Jeep World

There are a number of names and words which are often used generically despite being covered by trademark laws, but because they relate to icons they are names with which we are able to associate a type of product immediately. Think of a vacuum cleaner and we tend to call it a Hoover, excavators are often referred to as JCBs and offroad vehicles are usually thought of as 'Jeep'.

The Jeep name is actually registered by parent company the DaimlerChrysler Corporation, and originates from the original term given to the little vehicles seen scurrying around in just about every WWII movie you see - they were designated General Purpose by the US Army which was shortened to GP, and hence Jeep!

The Jeep brand has been owned by 4 companies over the years (Willys, Kaiser, AMC and now Daimler Chrysler), but there are still links between the original army workhorse and the current Wrangler model (seen on the magazine cover above). There are also more sophisticated and practical models in the Jeep range to compliment the rugged Wrangler, these being the very popular Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. There's a good owners club that caters for all the models so with a strong following that's growing in the UK all that was needed was a new magazine dedicated to the marque.

If you've only recently noticed Jeep World on the shelves of your local newsagent you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a new magazine. Actually it's not, it's just that until recently it was only available by subscription. Formerly produced by Jeep Promotions Ltd as a bi-monthly magazine, Jeep World is now part of the Kelsey Publishing stable and goes on sale from the 3rd Wednesday of each and every month - great news for Jeep lovers! The name Kelsey Publishing may not be familiar but you may have seen some of their other titles which include Car Mechanics, Classic Car Weekly, Classic Van and Pick-up, Custom Car and Jaguar World - I could go on!

Who'd buy the magazine?

Well it goes without saying that it'll appeal to all Jeep owners, however I don't own a Jeep - though to be honest I've fancied a Wrangler for quite a while (but not the fuel costs - if only they made a diesel version!). The reason I bought the magazine was because it offered a good cross-section of articles, by that I mean it doesn't concentrate on just one aspect of Jeep ownership, off-roading for example. The articles also covered past, present and future vehicles with features on the following:

the current Jeep Wrangler

the all-new 2005 model Grand Cherokee

the development of the original Jeep

the Jeep Dispatcher ( a special 2 wheel drive version that was made for the US Mail service)

diecast model Jeeps

first steps in off-road driving

Mahindra Jeep (made under licence in India)

Citroen Mehari (first in a series about Jeep pretenders)

In addition there's the usual pages devoted to readers letters, an events diary, readers cars and of course classified ads (very dangerous looking there!). Also within its 76 pages were some excellent photographs, both colour ones of current vehicles and events, and black & white ones from days gone by. I was also pleased to see that fewer than 20 pages were devoted to advertising - and 4 of those were for books that can be purchased from the previous publisher. Tthere's plenty to read in this mag!

Will I buy the magazine again?

Yes, having enjoyed this first issue to be sold on general release I look forward to reading the next one. The publishers offer a good discount if you take out a subscription but I usually like to have a look through the contents before buying a magazine - it keeps the publishers on their toes too!

Is there anything else I'd like to see in the magazine?

As mentioned earlier, Jeep World offers a good cross-section of articles for jeep enthusiasts. As someone who may be interested in buying one in the future I'd like to see features on buying a Jeep, what to look for, and how to carry out home sevicing. Also, maybe a directory of Jeep specialists who can carry out repairs at a more favourable rate than the main dealers.

For further details please visit the publisher's website at www.jeepworldmag.co.uk

Back issues are avalable from www.jeepworld.co.uk