PRESS RELEASE_________

The Jeep® brand and USA Basketball announced their partnership today as the Jeep Wrangler was named the “Official Vehicle of USA Basketball.” The Jeep brand formed a global partnership with USA Basketball to support the men’s and women’s national teams. Accordingly, the Jeep brand will launch a full advertising and marketing campaign scheduled to begin Saturday, April 28. The Jeep brand also announced the introduction of a uniquely designed special edition model, the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Altitude Edition, which will be featured in the campaign.

“Each member of the USA Basketball team embodies inner strength, passion, a drive to win and a true sense of dedication they use to not only represent their team, but also their country,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “The Jeep brand is proud to be on the same team as these talented men and women. Both symbolize American pride, a strong history, a humble spirit, integrity, courage and leadership.”

“We are proud to have the Jeep brand’s support of USA Basketball as we prepare to represent our country both on and off the court this summer,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Chairman. “The defining characteristics of these two American brands make the affiliation feel natural, and the strategic buildup of USA Basketball-themed events, along with the comprehensive advertising and marketing campaign, will put the Jeep brand top of mind with sports fans around the world.”

The Jeep brand also named 2012 USA Basketball finalist and 2008 team member, Chris Paul, as its spokesman for this partnership. In this role, Paul will be featured in the Jeep brand’s advertising campaign and appear in a series of video vignettes that will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at various facets of the partnership with USA Basketball.

“Like all Jeep brand vehicles, Chris Paul defines the meaning of true athleticism and capability; we greatly admire his philanthropic efforts and dedication to giving back to the community. His altruistic nature, compassion and drive perfectly aligns with the Jeep brand values and makes him a great fit for this initiative,” said Manley.

“The Jeep brand has always been associated with the American spirit and as a member of the 2012 USA Men’s Basketball National Team, I am proud to serve as spokesman for Jeep’s partnership with USA Basketball,” stated Chris Paul. “The concept of the ‘Power Within’ is evidenced in my everyday life, both on and off the court. It will be that power that will energize USA Basketball and Jeep to maximize this global partnership in support of the Men’s and Women’s National Teams.”

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Read more on the Jeep press release.

One of the risks that comes with modifying any vehicle is compliance with the law, and suspension mods can be the most noticeable. Many Jeep enthusiasts want to lift their Jeep to inprove off road capability, but may wonder what their local laws are regarding lift restrictions. It is best to get familiar with your local laws before installing a lift kit on your vehicle to avoid unwanted circumstances as a result. All it takes is a little time to make sure that your mods are done legally and safely. There is a great online resource for enthusiasts to check state by state information, LiftLaws.com.

When one thinks of Jeep, one usually ties the brand with it’s history with the military. Ironically, recently Jeep was chosen to transport the Nobel Peace Prize winners at the World Summit. They opted for the more comfortable Grand Cherokees as the Jeep of choice, but the Jeep name still holds tight the connection to the original troop carrying Willys Jeeps of the 1940s.

More about this story on  available at Forbes: How Ironic: Jeeps Will Transport Nobel Peace Prize Winners At World Summit

We are now an Official Partner of Tread Lightly! We are proud to announce that our entire line of Rugged Ridge All Terrain Floor Liners for Jeep®, Dodge, Ford, GM, Nissan and Toyota is now available under the Tread Lightly! brand. We offer over 90 applications to date and growing.

Support our hobby of off-roading by supporting Tread Lightly! A donation is made from every Tread Lightly! branded product. The organization promotes responsible off-roading through educational and stewardship programs.

Tread Lightly! Principles

Travel Responsiblyon land by staying on designated roads, trails and areas. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated fords. When possible, avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas.

Respect the Rights of Othersincluding private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers and those on or near shore.

Educate Yourselfprior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes and know how to operate your equipment safely.

Avoid Sensitive Areason land such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don’t disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds.

Do Your Part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and repairing degraded areas.

For more information, visit the official Tread Lightly! website: http://www.treadlightly.org

Source (Youtube via DriveOffRoad)

Jeep becomes the first automaker to have over 1,000,000 fans on Facebook

n 2010, the Jeep brand experienced triple digit growth in its fan base on Facebook. In July, Jeep brand fans tested the size limits of Facebook’s photo album, “Photos by Others.” Fans exceeded the 20,000 photo-limit resulting in a need for Facebook to accommodate the increased number of images. We are guessing that nearly all of these fans that hit like have (or wish they have) a Jeep Wrangler accessorized with Rugged Ridge parts.

“We are honored to be the first and only domestic automotive brand that can claim more than 1 million Facebook fans,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “This reinforces the fact that Jeep is clearly one of the most well-known and loved brands throughout the world, and comes as we continue to gain sales momentum and begin to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the brand.”

So have you added us on Facebook yet?

Spanish-language speakers can now more easily find up-to-date information regarding parts and accessories for their Jeep® or 4×4 vehicle when visiting ruggedridgeoffroad.com. You can toggle between English and Spanish by selecting the language flag in the top right corner of the page.

Like its English-language counterpart, the Spanish-Language site, will enable consumers to learn about the Rugged Ridge and its history, view product information, find distributors and other valuable resources.

Los que hablan Español ahora pueden encontrar fácilmente  información actualizada sobre las piezas y accesorios  para sus Jeep® o vehículo 4X4 al visitar ruggedridgeoffroad.com. Pueden alternar entre Inglés y  Español seleccionando la bandera del idioma preferido en la esquina superior de la página.

Igual a su contraparte en Ingles, la pagina de web en Español le permitirá a los consumidores aprender sobre Rugged Ridge y su historia, ver información sobre los productos, encontrar distribuidores, y otros recursos valiosos.

Last September in Orlando, Jeep CEO Michael Manley,  set Jeep forums and internet chat rooms ablaze by hinting that a Jeep pickup truck was in the future. No one knew what the tuck was or where it came from… Until now.

By hinting we mean, Manley concluded a speech to Jeep deal group by saying, ” “You never know what might show up in your showroom someday” and coolly exited the stage as the stunned audience glimpsed a yellow Jeep concept through sheer curtains.

Speculation was set aflame by the fact that no one got more a fleeting glance of the truck. There were no images of video footoage taken. Was it based on the Nukizer M715 Jeep released that year in Moab? Perhaps a take off of the J8 Egyptian Military Spec Jeep, the 2005 Gladiator Concept, or something new all together? The Jeep design team certainly didn’t know. They were busy sketching concepts of the redesigned Wrangler due out in 2012. The guys in charge of the Ram Truck division over a hearty, “Hell, no!”  when asked about the possibility of production.

Automotive News and other news sites were quick to debunk the production of a Jeep based truck; calling it all hype.  Ram certainly wasn’t happen about a the possibility of it’s sister brand cannibalizing their sales. Let’s face it Michael Manley never said the Jeep was headed for production when he walked off the stage. But what no one counted on was the fact that Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was behind the idea.

The Jeep is none other than the 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept with a new yellow job covering the original Armour Green. After crisscrossing the states for media blitzes and auto shows in 2005 the concept was retired to the Walter p. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan. After disappearing from display for a few short weeks it is now sitting back behind the velvet rope sporting its new bright yellow paint.

The 2013 Gladiator will most likely be a cross between the 2005 concept and the Nukizer M715. It will be powered by the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, 280 horsepower (209 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque at 4,800 rpm, that sits under the hood of the 2011 Grand Cherokee, and will power all Jeep Wrangler in 2012. The bed will be shortened to 5ft too add two more feet to the passenger compartment, but will use a tailgate extender (like the Ford Explorer Sport) to accommodate larger objects.

Like the current Wrangler the new Jeep truck will be built in Toledo and will sit atop a front Dana 30 and rear Dana 44 axles, and be mated with a new Fiat transmission. The word is the Jeep is consider using the Gladiator name or reviving the Scrambler moniker.

Photo Credit: Yellow Jeep (USA Today)