PowerWheels didn't invent the battery-powered Jeep concept. This battery-driven "Eldon Poweride" dates from the 1970's, and used to have a round sticker on the hood that said "Jungle Jeep." Owner Mike Boyink has had it since he was 4 or 5 years old, and says, "I think it was too small; by the time a kid is old enough to control something like this they'd be a little big for it."
See more details and photos of the Eldon Poweride Jungle Jeep on CJ3B.info.
Richard Shepherd spotted this kit offered on the web by "Real Life Toys" in England.
Specifications from their website: "Power is provided by a powerful 12/24 volt 180 watt air-cooled, continuous rated, reversible, permanent magnet DC motor, driving through a 25:1 ratio gearbox. The models will run on a 12v battery at a speed of around 2 to 6 mph depending on the size of the load. Final drive is by chain to one rear wheel. Forward and reverse are selected electrically via a three-position switch.
"Body Construction - The immensely strong body is of monocoque construction, cut from 12mm (1/2") thick panels in Exterior grade plywood or MR (moisture resistant) MDF using our unique paper cutting patterns. No further chassis is required.
"Fabricated Parts - The other main parts can be either made in your workshop from the simple working drawings supplied or purchased from our comprehensive price list."
Jérôme Stevens photographed his sons in what also appears to be a Jeep from "Real Life", which he bought at the 2002 Beltring military vehicles show in the UK. It's very similar to the above photo, although missing the headlights and the Agrijeep-style tires.
Peter Clarke reports that his father-in-law built this detailed half-scale jeep from scratch for his grandchildren, based on the 1942 Ford GPW (50K JPEG) which Peter restored and owned from 1985-95. He says, "I still have this and it lives on display at Bletchley Park, the famous wartime Station X code-breaking centre. It runs on a 12v car battery which lasts for about 30 minutes -- but that's long enough when you are chasing after an eight year old to make sure he doesn't run into anything! It used to have reverse gear but kids kept slamming it into reverse when travelling forwards, and breaking the drive shaft. Now we've rigged it for forward motion only."
Jean-Yves Morin of Montreal writes, "I was born in 1941 and as a kid after World War II I dreamed of a Jeep to suit my size. Then I found in Popular Mechanics a plan for an electric youngster's Jeep powered by a car starter driving an hydraulic turret motor from an army tank.
"More than 20 years ago I finally built this electric DZEEP for my two sons. The motor was a VW Beetle generator fed through a step resistor bank. This set-up consumed too much power so I intend to replace it eventually with an electronic power chopper of some kind."
See the 1948 plans for "La Jeepette" Electric Riding Toy which Jean-Yves originally found in Popular Mechanics.
The "Power Wheels" battery-powered Jeeps became a phenomenal success in the 1990's. They were expensive enough that you might expect to find them on a used car lot, but this photo from Watertown NY showed creative use of one to advertise full-size vehicles for sale.
Mike Boyink built a Bantam trailer for his son's Power Wheels Jeep.
Gary Keating bought a couple of used PowerWheels Jeeps at a tag sale, and painted them to match his M38. They have been enjoyed by various young friends and relatives. See also a side view photo (40K JPEG).
Randy Brown took this photo of some Power Wheels off-road action. This kind of performance requires a Jeep and battery in top shape. If you need parts or batteries for electric ride-on toys, see Kids Wheels on the web.
Power Wheels Jeeps have shown up since 2000 in various different models; new in late 2002 was the Limited Edition (70K JPEG) and in 2003 the Fire Rescue Jeep (70K JPEG) with light, siren, shovel and water pump.
Fisher-Price apparently noticed that girls also love the little Jeeps, and their catalogue began including Barbie and Disney models (at a higher price point.) As of 2018, another movie tie-in was this Wonder Woman version.
Speaking of movie merchandising, some of the most popular toy Jeeps in recent years have been based on the Jurassic Park franchise, and Power Wheels joined Matchbox, Hot Wheels and others.
Speaking of Hot Wheels, this big toy was based on the small toys.
A review of the best powered ride-on toys for 2024 at Mommyhood 101
rated the Power Wheels Jeep #2, following the same company's less expensive "Dune Racer", and commented on better ground clearance but less tire tread and less comfortable seats.
The 16-cylinder Hemi-powered, four-wheel steering, Jeep Hurricane concept was named after the Hurricane 4-cylinder engine found under the CJ-3B's high hood. It was unveiled at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show and was followed quickly by a Matchbox model (1:58 scale).
Some years later, the Power Wheels version featured not just new colors and details, but was larger, more powerful, and more suited to actual off-sidewalk use.
Hyper Toy Co. has marketed a 12-volt Rubicon Gladiator with the Jeep name as the most prominent name on the box.
The Gladiator has opening doors, maybe a first for these ride-on toys. (But note that what looks like four doors, actually opens as only two doors.)
The Moderno Trail Explorer is a newer, more deluxe vehicle, and was rated #4 in the Mommyhood 101 list. It has more electronics, softer seats and rubber tires, but this all comes at a higher price point than Power Wheels.
Check out the lights (100K JPEG) and the police version (240K JPEG).
Thanks to all the contributors. -- Derek Redmond
Pedal-Drive Jeep Riding Toys includes a battery-powered version of the Jeep Liberty from TotCars.com.
Return to the Toy Jeeps Pages on CJ3B.info.
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