Jeep CJ Military Command Vehicle (1982)
Yeah, now here’s a blast from the past. I had one of these cool vehicles back in the day. It was quite an exciting toy, since the actual GI Joe line at that point only had the MOBAT, which although it was very cool as a motorized tank, wasn’t quite the same. This thing was remote controlled! How cool is that? The Jeep wasn’t quite the VAMP, but I loved it nonetheless. Speaking of the VAMP, that rear gun looks suspiciously familiar.
I got a lot of mileage out of this Jeep. The Joes sat (or stood) safely secured in their harnesses, though they were removable for extra adventurous play. The remote control was impressive for the time, considering all the other remote control cars I had only drove forward or turned in reverse. Yeah, I know, I only had the cheapo RC cars.
Sadly, my Jeep CJ is no longer extant, save for the rear gun, which somehow managed to survive several childhood moves, as well as the great Toy Purge of my teenage years. I think it just somehow ended up in a junk box, and popped up years later when I was unpacking my old Atari 2600 cartridges.
The catalog image remains as a reminder of some fun times. I wouldn’t mind finding one of these again, just to have it for a display. The image is that awesome iconic 80s catalog style, complete with foliage and mistakes in the figures’ usage. Who in their right mind would man their vehicle with two of the same character? I’d shout NERD RAGE, but there was no such thing in 1982.
My night attack chopper is being piloted by 3 different versions of Wild Bill
That jeep looks to be based on the J59 [Hound in other words]
One has to believe that while there were a lot of companies vying to compete with Joe in that time, there was one who saw the writing on the wall and made their stuff with the purpose of supplementing Joe AND its competitors.
What a great Joe memory!
I totally remember this ad and also remember being frustrated at the double Rock n’ Roll’s. What were they thinking?
Excellent choice, Rob! This one’s a true blast from the past, indeed. The first year’s worth of figures were perfectly suited for these “me too” products since the initial wave of Joes wore basic, uniform colors. Many parents likely viewed them as the spiritual descendants of green army men. This explains why the jeep is so militarily accurate. Heck, I had bags of those little plastic soldiers which included smaller scaled versions of this very same jeep.
I vividly remember seeing these catalog ads and wanting one even though I couldn’t find them at retail. A RADIO controlled vehicle??? How awesome is THAT?!! I knew they “played with” or were “compatible with G.I. Joe, Sgt. Rock, and other military figures” but that’s what made them so great! These guys were the precursors to modern “third party” manufacturers who now make up a healthy share of today’s collector market. The 80’s was the best of times to be a kid!
@Clutch
I have all my old little green army men in the garden shed [theres an old P.C box thats full of them] I’ll pass them onto my Nephew when he’s old enough
I dont remeber much from the 80’s as i was born in ’86. I have a few vague memories of ’89 and yes it was the best time to be a kid 🙂
What a wonderful trip down memory lane! Some things are worth more than just their eBay value! Thanks for sharing!
Even the Jeep CJ Company thought Rock & Roll was the coolest Joe figure! I had a Radio Shack remote tank, but it was slightly smaller than the MOBAT and couldn’t hold any figures. As much as I love the VAMP, this would’ve been the best! Was it very fast?
Love the inset photo of the refurbished toy Garand in the corner…
$20 was a lot more money in 1982 than now. I remember MASH toy line had a jeep, never owned it. Owned the copter which was fragile, rotor broke off immediately.
I agree! There can be no “nerd rage” from me when it’s Rock & Roll and his twin brother Surf & Turf (R&R was a surfer, after all). Always been on of my favorite Joes, only partially due to him having been my first Joe figure!
Nice JEEP!
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Well guys I have one for sale.
1982 VINTAGE SEARS RADIO CONTROLLED CJ MILITARY COMMAND VEHICLE JEEP G. I. JOE
Jeep and controller only
I got this fir Christmas. I never could find any info on it. Thank you for the info. I wish I still had this.