The first time I saw the “new” spot for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was while my family and I were vacationing in Colorado last June.  Since then, I’ve spent some time thinking about the commercial and the response it’s garnered from the general public.  In case you haven’t seen the commercial yourself, here it is, in it’s full, YouTube glory.  Check it out, then catch my thoughts on it after the break.

So what is it about this ad that got everyone so worked up?  Apparently the fact that the chassis is Daimler-Benz property is a factor.  Or that any number of parts are ostensibly sourced from non-domestic producers. Whatever. To think that it’s possible to produce an entire vehicle domestically is plainly naive, so I’m not going to delve into that too much.

What’s important to keep in mind here is that this vehicle is being built by American artisans, on American soil, out of American steel, following the designs of American engineers.  It’s about a renaissance of American ingenuity and industrialism, the things that made America great in the past that we’ve let fall by the wayside.  It doesn’t take an engineer to work at a factory turning ore into steel, steel into chassis, chassis into cars.  It does, however, take an engineer to design the components, and an artisan to make it whole.  That’s what this is all about, taking available resources, wherever they happen to come from, and turn them into worthwhile things, things of beauty and utility, form and function.

I own a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.  Let me be the first to attest to what happens when you get lazy with your engineering and production ethic.  I also own a 1997 Jeep Wrangler and a 2003 Grand Cherokee, so I know what can go right when you have a vision and a passion.  Sure, it ain’t perfect, but when you need it to perform, it’s there, and it won’t let you down.

Is Chrysler making the right move with the new Grand Cherokee?  Only time will tell if their new quality control program really works, if the engineering and build are really up to snuff, but I’m comfortable with the notion that they have the right idea.  I’ve seen the new GCs, and they are a thing of beauty.  They stand apart from their predecessors, which is itself no small feat, and somehow they managed to make them cheaper, not more expensive.

Now that, to me, is the American Way.  Stronger, harder, better – through innovation, ingenuity, and craftsmanship.  Not through economization, corner-cutting, and profiteering.

Chrysler: I’m a long-time Jeep fan and owner.  I haven’t been excited about a vehicle the way I’m excited about the new Grand Cherokee in a long, long time.  Don’t let me down.  Don’t let us down.

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