Besides off-road capability and rubber ducks, one of the things Jeep is best-known for is special editions. The brand seems to have new ones each model year. As part of the brand’s 85th anniversary, it decided to turn its special edition output up to 11. Actually, it turned it up to 12, since it has released one every month for a year now.
We were able to speak with Jeep Global Head of Design Vince Galante about how the automaker pulled this huge task off, and how things have gone for the program.
2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 front 3/4Stellantis North America
Jeep Got Help From Around The Company To Do This In Record Time
Automakers often spend years getting new products ready for production. So it would be easy to think Jeep spent at least a year getting this project ready. It did it quicker, way quicker. The first of the special editions was revealed in November 2025. Galante revealed that the Jeep team had the idea for this program in August 2025.
In order to turn things around as quickly as possible, Jeep relied on more than just its own designers. Galante said that designers from other American Stellantis brands such as Chrysler and Dodge worked on ideas. By the end of the month, they had the designs they wanted, and in September, they were presented to the board. So only about a month and a half was left before the first model, the Wrangler Moab 392 was shown.
How Did Jeep Decide Which Models Would Go And When?
Something we were curious about regarding this special edition program was how Jeep decided when each model would be released, in part because we had some expectation that the final edition would be a wild 392 version of sorts. While Galante didn’t go into deep detail for every model, he said that a number of factors played roles.
Some of them had to do with lining up models with other releases, such as the 85th Anniversary Edition Wranglers and Gladiators launching right at the start of 2026 for the brand’s anniversary. Jeep also started with the Moab 392 for a big kickoff. For other models, their releases were dependent on when all the parts and materials were ready.
“Some of it was availability. So Laredo is an example. If you think about that all of the door materials, the plastics, and everything had to be changed in color. So we had long lead times for some of those.” -Jeep Global Head of Design Vince Galante
Parts and materials have also played a role in which of these models wrapped up with the 2026 model year, and which are sticking around into the new one. The Rewind, for example, was painted in a color called Purple Reign, which has been discontinued. So when that model year was done, that special edition was, too.
2026 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Rockslide Twelve 4 TwelveJeep
Have There Been Any Favorites So Far?
Galante also announced that Jeep has had 17,000 orders for these special edition models since the start of the program, and the number will likely grow for a bit longer with the Switchback only just being revealed. We asked him if any of them stood out as favorites among customers. He didn’t give specific numbers, but he said that the 392 models were extremely popular, and that they’ve also seen really short turnaround times on sales of the Rockslide and the Rewind.
He also noted that the Rewind was a bit of a surprise. The purple paint was niche and not a big part of the Wrangler’s volume normally. However, the Rewind models typically found buyers in under 10 days from hitting the lot.
2026 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Rewind from the front three-quarter angleJeep
Will Jeep Ever Do This Again?
Galante said that he doesn’t think Jeep will do quite so many special editions in such quick succession again, at least anytime soon. However, he said that they definitely will have plenty more special editions in the future, maybe more of them each year than they were doing previously. While the company settled on just 12 designs for this year, he said that the designers submitted 100 different ideas. Clearly, there won’t be any shortage of unique Jeeps in the future.
2027 Jeep Wrangler SwitchbackJeep
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Special editions can be really hit-and-miss when automakers put them out. Some of them are really half-hearted, maybe changing some exterior trim and giving it a name. Most of the Jeep editions have been genuinely fun, even if some were more so than others. Considering how many ideas Jeep designers had, too, clearly there’s still lots of love and enthusiasm for the vehicles, and it seems like buyers have responded in kind.
We think that’s a win-win situation for the business and enthusiasts (as Jeep employees or customers) alike.
