This is a 1982 Jeep J10 Laredo pickup that benefits from significant recent refurbishment work, including a full repaint in black, new silver decals, replacement rubber seals, an upgraded interior, and more.
The J10 pickup made its debut in 1973 based on the earlier Jeep pickup and Gladiator platform. It features a striking design completely unlike any other American pickup truck of the time, and a modified J10 would famously appear in the 1996 film Twister.
Fast Facts – The Jeep J10 Laredo
- This 1982 Jeep J10 Laredo has undergone extensive refurbishment, including a black repaint, new silver decals, replacement rubber seals, and interior upgrades. The J10 pickup debuted in 1973, based on the earlier Jeep pickup and Gladiator platform, with a distinctive design unlike other American trucks.
- The Jeep pickup lineage began in 1947 with the Willys Jeep Truck, a popular 4×4 one-ton vehicle. It evolved through various iterations until 1965, when it was succeeded by the Jeep Gladiator in 1962. The Gladiator later became known as the J10/J20 series.
- This particular J10 Laredo features a 360 cubic inch V8 engine with recent servicing, including a new carburetor, fuel components, and cooling system parts. It has a 3-speed automatic transmission, a dual-range transfer case, and rides on 15″ Pro Comp alloy wheels with 33″ Mastercraft tires.
- The interior has reupholstered black vinyl bucket seats with white accents, new carpets, air conditioning, cruise control, and various entertainment features. The truck is currently for sale on Bring a Trailer in Somerset, Kentucky, with an owner’s manual and clean documentation.
The Origins Of The Jeep Pickup Truck
The first Jeep pickup truck would appear in 1947, it was called the Willys Jeep Truck and it was a one-ton 4×4 with a 118 inch wheelbase, and it was powered by a version of the Go Devil inline-four that also powered the earlier WWII-era Willys Jeep.
Above Video: A Jeep J10 was memorably used in the opening scenes of the 1996 film “Twister.” As you can see in the above clip, one of the pickup trucks used for filming didn’t survive intact.
The Willys Jeep Truck proved popular instantly as it offered four-wheel drive, cargo carrying ability, reliability, and perhaps most importantly, it was relatively affordable by the standards of the time.
What it also had in copious quantities was brand name recognition, it debuted just two years after WWII at a time when the military-issue Willys Jeep was one of the most famous and recognizable vehicles anywhere on earth.
Over the course of its 1947 to 1965 production run, the Brooks Stevens-designed Willys Jeep Truck went through a number of iterations, including the fitment of larger and more powerful engines, a 3/4 ton rear-wheel drive version was released, and the Jeep FC-150 Forward Control was based on the same platform.
The Willys Jeep Truck would be succeeded by the Jeep Gladiator which appeared in 1962, with both models selling side by side for three years.
The Jeep Gladiator was a full-sized pickup truck that was developed to share its steel ladder frame architecture and front end from the A-pillar forwards with the Jeep Wagoneer – a four-wheel-drive station wagon which arrived in the same year.
The Gladiator would sell well, initially for Kaiser Jeep, then for AMC after an acquisition, and finally for Chrysler. The name would change over time, from Gladiator to Pickup in 1971, then to J10 (and J20) from 1973 onwards.
There’s no denying that the Jeep J10 was one of the best-looking pickup trucks of its time, with styling that only seems to get better with age. Images courtesy of AMC.
The model series would remain in production for a total of 26 years from 1962 until 1988.
The 1978 Jeep J10 Laredo Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is a Jeep J10 Laredo from 1978. Laredo was the most luxurious version of the J10, coming with a number of refinements including leather bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, ample chrome interior trim pieces, and an advanced stereo for the time.
This J10 now wears a fresh coat of black paint, with the correct decals applied over the top. It also has a black roll bar and spray-in bedliner in the rear, as well as polished 15″ Pro Comp alloy wheels with 33×12.5″ Mastercraft Courser MXT tires on all four corners.
The 360 cubic inch (5.9 liter) V8 has reportedly been serviced, it now has a replacement carburetor, a new fuel sending unit and lines, water pump, cooling hoses, and drive belts. Power is sent back through a 3-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case.
This J10 has a recent respray, new decals, a black roll bar, an upgraded interior, as well as additional luxuries like air conditioning and cruise control.
Inside the cab you’ll find twin bucket seats that have been reupholstered in black vinyl with white accents. The carpets and heater core were replaced, it has a folding center armrest, air conditioning, cruise control, an AM/FM/cassette stereo, a CB radio, and a digital clock.
The truck is now for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Somerset, Kentucky. It comes with an owner’s manual, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Kentucky title. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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