The vast majority of people knew nothing about Jeep Easter eggs, up until recently. Interestingly, every Jeep made since the 90s is littered with quite a number of them hidden on Jeep auto parts, and a lot of us didn't know about Jeep Easter eggs for that long. It goes to show that some Jeep owners have much searching to do.
Have I lost you? Do you even know what Easter eggs are?
Easter eggs are hidden messages or undocumented features in a purchased object most times included as a joke or bonus. The Easter egg culture essentially allows the designers to enhance the appearance of some ignored parts of the vehicle, adding a few nods here and there rather than waste the space with nothing-ness.
Read on to have most of your questions about Easter eggs answered.
Do Jeeps auto parts really have hidden Easter eggs?
Oh, yes, they do! These little surprises were first introduced during the production of the 1997 Jeep Wrangler. The designer, Michael Santoro, wanted to leave a mark on the Wrangler. He decided ‘to make the vehicle more Jeep’ by designing the cowl to feature Jeep’s iconic seven-bar grille design. I might add that this particular Easter egg also had a functional feature; it allowed more air to get into the car's interior.
Recently, a TikTok user - @jackiefoster - shared a video after uncovering the traditional art on his newly purchased Jeep Renegade. The video went viral and has created increased awareness of this beautiful tradition. The said video revealed a small spider print by the fuel tank's lid with a text bubble saying 'Ciao baby.'
This recent video of Easter egg discovery has sparked a challenge amongst other Jeep owners, many of whom are now sharing their Easter egg discoveries. Meanwhile, others are still excitedly searching the nooks and crannies of their Jeeps.
What Jeeps have Easter eggs then?
Let’s take a peek at some of the cleverly hidden Easter eggs since the ’97 Wrangler and the Jeep auto part where they were found:
·Jeeps first ever: The iconic seven-bar grille hidden in the cowl; the wipers looking like the headlights
·Print of a vintage Willys jeep on the windscreen
·Print of a subtle pair of flip-flops on the cowl of the Jeep Gladiator
·An image of an old Willys jeep on the wheel of some Jeeps
·Yellow paint splatter on the speedometer red line of the Jeep Renegade
·A Loch Ness snake print on the rear window of the Jeep Compass. Quick Trivia: The Jeep Compass can ford in water 19 inches (48cm) deep just like the snake.
·Print of a T-rex chasing a Willys jeep chasing Big Foot on the rear window of some vehicles
·An engraving of a sneaky lizard underneath the windshield wipers of some cars. Note: Both Jeeps and lizards are excellent at traversing any terrain.
·A T-rex skull moulded in some vehicle's floor mat
·A resemblance between some vehicle's C-pillar vent and the American flag
·The Jeep front-end grille design on the bed of the Jeep Gladiator
·The grille design above most Jeeps’ rearview mirror
·419 engraved in the rear of the Jeep Gladiator. FYI: 419 is the area code for Toledo, Ohio, where the vehicle is manufactured.
·There is a print of the old Willys Jeep on some models’ roof latch.
I've only mentioned a few. There are a lot more to discover. So, if you use a Jeep, get to work (read: have fun!) to find more.
What other cars have hidden Easter eggs?
Although Jeep is the most notable brand with unique Easter eggs, it does not have a monopoly on fun. Renault, Dodge, Aston Martin, and others also have hidden motifs and prints all over their vehicles. Guess the Easter eggs are quick reminders that where you are going shouldn't just be a destination, but also an adventure.
Anyway, here are some other brands that have hidden Easter eggs on them:
Chrysler
Chrysler artistically erased their competitions by printing the Detroit City skyline on the floor mats of their Chrysler 200 cars. Careful observers familiar with the city's skyline would notice the absence of one building, the General Motors Renaissance Center. Savvy, if you ask me.
Ford
Ford pulled off a commemorative approach to the headlamp design in their GT40 car to celebrate their 100th anniversary. It’s designed such that the headlight looks like the number '100' when one observes it from outside.
Volvo
The spiderweb storage bin-top in the XC90 is one of the most eye-catching Easter eggs surprise from Volvo. There's an engraved web-like design on the back of the lid top on one of the storage bins. Added near the centre of the webbing structure is a googly-eyed spider that will make owners grin.
Dodge
The Dodge Viper SRT has a small plastic bin by the window switch that bears the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca racing tracks' unique shape.
Volkswagen
There’s something super cool about the reversing camera on the Volkswagen Golf and Passat CC cars. Both have their reversing camera behind the brand logo in the back. When you activate the camera, the logo flips to reveal the camera. How cool that is! It was first seen in a superhero movie, Batman.
And I could go on and on. Over the years, other brands like Tesla, Hyundai, Skoda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, and Chevrolet have shown efforts to thrill owners with several kinds of Adventurous Easter eggs. They have never failed to produce a chuckle so far.
Jeep has made it a lifestyle by placing at least one Easter egg on pretty much every vehicle they have produced since 1996. The goal "making it more Jeep" has driven the brand to fashion out its uniqueness in the global automobile industry.
Inspect your Jeep's auto parts while you hunt for those Easter eggs
Have you found your Easter egg yet? If you haven't, do well to keep searching and make sure you share it with us car enthusiasts once you find it. Follow us on Carpart.com.au not only for exciting updates but also for delightful bits of history!
Going back to the Easter eggs, since you'd be on your knees and maybe wearing pince-nez to locate the 'eggs,' why not make better use of the adventure? Double the fun (now, it sounds more like work) and inspect parts that may need replacing.
If you do find worn-out Jeep auto parts, get them replaced right away. Check out Carpart's quick link to Australia’s most reputable car part sellers and wreckers! Try our parts finder here!
By Damilare Olasinde