and economical to operate vehicles. You see when government requires companies to do its bidding.guess who pays the cost? Go to the head of the class if you said "you and me". government didn't help matters by dumping costly emission and safety requirements on automakers without any forethought with regard to the financial impact on the consumer. Plenty of uncertainty in the world economy pushed much of the auto buying public to seek "cheaper" means of transportation which translated into better fuel economy and lower initial cost.
The impact changed the world's view on prior notions of inexpensive oil based and oil consumption products. World production and export of oil was being held hostage as well as the American civilians in Iran. Losses within the industry were enormous and affected the smaller companies like AMC more dramatically than the larger automotive corporations. Since the first big "gasoline crisis" in 1973 due to the Arab oil embargo, and again in 1979 due to even more turmoil in the Middle East including the Iran Hostage situation, AMC Jeep (and all of the automotive industry) was struggling to stay afloat. Well.to try and answer that question let's take a look at what was going on in the world at or around the time of the Scrambler's debut in 1981. The Jeep Scrambler CJ8: Ahead Of Its Time?ĭid the Jeep Scrambler (aka CJ8) come onto the scene at the wrong time in history to be successful?
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