Dear Jeep, Please Name Your Japanese Wrangler Limited Edition Literally Anything Else
I don’t even know where to start with this one. Jeep sells SUVs in the Japanese market and is launching a limited, military-themed Wrangler Rubicon. But of all the names the automaker could have chosen, it went with ’41 Edition.
For U.S. buyers, this isn’t anything odd. Jeep loves waving the flag and bragging about its military roots. The year 1941 marks when the first “Willys Quads” rolled out of Detroit to help the Allies fight their enemies. But Jeep’s marketing team seems to have forgotten that those enemies included Japan.
In fact, 1941 is an especially loaded year. Japan bombed the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The next day, Congress declared war on the Empire of Japan. The rest, as they say, is history.
Forgiveness is important, but forgetting is insensitive
The two countries have done an incredible amount of healing from a war so recent that a few survivors are still with us today. We’ve become allies and close trading partners. The most popular passenger vehicle in the U.S. is the Toyota RAV4. Our favorite sedan is the Toyota Camry, with the Honda Civic a close second. Our favorite midsize truck? The Tacoma.
For its part, Jeep offers the Grand Cherokee, Compass, and Wrangler in Japan. The Wrangler, with its utilitarian looks and capability, is hugely popular. The JDM Wrangler is the best-selling Jeep outside North America. It’s an important ambassador.
A Japanese Wrangler special edition is a smart business move. A military-themed one, however? Seriously? Olive drab Wranglers rolling through Japan might trigger more than a few old veterans’ PTSD.
Honestly, I’m glad the two countries have moved on and mostly forgotten our violent past. But Jeep’s marketing division seems to have forgotten too much.
Maybe we’ll get a special-edition, military-themed Toyota truck in retaliation. They could call it the August 6th, 1945.
