---
title: "This Stubby Jeep Concept Was an Off-Road Muscle Car That Could’ve Been"
description: "Jeep's V8 off-road sports car would have been a quaint, but charming classic."
date: "2022-02-27"
modified: "2022-02-27"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/44430/this-stubby-jeep-concept-was-an-off-road-muscle-car-that-couldve-been"
categories:
  - "Jeep News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "concept car"
  - "Jeep"
---

# This Stubby Jeep Concept Was an Off-Road Muscle Car That Could’ve Been

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2022/02/1969_Jeep_XJ001_Concept_04.jpeg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Jeep is a name synonymous with American SUVs that *might* have some off-road capability, and *definitely* look like military dress-up. On another timeline, though, our notion of a Jeep could have been broadened by the production of a forgotten sports car concept, the XJ-001. It could've combined muscle car looks and performance with Jeep's off-road chops, had it not been abandoned following Jeep's takeover by the [American Motors Corporation](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44324/americas-last-amc-dealer-is-literally-cutting-cars-out-of-trees>).

The Jeep XJ-001 was reportedly conceived at the end of the 1960s, during which four-wheel-drive, off-road recreational vehicles were the fastest-growing segment in the country. Jeep responded to this by commissioning a concept for a short-wheelbase sports car with minimal overhangs and old-school, roadster-style door cutouts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8M309xiDZN

Relative to the most famous roadster of all time, the [NA Mazda Miata](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42022/grafting-an-rx-7-rear-end-on-the-na-miata-looks-surprisingly-sharp>), the Jeep XJ-001's fiberglass body measured nearly a foot shorter, but half a foot wider, and at the top of its windshield (whose beefy frame doubled as a roll bar) some nine inches taller. Its 81-inch wheelbase was about eight inches shorter than the Miata's, and less than one longer than a [Mini](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44010/mini-will-convert-your-classic-into-an-electric-car>)—it was identical to that of the Jeep CJ-5, on whose chassis it was based.

But while the CJ-5 never got a powertrain more potent than a 304 cubic-inch V8, the XJ-001 got an AMC 360 V8, which produced 245 gross horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque according to [Gans' AMC Info](<https://www.purpleized.com/AMX/engine.shtml>). These traveled through a four-speed manual transmission to a two-speed transfer case enabling full-time four-wheel drive, christened "Quadritrac," a name that would later evolve into Jeep's Quadra-Trac. Manually locking hubs were encircled by Goodyear Polyglas GT tires—apparently common on American performance cars of the era.

On-road performance doesn't appear to have been recorded, but between the XJ-001's torquey engine, four-wheel drive, and a curb weight estimated to be as little as 2,100 pounds, it would've been damn quick in its day. Appropriately, [*Popular Mechanics*](<https://www.legendmag.co.uk/jeep-xj-001/>) described the XJ-001 as "a Jeep in wolf's clothing."

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_XqiMClnxs

The single handmade Jeep XJ-001 debuted in 1970, at the New York Auto Show, where it was apparently well-received. That year, Kaiser Jeep came under the ownership of AMC, whose opinion of the XJ-001 appears to be the subject of debate. [*Mac's Motor City Garage*](<https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/jeeps-sporty-roadster-concept-the-xj-001-prototype/>) alleges the XJ-001 was "accepted with enthusiasm by American Motors brass," while [*Hemmings*](<https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/jeep-builds-a-muscle-car-1970-xj-001>) indicates corporate saw no place for the strange little concept car in its lineup.

In either case, the XJ-001's popularity kept it on tour where, as many promising young stars do, it [crashed and burned](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43549/the-tragic-story-of-the-flying-ford-pinto-ended-exactly-how-youd-expect>). Literally. En route to the Texas State Fair, the van carrying it allegedly overturned, causing a fire that claimed the one and only XJ-001.

That didn't mark the end of the line for the idea of a Jeep sports car, which was also explored by the similar [XJ-002](<https://comancheclub.com/topic/16681-jeep-xj-002-bolide/>), and nearly 30 years later, by the 1998 Jeepster concept. Still, neither quite had the charm of the XJ-001, which by breaking the mold of Jeep styling challenged the world's idea of what a Jeep could be. And with Jeep seemingly stuck paying endless tributes to Willys, a car like the XJ-001 isn't one I can imagine it ever designing again.

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com*

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)