Marnie and Gord Savires are the happy owners of a 1973 Jeep Commando sport utility vehicle that is often called a Jeepster because of its roots.
A little Jeep history may be in order for our MyStarCollectorCar readers.
Jim Sutherland
Willys-Overland developed the first Jeepster for civilian sales after World War Two and sold the two-wheel drive Jeepster model between 1948 and 1950. The first-generation Jeepster would become the inspiration for a second-generation Jeepster built by Kaiser-Jeep in 1966 until 1970 when American Motors acquired the company and changed the Jeepster into an AMC model.
The new Jeepster was larger and offered larger AMC engines, along with GM transmissions, to provide a more powerful version for domestic buyers. The Jeepster morphed into the Jeep Commando and got a cosmetic makeover by 1972 that steered away from the traditional Jeep look, particularly on the front end.
1973 would mark the last year of production for the Jeepster legacy because AMC moved away from the model and concentrated its Jeep division on a more traditional look that was more like the original Jeep in overall style.
Gord is a multi-talented car guy with a welding and mechanical background who spotted his first Jeepster when he was a young guy working in a repair shop. He was blown away by the Jeepster’s coolness and knew he wanted to own one at some point in the future.
The future also included marriage because Gord found the right woman before he found the right Jeep. Marnie shared Gord’s interest in unconventional vintage vehicles, so she was onside with his decision to buy their 1973 Jeep Commando in 2021.
The Jeep sport utility was in rough shape because its former owner was a body man–and even he gave up on it because it required a ton of work, according to Gord. The good news is Gord was willing to save the Commando and restore it back to its original glory, despite the overwhelming amount of work required for the project.
As mentioned, Gord is a welder, but his field of expertise did not include auto body work, so his “welding skills changed as I built it”, in his words.
The mechanical side of the build was easy because Gord had the right skill set for this part of the project. The Jeep’s original AMC 304 V-8 was replaced by an AMC 360 bolted up to a Turbo 400 automatic transmission supplied by General Motors to American Motors back in the day.
Gord added an aftermarket steering system to the Jeep because he intended to drive it and wanted to make the Jeep more efficient on the road.
He also wanted the Jeep to look good, so Gord chose close-to-factory paint with “just a little pearl in it to bling it up”, in his words.
The net result is a striking vintage Jeep that looks like it just left the showroom and commands plenty of attention whenever Gord and Marnie hit the road in it.
Their ‘73 Jeep Commando is “a blast to drive”, in Gord’s words and worth every minute of its 4-year restoration process because it provides a ton of happy motoring.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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