| Perhaps the biggest news for the Comanche in 1988 was the fact that it was no longer made by American Motors' subsidiary, Jeep Corporation. Chrysler Corporation had purchased AMC, lock, stock and barrel, from Renault in mid-1987, and with the takeover, Jeep became the cornerstone of Chrysler's new Jeep-Eagle Division. And, by extension, Comanche became Chrysler's stepchild. The Comanche became the only Jeep pickup on the market not long after the beginning of the '88 model year, although most would have you believe it was that way from the time production started. Not true. There were, evidently, a very small number of full-size J10 and J20 pickups quietly produced as 1988 models, but they weren't shown in any of the year's brochures and Chrysler certainly didn't bother with spending any advertising dollars on them. The reason why they were even built at all isn't clear, because there just couldn't have been many -- if any -- unfilled orders for them. The demand simply wasn't there, and it hadn't been for a number of years. Maybe it was a concerted effort to use up extra parts. Maybe somebody at the Toledo plant found it just too hard to "let go," and managed to sneak a few out of the factory door before they got caught! Okay, so that last theory is a stretch. But the fact remains that nobody seems to know why Jeep built them. And if anyone knows how many were built, they're not talking. At least one such "mystery" J10 still exists. It was offered on eBay recently, and its VIN clearly shows it to be an '88. But let's get back to the matter at hand: The '88 Comanche. Interestingly, although the takeover was completed a few months before the start of the '88 model year, Comanches (and the rest of the Jeep line) still had a lot of AMC identification on them, from their federally-mandated data placards to the A-line logo in the lower-left "hole" on the base instrument cluster, and probably a few other places I've forgotten to mention. But aside from the lingering AMC identification, there were some minor styling tweaks made for '88. A new grille, shared with the Cherokee (of course), had eight wide slots versus the ten narrow slots of the previous grille. A new performance model became available for '88 as well. The new Comanche Eliminator was slickly styled and a real performer, too, with its standard Power-Tech Six. Under the hood, the year-old Six was massaged to deliver 177 horsepower (up four from 1987) through the use of higher-flow fuel injectors. It was just icing on the cake, but GM was known to be readying the Vortec high-output 4.3-litre V6 for their compact trucks, so Jeep was just working to stay a few steps ahead of the competition. Finally, Jeep was named as an official sponsor of the 1988 Olympic Games, so in mid-model year, a special Olympic gold stripe package was made available for Comanches (as well as Cherokees and Wranglers). It was a nice effort, and the package was well-received in the marketplace, as Olympic models were offered with several additional options at a sizable discount. In hindsight, it was this year that things began to turn sour for the Comanche. Now, with the Comanche uncomfortably related by corporate marriage to Dodge's Dakota, speculation began to rise about which truck would serve as the basis for Chrysler's continuing presence in the smaller truck field. Surely there was no need for both, some argued. The Dakota seemed to be the odds-on favorite, as Dodge's dealer body was larger than Jeep's. And the "Dodge Boys" exerted a lot of influence within Chrysler, often to the detriment of even their own corporate siblings. The questions surrounding the Comanche's future would linger, but one undeniable truth in the auto industry is this: Customers tend to shy away from a vehicle that shows even the slightest signs of becoming an "orphan." Would Comanche become another orphan, or would Chrysler invest in it and keep it around? These were, for the time being, questions without answers. Sooner or later, though, someone was going to have to answer them. |
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| THIS PAGE LAST UPDATED 12/1/06 |
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| This sharp factory press release photo of the 1988 Comanche Chief shows off the new grille, relocated 4x4 emblems and sharp 10-spoke aluminum rims. |
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