These days, it’s hard to see the Jeep Wrangler as anything other than an adventure vehicle, a rugged machine that can overcome obstacles in nature and challenges its drivers to conquer their fears and push on and upward.
The same goes for the original Wrangler, the YJ, even though it’s also seen by some as the visual black sheep of Wranglers for its square headlights and known by all ’90s kids as the “Jurassic Park” Jeep. However, back in the late ’80s, others saw the YJ as the “Yuppie Jeep,” according to the following throwback review from MotorWeek.
Its convenience had something to do with that. It had automatically locking hubs, a more modern dash and gauge layout, and *gasp* even the option of a cellular phone so you could Gordon Gekko it up on your way to the beach.
It makes me wonder something: If the YJ was the Yuppie Jeep of the ’80s, what’s the Yuppie Jeep of the 2010s?
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.
