Types Of Jeep Easter Eggs By Model
Summary
Jeep Easter eggs are decals, engravings, and other design features that are hidden, either in plain sight or hard-to-notice places of a Jeep model. They can include homages to the company's roots in the Second World War, references to the natural (and even supernatural) world, and allusions to the manufacturing process. This page reveals the common places where you can find Jeep Easter eggs:
- Front and rear windshields
- Hood cowling
- Headlights and taillights
- Infotainment screen
- Under the seats
- On/near the pedals
- In/near the fuel tank
- Side rails
What Are Jeep Easter Eggs?
Jeep Easter eggs are hidden messages, images, and design features that are found in modern Jeep vehicles. They come in many forms, from a Willys silhouette cresting the edge of the windshield to Morse code that spells out "snow." Many drivers appreciate the thoughtful touches that these Easter eggs represent – they're one of the many reasons why the Jeep community is so cohesive.
While many Jeep Easter egg decals, images, and engravings are hidden in plain sight, others can be quite hard to find. Below, we'll detail common Jeep Easter egg types, meanings, and locations. If you have further questions about them or want to get a new Jeep adventurer of your own so you can hunt for Jeep Easter eggs, please reach out to the DARCARS Automotive Group team!
Jeep Easter Egg Types: Themes & Common Motifs
There are many, many kinds of Jeep easter eggs, but they do tend to fall into three broad (if occasionally overlapping) categories: homages to history, references to the great outdoors, or references to the manufacturing process. Below, we'll explain these categories in more depth.
Jeep Easter Eggs Pay Tribute to History
As many drivers know, the Jeep brand cut its teeth during the proverbial fires of the Second World War. Its vehicles helped the Allies seize victory. Willys-Overland Motors created the original Jeep vehicle in response to the American military's need for a rugged, speedy vehicle that could quickly move troops across wide theatres of engagement. With that, the Jeep model was born – and the rest is history. Now, you can find Jeep Easter eggs that reference this history. For example, the first Easter egg was a depiction of the seven-slot grille found in the original Jeep SUV driven by Allied forces.
Jeep Easter Eggs Invoke the Great Outdoors
Other Jeep easter eggs are more playful than those that pay homage to the storied history of the brand. Jeep Easter egg animal depictions can include geckos, spiders, and even famous cryptids, such as Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) and Bigfoot! Jeep designers go the extra mile with these Easter eggs: Many Renegade models, for example, have a spider near the fuel tank with a speech bubble that reads, "Ciao, Baby!" Animals are not the only nature-oriented Easter eggs; you can also find the coordinates for a challenging off-road trail in Moab, Utah, under the front passenger seat of select Wrangler and Cherokee models.
Jeep Easter Eggs Reference the Manufacturing Process
While Jeep hidden Easter eggs can be from any of these three categories, they are most likely to be details that reference the process of designing and building Jeep vehicles. This category includes, among other things, engineering designations spelled out in Morse code, jokes from the industry, and numbers that refer to the area where the car was built.
When Did the Jeep Brand Start Doing Easter Eggs?
The practice of including Jeep Easter eggs in the design of these storied vehicles began in 1997, when the first seven-slot grille reference was put into the hood cowl of the Jeep Wrangler. Today, Jeep automobiles have as many as 30 Easter eggs – explore our selection of Jeep deals for a hand with securing a new model so you can hunt for surprises!
Jeep Easter Egg Locations: The Hunt Starts Here
Common Jeep Easter Egg Locations
- Front and rear windshields
- Hood cowling
- Headlights and taillights
- Infotainment screen
- Under the seats
- On/near the pedals
- On/in the gas cap
- Side rails
The above list of possible Jeep Easter egg locations is far from exhaustive – after all, many Jeep enthusiasts doubt that all of them have even been discovered. That said, this list includes some of the more common spots where you can find Jeep Easter eggs. Near the hood cowling, for example, you can locate several of these surprises, depending on the model in question. Some examples include:
- Jeep Gladiator: a pair of etched flip-flops
- Jeep Compass: a three-dimensional Gecko under the wipers
- Jeep Wrangler: the seven-slot grille design – the original Jeep Easter egg!
Other popular examples include the depiction of Nessie that you'll find swimming along the bottom of the rear windshield on most Jeep Compass SUVs and the spider we mentioned above, which hangs out inside the gas cap of the Jeep Renegade.
Jeep Easter Eggs: Which Models Have Them?
Jeep Wrangler Easter Eggs
As we've already mentioned, the Jeep Wrangler Easter eggs include the seven-slot grille depiction that started it all; it's found on the hood cowling. You can also find this design in the headlights and on the front-facing radar housing, provided your model is equipped with this technology.
The Willys silhouette is typically found in a couple of spots on every Wrangler, though the specifics vary by model and trim. You'll generally have this decal on the front windshield, and can also find it on your all-weather mats, wheels, and gear shift knob.
There are numerous Jeep Wrangler easter eggs; some of the other ones include Morse code in the cargo area that spells "JL" (the current Wrangler generation), an image of the original Jeep SUV on your instrument display when you start the car, and three notches on the steering wheel around the Jeep logo that recall the steering wheel design of that same first Willys vehicle.
Jeep Renegade Easter Eggs
The Jeep Renegade has the most Easter eggs by far: Some models have as many as 30, assuming they have all been discovered. We mentioned the "Ciao, Baby!" spider above, but there are numerous other ones to find.
The "X" design in the SUV's taillights is a reference to the gasoline containers that were strapped to Willys vehicles during WWII; you'll also find the "X" imagery on the roof of this car and in the cupholders. Furthermore, a silhouette of Bigfoot appears on the rear windshield of some Renegade models!
The list goes on and on – please reach out to the DARCARS Automotive Group team today to learn more about the Jeep Renegade easter eggs.
Jeep Cherokee Easter Eggs
The Jeep Cherokee SUV, like every other modern Jeep model, comes with numerous Easter eggs that vary depending on the year and configuration. Cherokee SUVs from the KL generation, for example, come with a map of the Rubicon off-road trail if they're equipped with the fold-flat front passenger seat feature.
The Cherokee also has the seven-slot grille design in various places, which can include optional bag hooks in the back row and a spot under the hood. You'll also find the iconic Willys silhouette on many versions of the Cherokee!
Jeep Grand Cherokee Easter Eggs
The Grand Cherokee has also come with various Jeep Easter eggs over the years. Previous-generation models generally have the Willys silhouette and the phrase "since 1941" in their headlights, and Grand Cherokee L SUVs often have a map of Detroit under the hood, paying homage to American automotive manufacturing.
You can find the Willys silhouette in several other places, depending on model year, trim, and configuration; these include the rear liftgate, the third-row driver's side window (which is complemented by a Grand Cherokee silhouette on the passenger's side), and even as the vehicle displayed in place of your Grand Cherokee if you have the Park Assist system in your model.
Jeep Compass Easter Eggs
The Jeep Compass comes with the seven-slot grille Easter egg, just like every other Jeep model. You might find it in the headlights, on some floor mats, as a mode selector icon on some versions' digital instrument panel, under the center console bin lid, and on the tailgate molding.
The vehicle also features a cute three-dimensional gecko under the windshield wipers. This Easter egg has likely caused a few drivers to jump when they first notice it! In a similar vein, you may find Nessie swimming along the back windshield of a Compass SUV. The Willys silhouette, of course, also appears on many Compass models, typically on the engine cover.
Jeep Gladiator Easter Eggs
While the Gladiator is the sole pickup in the Jeep lineup, it has not been left out of the Easter egg hunt. The original Willys vehicle is usually found on the front windshield and may also pop up on specific wheels and on the spare tire. The Gladiator gets in on the silhouette fun – a cutout of the truck often comes up on the infotainment startup screen.
You'll find the iconic seven-slot grille Easter egg in the headlights of the Gladiator and often on the tailgate. This model also has one of the more esoteric Easter eggs: You'll see the number "419" stamped near the back of the vehicle. This is not a random choice: 419 is the telephone area code for Toledo, Ohio, where the Gladiator is produced!
Learn More About Jeep Easter Eggs by Going on Your Own Hunt
You can read about Jeep Easter eggs all day long, but the best way to enjoy these thoughtful and playful design elements is to look for them yourself. While you could ask a friend to let you root around the inside of their Jeep model, this is less satisfying than checking out your own. That's where we come in: The DARCARS Automotive Group team can help you pick out a new Jeep SUV or pickup that's laden with Easter eggs.
While you can find numerous new and used Jeep automobiles in stock at our dealerships, you can also custom-order your new Jeep model online. This allows you to pick out the model, color, and trim that you've always wanted. Once it arrives, you can start looking for Easter eggs!
Our team loves talking about the uniqueness of the Jeep brand – if you want to learn more about Jeep Easter eggs or share your discoveries with us, we'll be excited to hear from you. Visit us today to test-drive a new Jeep model and learn more about the secrets that help Jeep SUVs and trucks stand out from the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Jeep vehicle have an easter egg?
Yes, every modern Jeep vehicle has Easter eggs. The number of them varies significantly from model to model – some cars have just a handful, while others, such as the Jeep Renegade, have a couple of dozen to locate. Happy hunting!
When did the Jeep brand start doing Easter eggs?
The first Jeep Easter egg debuted in 1997. It was found on the Wrangler and was an homage to the company's historic seven-slot grille that was on the hood cowling. You can still find this surprise among modern Jeep Wrangler Easter eggs. Today, every Jeep model has Easter eggs for you to discover!
How many easter eggs are on a Jeep vehicle?
The answer to this question varies according to the model. Some Jeep vehicles, such as the Renegade, are adorned with numerous Easter eggs – some versions of this famous SUV have more than 30! Others have fewer, but every Jeep model, from the Wrangler to the Grand Cherokee, has Easter eggs.