The Jeepiverse is aflutter about the teaser Jeep just released of one of its special 2022 Easter Jeep Safari concepts. Though the teaser looks like a four-door Wrangler, Jeep poses the question, “Ever wonder what blending two mighty off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator might look like?” That brings to mind all of the single-cab Gladiators we’ve seen about. 

Does Jeep make single-cab Gladiators?

There have been quite a few homebrewed conversions creating a single-cab Gladiator. Some professional shops have gotten into the act, too. Besides the novelty and cool looks, there is a practical reason that one would want this type of Jeep.

Jeep offered, “What if a truck dared to be more like an SUV to increase its departure angle?” So Jeep’s teasing and eye blinks make you wonder if the two-door Gladiator is in development? They share so many components that it seems like an easy proposition. 

Especially considering the advantages for more serious off-roaders, would you buy one? A short wheelbase with a lifted suspension and bigger tires will always get you a better shot at conquering obstacles off the beaten path. Other bennies are a tighter turning radius, better breakover angles, and just generally better maneuverability. 

Would Jeep make a production single-cab Gladiator?

Jeep could approach it a couple of ways, and as you would guess, a lot of it has to do with costs. It could do a second strike to the Gladiator floor pan to get the shorter floor, or there may be something existing. The back half of the Gladiator could be mated to the front half of the Wrangler. 

A couple of unique small panels and brackets would need to be tooled. And then there is the frame. Does an existing frame match the body puzzle as a foundation, or would that need to be tooled as well? Then there is demand.

All of this and more is doable if the projected sales pencil out. If you’ll only sell a few thousand a year, it may not get the nod from the bean counters. Last year the Gladiator sold under 80,000 trucks. For the last several years, the Wrangler has sold over 200,000 a year. 

How well do two-door Wranglers sell?

The argument that a two-door Gladiator has some merit. The amount of two-door versus four-door Wranglers is between 12-15 percent. That is somewhere around 30,000 two-doors a year. 

So if you combine Gladiator sales to the two-door Wrangler, you get a hair over 100,000 altogether. What percentage of that number could a two-door Gladiator do? And how many two-door Gladiator conquests would cut into a sale for the other two? 

Single-cab Gladiator speculation is fun

Look, this is all just speculation. But if a single-cab Gladiator could rustle 20 percent of the combined number above, that is roughly 20,000 short Gladiators a year. Based on whatever the tooling would cost to make it happen, would that number be enough for Stellantis to pull the trigger on? 

We don’t know. But, we do know that around April 9, when the Easter Safari begins, we’ll know what Jeep has cooking for its JES concepts. While some may never see production, it is still fun to guess what a two-door Gladiator really represents.