This one transported me right back to my summers in Northern Michigan. But to start, I spent a lot of my childhood and early adulthood hoofing it around junk yards. I’ll explain: my dad pulled used car parts out to save his customers a buck or two. Anyway, this is why I follow Auto Parts City…for its fun, interesting, and sometimes heartwrenching shares (at least to me). The scrap yard often posts unique vehicles that owners send out to pasture, and a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition just landed.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition was the fly fisherman’s dream ride
Jeep introduced the Orvis Edition in response to the Ford Explorer‘s Eddie Bauer Edition. I can feel the light bulbs going on about that one, which seemed much more common driving around the Midwest. The name “Orvis,” of course, comes from the high-end outdoor gear and clothing company. The retailer specializes in premium fly fishing gear.
Jeep produced the Orvis Edition from 1995 to 1997. It featured a unique exterior color scheme, typically Moss Green accented with red and maize striping. In 1997, a less common Light Driftwood color was also available. The interior boasted two-tone cream and green leather upholstery, complemented by “Orvis” branded floor mats.
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Back in 1995, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $31,715. This positioned it as the most expensive Grand Cherokee trim at the time.
Under the hood, the Orvis Edition came equipped with a 5.2-liter V8 engine delivering 220 horsepower. This powertrain was paired with a four-speed automatic transmission and featured Jeep’s full-time Quadra-Trac four-wheel-drive system.
Production numbers for the Orvis Edition were relatively limited, with 10,020 units made in 1995, 2,341 in 1996, and 2,733 in 1997. In 1998, Jeep replaced the Orvis Edition with the 5.9 Limited model, which featured a more powerful 5.9-liter V8 engine.
Last fall, a 1997 in pristine condition sold for $22,250.
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The one that someone sent to Auto Parts City has an interior that transported me right back to the boat cushion on my uncle’s bass fishing Upper Peninsula excursions. Which, looking back, was mostly him patiently untangling a hook one of us youngins cast out at a log or the freshwater vegetation.
Considering they’ve been showing up in scrapyards highlighted online since 2015, seeing a Grand Cherokee Ovis Edition today is just a great moment…and maybe a bit sad.