I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Some of my favorite automotive memories have been made in Jeep vehicles. Off-roading with buddies in the Wrangler Willys Wheeler, getting dessert with them in the Cherokee Latitude, going on a road trip in the Wrangler Unlimited Sahara just for a sandwich with my roommate – the list goes on.
Those experiences were perfect as they were with the people they included, but if I wanted to make another great Jeep memory with even more of my pals, the 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer you see here would be just the ticket. It was stretched 60 inches to comfortably fit six and plenty of legroom in the passenger compartment. Sure, it appears it could use an entertainment system update, but it retains its four-wheel-drive capability – and looks perfect for transporting groups of friends to and from ski resorts and upscale hunting lodges.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
