"Vintage Friday" Special Edition: Introducing Roxor
My love of Jeeps is well known to many. Especially the Jeep Wrangler! Well, a good friend forwarded me info on a Jeep relative from India! Say What? I know, it sounds far fetched but like all original Jeep stories this one has lots of cool history too!
Back in the 1940's Mahindra, an Indian auto maker produced the forefather of the Roxor (CJ-7 based 4x4). It was essentially a Willys CJ-2A Jeep shipped to India as a scaled down version and assembled under license. Fast forward some 70 years later and Mahindra is releasing the Roxor-in the US! It's a mini version of a CJ-7 Jeep but maintains its off-road prowess!
As seen here, much of the design is the same except for a few details like the rear lights and the longer wheel base to name a few.
The specs are nothing to sneeze at either-
2.5-liter turbo-diesel
4 cylinder mounted to a 5 speed manual with auto option available
62 HP at 3,200 RPM and 144 lb-ft at 1,400 rpm (slow but capable)
Top Speed of 45 MPH
Est. 32 MPG
Priced bet. $15,549 to $18,999
Built in Detroit!
The Roxor's charm goes beyond its looks, it's how its built. The CJ-7 inspired steel body is mounted on a steel frame with leaf spring suspension tied to 2 solid axles. A purebred rough rider that wants to get dirty on the off-road. While these "micro Jeeps" are highly affordable and will soon be available to Americans, no word if they will be street legal. Then again, with this 4x4 you can make your own path!
