A car is more than a means of transportation. Everyone agrees with this opinion, but not everyone can imagine the size of “more.”
Do you want to discover something really interesting? Then welcome to a new dimension of this concept, to the Jeep community – a friendly community of car owners of the famous brand.
Of course, the Jeep name itself doesn’t need much introduction. It is so powerful that it has become a common designation for off-road vehicles. Powerful, reliable, durable – all this is synonymous with the word “Jeep”, known to the world since the middle of the last century. The only thing that has changed in more than 80 years is that once there was only one Jeep and it was intended only for military needs, but now there are several different models from which it is not difficult to choose the one that appeals in your heart.
But let’s get back to the Jeep community. It’s an informal but powerful movement that binds persistent adventurers into one big family. But you don’t have to be a desperate Bear Grylls to become a member. In the Jeep Community you will meet completely different people: from real daredevils to respected top managers and heads of large corporations. And everyone has their own Jeep.
But this is exactly how any ordinary club of fans of a certain car brand works, you say. Only this is not a simple club of fans of a certain car brand. It’s like a little social network, only in real life. Something like a mystical brotherhood with its own system of signs and symbols, but more open and democratic. And very, very large!
It is easy to guess that the community of owners of the Jeep car brand appeared in the homeland, the USA. And the most popular symbols that community members talk about are the Jeep Wave and Duck Duck Jeep.
The Jeep Wave is a unique subculture of mutual greetings enjoyed by Jeep vehicle owners. There are several theories about when and how this wave appeared.
The first theory says that the roots go back to World War II, when the Willys MB, considered the grandfather of modern Jeeps, carried weapons, ammunition, food and mail to soldiers on the front line. Of course, every appearance of such a car in sight is a real holiday for the military, so they greeted the driver in a friendly way, raising their palms.
According to the second theory, the Jeep Wave began after World War II, when soldiers returned home with SUVs that they used to overcome the difficult routes at the front. In peaceful America, the drivers of “demobilized” cars greeted each other because they understood: the driver of the upcoming Willys MB was probably a fellow veteran, your brother.
Well, the third theory claims that the Jeep Wave got a more or less modern look in the 60-70s of the last century, when Jeep cars began to be bought en masse. When the car owners met, they congratulated each other because they saw in front of them a person with the same passion.
Here you need to understand that the “civilian” Jeep cars, which began to appear only after the war, were for that time more than cars. They allowed their owners to leave everyday life, experience incredible emotions and real pleasure from life. People are filled with feelings that they want to share with others, so a mere gesture of acceptance is no longer enough.
That’s why others appeared. For example, a raised index hand holding the steering wheel means a compliment: your Jeep is cool, friend! The index and middle fingers raised together are warmer than the usual greeting: how are you, friend? If the driver raised all his fingers, then he was the one who asked how your mother and family are doing. Yes, it’s America, and it’s just a greeting question, but it sounds touching, doesn’t it?
But when not a single finger leaves the steering wheel when passing an oncoming car, this, according to the code of real jeeps, means: “Your Prius is cool!”
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Of course, these are jokes that happy Jeep owners love. But every joke is only part of the joke. If the owner of the oncoming Jeep greets someone other than you, it means that you are driving the wrong way. And this is no joke!
Employees of Extreme Terrain, a company specializing in various tuning accessories, conducted an extensive survey, that is, they asked owners of cars of other brands (ie, not Jeep) how they feel about the Jeep community.
It turns out that one in seven owners of other cars feel envious of this culture and community! About 29% of respondents would like to start similar traditions in their own brand communities. Furthermore, nearly half of the Tesla owners surveyed (47%) valued the Jeep-like culture and began organizing meetups with other Tesla owners to try to create similar community. They said it didn’t work well because they weren’t in the jeeps…
And here are some more statistics from Extreme Terrain: owners of the following cars showed the greatest interest in the culture and community of the Brand: Tesla (47%), Chevrolet (39%), Ford (30 %), Toyota (27). %) and Honda (27%) also ).
That means even those who don’t use Jeep brand vehicles wouldn’t mind being part of the community, and 36% of them are willing to consider a Jeep Wrangler as their next vehicle!
People are drawn to Jeep’s off-road capabilities (54% of respondents), reliability and affordability (46%), and iconic design (45%). Every fourth Tesla owner, as it happened, is already looking at the Wrangler and is especially interested in the appearance of the promising electric SUV Wrangler EV.
But while they only dream about their future Jeep, we will continue our story about the original features of the Jeep community and the Jeep Wave itself.
As the Jeep wave progresses, the question arises: who should be respected more, who should be congratulated first? Therefore, a real hierarchy of Jeep owners began to be created. He considers, first, the model and year of manufacture of the car. So if you are driving a CJ, all jeepers are the first to salute you!
Secondly, the level of cleanliness of the SUV is taken into account. If it is, as they say, up to its ears in the mud, it means that its owner fully understands why jeeps exist, and therefore has the honorable right to occupy the highest level in hierarchy.
Third, the level of tuning and its feasibility are considered. Even if your snorkel and tires are just right, you deserve more respect than someone who just sticks to a bunch of shiny trolleys around.
By the way, about jokes – or rather, about toys. They are used in another important movement of the Jeep community, called the Duck Duck Jeep. This is a rare, incredible movement that appeared in 2020, but has already gained enormous popularity.
Its symbol is… a toy duck. And this is what it looks like. A man approaches his car in a parking lot and finds a small rubber ducky on the hood, and underneath it is written a note: “Hi, my name is Jackie. I drive a Jeep Compass, but your Wrangler is so cool! Check out our local Jeep festival near San Diego.” That is, you were greeted and invited to a car party by a complete stranger, and only because you both drive a Jeep! And sometimes there is no note – just a rubber ducky. A bright symbol of humanity, a small gift from to a stranger.
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These miracles began just three years ago at a gas station in a small town in Ontario, Canada. A woman named Alison once, after an argument, put a rubber ducky on the hood of another person’s Jeep as a sign of reconciliation and her good manners.
In classic fashion, the rubber duck is yellow and the SUV most often found driving is a Wrangler. But this is just the beginning. Then found multi-colored ducklings on any Jeep, even the kids with pedal drive.
This is how members of the Jeep community greet each other and express mutual respect and sympathy.
It looks so cute! But also a bit strange. Perhaps, we still need to answer the question: why do grown-up uncles and aunts play with rubber duckies with pleasure?
A visitor to one of the many American Jeep festivals explained it this way: “We do this because we love our Jeeps and are proud that they help us live a wonderful, adventurous life. We are sincerely glad that the other Jeep owners have the same. good taste, just like us. We want to show our friends in the Jeep community that we love them and care about them, especially if they have a really nice Jeep Wrangler. But if you drive a Jeep Compass, you are also our friend After all, one of The most important advantages of owning any Jeep is the feeling of respect that your vehicle brings, and therefore you yourself. And all this is just an addition to the main thing: buddy, you own the best SUV in the world!
What can we add to it? Only Jeep cars have now found a new life in Ukraine: today a large-scale relaunch of the famous brand is taking place in our market. For example, Kyiv dealers have already started work and invite you to visit their showrooms for a personal acquaintance with current Jeep models.
In general, a large Jeep dealer network has been built, where everyone can not only become the owner of a legendary car, but also receive the appropriate level of service according to the highest Jeep standards. Join this incredible community! Find out more information about Jeep in Ukraine on the brand’s official website.
By the way, truly beautiful traditions have no borders. And if one morning you find a rubber duck on your new Jeep, you’ll understand what it means.
Jeep showrooms contacts:
JEEP® CENTER KYIV “AVTOPASAZH” – Bogatyrskaya, 1a – (044) 228-72-72
JEEP® CENTER KYIV “VIDI CHALLENGE” – Bolshaya Koltseva, 60a – (044) 233-75-75
JEEP® AUTO CENTER “ILTA IN PECHERSK” – Zheleznodorozhnoe highway, 6 – (044) 390-97-77
OFFICIAL SITE DEALERS
Source: korrespondent
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.