1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

- 5.9L V8
- Automatic Transmission
-112k Miles
- 4 Wheel Drive
- Burgundy and Wood Over Burgundy Interior
- Lots of Recent Mechanical Work

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video and a link to the accident-free, well-maintained Carfax vehicle history, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“... the Grand Wagoneer... set the bar for luxury SUVs, including the ones from imported and domestic luxury brands.” –Hagerty

In a recent article, Motor Trend expanded on the Grand Wagoneer's history: “Although luxury trucks are a key profit center for modern automotive manufacturers, there was a time when only a single brand on the American market was brave enough to make the leap from ski station to valet station. It was the early '80s when AMC decided to go all-in on an aging platform by transforming its already decades-old Wagoneer into the Grand Wagoneer and open up an entirely new segment for U.S. buyers. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer beat the (still Spartan but nevertheless high-priced) Range Rover to the American market by a handful of years, and while Land Rover was able to outlast its underfunded rival in the long run, as contemporaries there was no question who was first, and in the minds of many sport-utility fans, who also did it better.”

For some time now, Grand Wagoneers have been a staple of the collector market with a passionate group of owners and fans committed to maintaining these special vehicles, and to extolling their timeless appeal. Value appreciation has been as rock-solid as the vehicles themselves, particularly so for Wagoneers which have been properly maintained over the years.

Offered here is a 1989 Grand Wagoneer in the very desirable burgundy-over-burgundy color combination. Model year 1989 was Chrysler's first full year of ownership of the Jeep brand. That year, the Wagoneer benefitted with a number of under-the-skin improvements, however, such as improved anti-corrosion measures, better overall assembly of the vehicle, and the standardization of certain components that had previously been sourced from a laundry list of car companies.

Showing 112,400 miles—roughly 3,500 miles per-year on average—this four-wheel-drive Wagoneer is a very-low-mileage example. The body's generous proportions wear the factory-applied paint showing some age-appropriate patina, most noticeable on the hood and roof. No body rust is noted, likely due to long-term ownership in Kansas and Oklahoma. Especially noteworthy is the Carfax-documented vehicle history demonstrating the assiduous mechanical-servicing commitment by prior owners. (More than on many other vehicles, poor maintenance on a Grand Wagoneer is a “walkaway” indicator for prospective buyers.) Chrome trim (including bumpers and roof rack), woodgrain body-panels, factory alloy wheels (mounted with Goodyear Wrangler tires), and cabin glass all display excellent, damage-free surfaces. A pair of aftermarket fog lights (aiding nighttime and inclement-weather driving) represent the only obvious modification. All factory-applied exterior emblems and badges are in place.

A Grand Wagoneer's interior appointments set a very high bar, and made good on the “luxury” promise. In this example, the varied burgundy treatments, including the corduroy cloth inserts on leather-trimmed seats, door panels (trimmed in leather, carpeting and woodgrain) fully carpeted cargo area with chrome rub strips on the floor,and a roll-up cargo cover all made for a cabin as luxurious as most luxury sedans of the day. Throughout, interior surfaces are in excellent condition with the only significant wear indication being the patina on the outside leather portions of the front and rear seats. The dashboard and burgundy steering wheel are especially well preserved with handsome woodgrain not abraded or worn, and factory instruments in excellent condition as well. (There is slight damage above the glove box as shown in the gallery of photos.) The Wagoneer features air conditioning and a column-mounted automatic-transmission shifter.

Under the hood, the 5.9-liter V8 occupies a clean, well-ordered, and complete engine bay. Compression tests on the engine cylinders verify its performance. The chassis is free of obvious damage and shows only surface rust on untreated metal surfaces. Documentation includes recent service invoices and manufacturer manuals.

The well-maintained, stock condition of this Grand Wagoneer is faithfully presented in the more than 150 high-definition photographs together with a short walk-around-and-startup video available at the GarageKeptMotors site. That said, there is no substitute for an in-person, up-close inspection. We encourage such inspections by interested parties at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. We ask only that an appointment be made by phone or email in advance. Our showroom is not open to the public.

One good measure of just how iconic the Grand Wagoneer is: For its part, Fiat Chrysler plans to revive the nameplate on the 2022 Grand Wagoneer, which should only brighten its iconic predecessor's star.