A Jeep-Style Easter Egg Hunt: Cherokee Edition

Whether you’re shopping for a used Jeep Cherokee or a used Wrangler, the Jeep brand embodies adventure, fun, and capability. This has been the case since Jeep’s founding at the dawn of World War II, when American troops needed a light reconnaissance vehicle to serve the war effort. Willys delivered, and the Jeep eventually made its way to the civilian market in the years following the war.

Jeeps like the Cherokee continue the brand’s legacy of offering exceptional capability and fueling every driver’s need for adventure and wanderlust. We see this firsthand in the Cherokee’s four-wheel drive system that readies the road warrior for all types of terrain and driving conditions, whether you’re tackling a trail, navigating mountains, or cruising along the coast. The Cherokee can handle it all.

We also see Jeep’s fun side in a trend that started in the 1990s when Jeep engineers started adding hidden designs and features in models like the Cherokee. These designs aren’t immediately recognizable, but they sure are fun when you find them. They also make shopping for a used Jeep Cherokee a unique and exciting endeavor. Learn more in this article written by the Orange Coast CJDR team.

Easter Eggs: Not Just for Easter

You’ve likely heard of an Easter egg hunt where adults hide plastic eggs or real eggs for kids to find and gather in baskets. Plastic eggs are usually multicolored and filled with treats like candy, money, or other tokens, making hunting and finding them even more enjoyable. Easter eggs, however, are no longer just for Easter or for kids. Today, Easter eggs are defined as something unexpected or hidden in an object, whether it’s an ad on television, a publication like a magazine, or even a Jeep Cherokee.

Jeep’s Easter Egg Tradition: How It Started

Jeep’s first Easter egg started with designer Michael Santoro who was tasked with designing the 1997 Wrangler TJ. Santoro wasn’t familiar with the Jeep lineup or its values but quickly became acquainted with both as he set out to design a new Wrangler that would encompass everything the world loved about the Jeep brand. Santoro felt the pressure even more with a small budget of $150 million, which was mere pennies in the 1990s.

With the stakes high, Santoro focused on the Jeep’s iconic seven-bar grille. “It was another signature design element that needed to be taken to a new level,” he later said of the design. Knowing he wanted to leave a mark on the new Wrangler, he looked at the air intake on the cowl, which lets air into the cabin of the Wrangler. He replaced the standard slots with Jeep’s iconic seven-bar grille, using the windshield wipers to resemble Jeep’s signature round headlights. The first Easter egg was born.

Popular Jeep Cherokee Easter Eggs

While the 1997 Wrangler was the first Jeep to come with a hidden gem, it’s far from the last. The Jeep Cherokee is one of many models to feature Easter eggs, and that makes shopping for a Cherokee on the used or new lot an exciting prospect. You never know what you’ll find. So, what are some popular Easter eggs you might find on your next Cherokee?

A Willys Jeep on a Jeep: Look at the Cherokee’s windshield. Some owners have found an icon of a Willys Jeep driving along the lines of the windshield. You may also find a Willys Jeep printed on the wheels. Both hidden gems are a nod to the Jeep birthright – the 1941 Willys Jeep from World War II.

A Map At Hand: Jeeps like the Cherokee are known for their prowess on the trail, and perhaps there are no better or more iconic trails than those in Moab, Utah. That’s why you’ll find some models feature a topographical map of Moab imprinted in the rubber just above the gear shifter. This is just another way Jeep pays homage to its natural habitat and its sense of wanderlust for the trail.

T-Rex, BigFoot, and Nessie, Oh My: Be sure to look closely at the windows of your Cherokee since Jeep is known for incorporating a variety of animals and objects in the design. You might find a Loch Ness monster, a T-Rex driving a Willys Jeep, or a T-Rex chasing a Willys Jeep and BigFoot. Many believe that the T-Rex is a nod to the Jeep’s age, while the Loch Ness pays homage to its water fording capability. BigFoot reflects the Jeep’s ability to travel everywhere, even the road less traveled where BigFoot lives.

Flip-Flops: Automotive journalist Rick Péwé is renowned in the industry for his expertise, but he’s also known for wearing flip-flops rather than hiking boots when he’s on the trail. Jeep pays tribute to Péwé by imprinting a pair of flip-flops on the cowl of some Jeep models.

Lurking Lizard: Taking a cue from Santoro’s first Easter egg design, some Jeeps feature a lurking lizard imprinted underneath the windshield wipers. Why a lizard? Lizards are known for the ability to withstand and travel across even the harshest terrain, which makes them the spirit animal of the Jeep lineup.

Charlotte’s Web: You likely don’t pay much attention to the fuel cap or the door on your Jeep. That’s made this area a popular spot for Easter eggs like the spider printed on the fuel door of some models.

Dinosaurs: How often do you clean under your floor mats? It might be time and, while you’re there, look for another Easter egg. Some models come with a T-Rex skull molded into the floor mat.

Iconic Grille: Santoro incorporated Jeep’s seven-slot grille into his design for the 1997 Wrangler and ignited more than just the Easter egg trend. Today, the iconic seven-slot grille is frequently spotted throughout Jeep’s entire lineup, such as in the design of the taillights themselves, imprinted above the rearview mirror, molded into the tailgate, and integrated into the speaker shrouds.

Round Headlights: Along with the seven-slot grille, Jeeps are instantly recognizable by their round headlights. This makes them another great Easter egg as Jeep designers have incorporated the round headlights into everything from imprints on the cup holders to the design of the interior air vents.

Bats and Buttons: You might find several hidden gems inside your Cherokee if you look below your infotainment system or on the steering wheel itself. Some owners report finding unique buttons imprinted with silhouettes of a bat, spider, BigFoot, T-Rex, or a Willys Jeep.

What Will You Find at Orange Coast CJDR?

Introduced in 1974, the Cherokee was marketed to young drivers with a sense of adventure. Its four-wheel drive capability and its sporty design made it an instant success, paving the way to future models and its reign as one of the best-selling models in Jeep’s history. That’s what makes shopping for a used Cherokee such a great investment – the Cherokee’s legacy speaks volumes for its value, its versatility, and its capability.

Fun traditions like Jeep’s hidden Easter eggs add to the excitement of shopping for a used Cherokee. To join this tradition and enjoy the thrill of the hunt, be sure to shop for Cherokees built after 1997 since Santoro unknowingly placed the first Easter egg on the 1997 Wrangler.  You can also check out our Jeep Cherokee selection online and contact us for more information!