Here's What Happened To The Jeep Wrangler From Jurassic Park
The Jeep Wrangler from Jurassic Park (1993) is One of those Film Cars No One Forgets, it has a sense of Adventure which matched that of the Film's Theme and Tone.
Due to the many iterations of the Wrangler in the film, it is hard to define where they all are now. To add to that, there are many replica versions out there as well. But we have done our best to find out where they are.
Steven Spielberg's illustrious filmography includes many great mentions, from any of the Indiana Jones Trilogy to the worlds-first summer blockbuster, Jaws in 1975. And, Jurassic Park (1993), at the very least, has to be included in the top 5 of Speilberg's filmography. It's a Spielberg classic with its adventurous story plot to its engaging characters. A must watch for any film lover or Jeep lover, or if you like dinosaurs then you might enjoy this film too.
Jurassic Park & The Jeep Wrangler.
There are two stand-out vehicles that make an appearance in the film, the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Wrangler. The Explorer's were used by the tourists as they made their way around the park, from the Visitors Centre to the park's "safe" enclosures. Jeep Wrangler's were used to ferry people to and from the airport and the park's main building. During the dinosaurs break out scenes, some characters attempted to escape the island in one of the Wrangler units, the keyword being 'attempted to'. The ruggedness of the Jeep Wrangler came in handy when the other characters were being chased by a T-Rex. Something Chrysler, Jeep's parent company, did not have in mind when they designed the Wrangler.
Jeeps were first produced during World War 2 and the Wrangler is a direct family member to those military models but for general public use. The first Wrangler CJ-7 being released in 1986. CJ standing for Civilian Jeeps. From then on, Jeep has played around with its wheelbase, having been a 2-door model then including a 5-door model. Despite its long history, the Wrangler's overall aesthetic and design haven't been changed much. The only real mention is the shape of the front headlights going from square to round, flip-flopping back and forth between models. The Jeep Wrangler's design and usability are a huge positive for its sales and re-sales, as a 2018 iSeeCars.com study named the Wrangler as the vehicle with the lowest depreciation after 5-years. So if you are lucky enough to own one, you are sitting on a quality used car.
Where Is It Now?
As the film turned out to be quite popular during its release and long after. There are many replica versions of the Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler on the market, some even fetching a decent amount; one going for $9,000. Depending on the quality of the replica attempt, some of the versions are very realistic and picture-perfect, others are paint-job enthusiasts.
The actual models used in the making of Jurassic Park were modified by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) for production purposes. Each Wrangler having a specific unit number, the known vehicle units are; 10, 12, 14, 18, 29. Therefore, identifying the original models used in production is hard to do unless you have the chassis numbers.
However, it seems the Jeep Wrangler models from Jurassic Park were kept by Universal Pictures themselves. They have been making a reappearance in the latest films Jurassic World. But the original models have been kept in private collections and only showed to the public during museum exhibits or car shows. There is no real evidence on the internet to say that an original model is in public circulation.
But here are the models that anyone can go visit if you are in their vicinity. Wrangler unit 12 is calmly sat in Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios, Orlando. Wrangler unit 10 sat for your viewing at Universal Studios, Hollywood. And there are a couple of fan-made replicas that can be seen in New York, Florida, and Texas.
However, if you are not wanting to travel all that way to have a peek at the original models in Universal Studios. And you happen to have a 1992 Jeep Sahara Wrangler in your possession and are thinking of a new paint job. We have found a handy little how-to guide in getting your Wrangler to look as if it's just driven off the set of Jurassic Park. It has everything you need, paint codes, design layouts, decals, and other specifications. The video below showcases the intense detail the guide goes into.
Source: www.hotcars.com/