Jeep Rolls Retro At Moab With the Jeep FC 150 Heritage Vehicle

While the days of hard-working, small-scale farm trucks may be very different now, there’s no doubt that Jeep has not forgotten its heritage as a longtime provider of sturdy, reliable agricultural vehicles. Built on a reputation of hardy, land-conquering off-roaders that can take just about any hill out there – as seen in the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Jeep has long provided everyone from outdoor adventurers to hard-working laborers with the tools they need to get the job done – and by restoring heritage vehicles like the impressive Jeep FC 150 that the company brought to the 50th annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab this year, Jeep proves it still holds on to this slice of automotive history.

This impressive heritage vehicle, first built in 1960, revives the cab-over-engine style (hence, Forward Control) that has largely gone unused for decades, offering a curiously squat land crawler mounted on a freshly-revamped drivetrain system for a surprisingly capable overland performance that’s fit for just about any offroad trip. In fact, that’s why Jeep brought the FC 150 as one of seven representative Jeep vehicles at the 50th annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah this March, where the FC 150 proved its worth over the harsh rocks and along the steep embankments of the Moab Trail.

When the Jeep Forward Control was first built sometime between 1956 and 1965, Jeep engineers probably never envisioned it would still be taking on trails decades later, and judging by the battle scars all along the original steel frame, this beauty has definitely seen a lot of action. But thanks to a 2005 Jeep Wrangler chassis modified for a Dana 44 front axle, Dana 60 rear axle, and 17-inch white steel wheels wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires, this classic truck can still ride with the best of them even on harsh, rocky summits.

Thanks to the unique design, this hauler is remarkably short, measuring only eleven feet in length, despite its full six-foot cab. This allows it a wide, strong stance out on the trail, and generates plenty of power thanks to 4.0-liter PowerTech I-6 and mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. Since the driver sits right over the front axle, this Jeep doesn’t offer much in the way of front-end protection, but we still appreciate the look and the sense of experimentation that you only find on vehicles from this era.

Take a step inside the cab and you’ll be transported right into the past thanks to vinyl seat covers and a custom headliner wrapped in a vintage duck hunting pattern, which really infuse that rural, farm-ready feeling into this classic work-truck-turned-offroader. A CB radio, an analog compass, and Mopar all-weather mats only increase the rough and ready feeling that makes this heritage model worth preserving.

Not too many vehicles can successfully transition from a capable, working farm tool to a heritage weekend offroader, let alone withstand more than five decades of hard use. That’s why we’re so impressed with the Jeep FC 150 that Jeep brought out to help celebrate its 50th annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari. Whether you’re a longtime Jeep lover or new to the game, there’s simply something inspiring about what this impressive model can do.