If you asked a group of gearheads to raise their hands if they knew there was such a thing at a 1971 Hurst Jeepster Commando, it would look like you were standing in a room full of people with broken arms. This special model stands as what we believe to be the rarest Jeep edition in history. According to everything we have read, a hundred or less were produced, far less than that survive, and no other Jeep we know of has such a limited production run.

We have no idea how this collaboration came about, but we do know it was right about the time that the Jeep brand swapped hands from the Kaiser company to the American Motors company. By this time, Hurst had had big success with the Hemi Dart/Barracuda cars, the Hurst/Olds model, and with selling wheels and other upgrade type components though the OEMs. Perhaps he saw a hole in his business with no real presence in the 4WD market, who knows?

The Hurst package for the Jeepster was largely cosmetic. They all got the white paint and stripes, roof rack, raised white letter tires, and the hood scoop which appears to have a tach in it. On the inside, automatic trucks got a Hurst Dual Gate shifter and stick shift trucks got a Hurst T-handle atop the shift lever. The 225ci V6 engine remained untouched and produced about 160hp out of the box.

Looking at this truck now, in the age of the SUV, it was certainly a vehicle that hinted at what was to come with vehicles of this type. Yes, it is antique in many respects mechanically, but the attitude of giving a Jeep owner a few luxury appointments and styling enhancements to elevate the humble Commando is exactly what car makers do today with the bling wheels and luxo interiors in SUVs.

Despite their rarity, these trucks can be had for reasonable money. The truck you’ll see after clicking the link has only been bid up to about $6,000. If we bought it, a 426ci Hemi would be heading into that engine bay right quick. George Hurst would certainly approve.

Thanks to Joe Grippo for the tip!

eBay Link: 1971 Hurst Jeepster Commando