Wrangler Stampede Gathers to a Halt at Auto Enthusiast Day 2019
With trail bashers, overlanders and street bruisers, there was a Wrangler for everyone at Nitto Tire’s 7th annual SoCal event.
Back in early December 2013, Nitto Tire threw a small party for auto enthusiasts of all walks of life at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The formula was simple: combine a car show with off-roading and drifting demos, add plenty of vendors, and make the whole thing free for all spectators to attend.
That party, dubbed Auto Enthusiast Day, goes strong today. We recently made our way to Angel Stadium in Anaheim to check out all of the cool Jeeps to be found from the 2019 edition of one of the greatest gatherings around. Here’s what we found.
First up is this big blue Wrangler Unlimited from CRC, rolling on a thick set of Nitto Trail Grappler M/Ts linked to a set of Danas. This is one mean rig, one ready to climb over anything in its path.
Next, we walked over to the Evo Manufacturing stand, where a couple of Wranglers drew our attention, both for different reasons.
First, the red Wrangler Unlimited. This rig’s got a carbon fiber hood and grill to help the red body and wheels stand out, plus a full cargo rack with LEDs on the corners and a full LED light bar up front to cut a path in the darkness.
The gray Wrangler Sahara Unlimited, meanwhile, stands out in a different way: by demonstrating its ability to be the perfect overlander. The roof-mounted tent has its rain guard to keep everyone dry, and would blend in well with the desert landscape. The red trim is an excellent touch, too.
Over on the other side of the Evo display was another pair of Wrangler Unlimiteds, each packing a winch and a set of KMC XDs in black and chrome. The one with the chrome wheels made great use of them on the 2018 Alcan 5000, a 5,000-mile rally from Seattle to the Arctic Circle through Canada and Alaska held in the dead of winter or under the midnight sun since every two years since the first in 1984.
Chilling on one side of the inflatable blue arch at the King Off-Road Racing Shocks display was this gray and metallic orange Wrangler Unlimited, ready to cruise the streets under the neon lights when not kicking up dirt in the desert.
There is an insane amount of detail on this custom Wrangler, like the orange black widow guarding the rear axle gear housing, the tow hooks plated in orange chrome, and the orange DLO rings on the headlamps. The big Dropstars complete the metallic orange package.
Finally, we walk over to the neon green Wrangler Unlimited owned by King. It’s not as wild as some of the other Jeeps we came across, but it’s an excellent show piece of all you can do to make your Jeep yours.
Photos for JK Forum by Derin Richardson
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