This Company Paints Wooden Panels on New Jeep Grand Wagoneers
Jeep brought back the Grand Wagoneer for 2022 and what do you know? Vintage models from the 1980s are suddenly cool again. There have been some pretty expensive units listed for sale on Bring a Trailer in the past year, including one in Mississauga, Ontario that sold for about $147,000.
Various tuners and shops in the U.S., like Wagonmaster and Classic Gentleman, are taking advantage of the situation by offering nostalgic owners of the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer custom wraps that recreate the classic woody appearance to some extent.
Another company called Motive is now doing the same but using a paint brush instead. It has ordered 45 Grand Wagoneer SUVs and will ship them to its partner Aria in California, where an artist by the name of Stuart Lyman will hand-paint wood-like sections onto their bodysides.
Protected by a clearcoat, the special paint treatment is admittedly more elegant and easier to maintain than a vinyl wrap, not to mention lighter and more durable.
Three different designs are available, with 15 units for each—Classic Woody, Grand Adventure and Grand Touring. Customers will also be able to choose the type of wood grain they want to have on their vehicle, such as Redwood, Oak, Hawaiian Koa or others.
Except for the Classic Woody edition, Motive will also replace the wheels in order to complement the retro look. Further options include new brake kits, stainless steel tailpipes and even wooden picnic baskets.
These Performance Art Grand Wagoneers, as they are called, are retailing from $150,000 USD (the equivalent of $201,000 CAD). Motive will donate a fraction to the Hagerty Driver's Foundation, which provides scholarships for automotive students and financial support for automotive startups.