Jerrari

The Jerrari  Wagoneers are a pair of 1969 and 1977 Jeep Wagoneers built for William Fisk Harrah, founder of Harrah's Hotel and Casinos.[1] These unique hybrids combine the rugged utility of a Jeep Wagoneer with the exotic power of a Ferrari. They had their stock 360 cu in (5.9 L) AMC V8 engines replaced with a 4.4 liter V12 engine and five-speed manual transmission from a Ferrari 365 GT.[1]

The two Jerrari Wagoneers have garnered significant attention and publicity in various automotive publications, including Road & Track, Forza magazine, 365 Cars You Must Drive, and Stars, Cars and Infamy.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Origin
* 2 1969 Jerrari
* 3 1977 Jerrari
* 4 References

## Origin

The genesis of the Jerrari concept stemmed from Harrah's direct request to Enzo Ferrari for a four-wheel drive Ferrari. Upon Ferrari's refusal, Harrah embarked on his ambitious project to create such a vehicle himself.[3]

Harrah commissioned the first Jerrari to be built by combining a 1969 Jeep Grand Wagoneer with the engine, transmission, and front end from a Ferrari 365 GT.[4] Performance tests conducted by Road & Track in the August 1971 issue of the magazine indicated 0 to 60 pumps in 9.4 seconds, and a quarter mile in 15 seconds.[5][6]

This initial Jerrari served as Harrah's primary mode of transportation between his casinos in Reno and Lake Tahoe. As Harrah's business empire expanded, personal security concerns arose. His bodyguards reportedly advised him against driving the easily recognizable and unique car, leading to the eventual commissioning of a second Jerrari.[5]

This subsequent build, while serving the same purpose, aimed to retain the original Jeep Wagoneer's appearance.[7]

## 1969 Jerrari

The 1969 Jerrari Wagoneer is the more visually daring of the two builds. It features the entire front clip (hood, fenders, grille, and headlights) from a Ferrari 365 GT seamlessly grafted onto the stock Jeep Wagoneer body. This extensive body modification with the transplanted Ferrari V12 engine and transmission resulted in a highly distinctive, if controversial, appearance. Contemporary press reactions were mixed; while some admired its audacity, others described it as "a crime against nature" due to the aesthetic clash.[8] Originally finished in off-white, the car was resprayed in dark racing green, Harrah's favorite color, giving it the nickname of "The Green Monster".[9]

The Ferrari V12 engine that defined the initial exotic appeal of the vehicle was later removed from the 1969 Jerrari in 1971.[5] Harrah replaced it with a conventional Chevrolet 350 V8 engine. The original Ferrari engine was subsequently utilized in the construction of the 1977 Jerrari.[10][2]

The 1969 Jerrari, with its Chevrolet V8 engine, was put up for sale in May 2008, with bidding exceeding $21,000.[11][12][13]

## 1977 Jerrari

The 1977 Jerrari Wagoneer adopted an understated approach, primarily retaining the original Jeep bodywork. Modifications to the exterior were subtle yet functional, including the addition of headlight wipers, a bumper-mounted ice alert system, custom emblems, and personalized license plates. To accommodate the length of the Ferrari V12 engine, the front sheet metal was slightly lengthened, and the quad-tip exhaust from the Ferrari donor car was integrated.[7] The engine's cooling demands also necessitated twin radiators mounted on each side of the engine bay, with oil coolers placed under the front bumper.[5]

The interior received a few enhancements to match its exotic powertrain, featuring a Ferrari steering wheel, an aftermarket gauge cluster, power mirrors, and a radar detector. As with its predecessor, the pivotal transformation was installing the 4.4-liter Ferrari V12 engine and five-speed manual transmission, sourced from the 1969 Jerrari. This replaced the Jeep's standard 360 cu in (5.9 L) AMC V8 engine and automatic transmission, but retained the Jeep's four-wheel drive system.[14]

The 1977 Jerrari stands as a testament to Harrah's unique vision and is on permanent display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, where it continues to captivate with its blend of utilitarian ruggedness and supercar heart.[15]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Matras, John L. (2006). 365 Cars You Must Drive. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. p. 194. ISBN 9780760324141. https://books.google.com/books?id=paxDpyBaPh8C&q=Jerrari&pg=PA194. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Donn, Dabney (May 2008). "1969 Jerrari Articles". leftcoastclassics. https://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1969_Jerrari/articles/. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
3. ↑ Brownell, Bradley (1 November 2024). "This Casino Mogul's V12-Swapped Monster SUV Is The Coolest Custom Jeep Of All Time -The Jerrari is a one-off Jeep that was built to be faster than a helicopter". Jalopnik. https://www.jalopnik.com/this-casino-moguls-v12-swapped-monster-suv-is-the-coole-1851686348/.
4. ↑ Wojdyla, Ben (12 May 2008). "Jerrari, When A Ferrari And A Jeep Make A Baby". Jalopnik. https://www.jalopnik.com/jerrari-when-a-ferrari-and-a-jeep-make-a-baby-389617/.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Ciardella, Jim (2022). The Dealer: How One California Dealership Fueled the Rise of Ferrari Cars in America. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 64-66. ISBN 9781633887558. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Dealer/DHBjEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Jerrari&pg=PA64&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
6. ↑ "Jerrari - put a 4-cam Ferrari engine in a Wagoneer and you get this". Road & Track 22 (12): 60-61. August 1971.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wagner, Harry (1 September 2009). "1977 Jeep Wagoneer - The Jerrari - Triple-Digit Speeds In A Wagoneer". Motor Trens. https://www.motortrend.com/project-vehicles/154-0909-1977-jeep-wagoneer-the-jerrari.
8. ↑ Dabney, Donn. "Powered by Ferrari". Left Coast Classics. https://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1969_Jerrari/articles/slides/IMG_9874.html.
9. ↑ Snelgar, Mikey (9 June 2021). "Half Ferrari, half Jeep, this 'Jerrari' might be the world's first SUV". Classic Driver. https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/half-ferrari-half-jeep-jerrari-might-be-worlds-first-suv.
10. ↑ Buckley, Martin (2003). Stars, Cars and Infamy: 100 Stories of the Bad, the Daft and the Deadly. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 9780760316870.
11. ↑ Magor, C.S. (13 May 2008). "The Jerrari, a Crime Against Nature, is Up for Sale". The UberReview. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080516093606/http://www.uberreview.com/2008/05/the-jerrari-a-crime-against-nature-is-up-for-sale.htm. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
12. ↑ "1969 Ferrari Other". Ebay listing. May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. https://archive.today/20080517094726/http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jerrari-Harrahs-Custom-Jeep-with-Ferrari-365-GT_W0QQitemZ130221205611QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item130221205611. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
13. ↑ "The Jerrari - Rare, One-Off Body Conversion Made for Bill Harrah". https://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1969_Jerrari/.
14. ↑ "4WD Wagoneer Limited "Jerrari"". 2006. http://www.trombinoscar.com/willys/jeep7701.html. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
15. ↑ "Vehicle Directory: "J"". The National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection). http://www.automuseum.org/vehicle-inventory/. Retrieved 28 May 2025.

* Ingram, Antony (22 June 2021). "Can't wait for a Ferrari SUV? You can buy this "Jerrari" right now". https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/news-articles/cant-wait-for-a-ferrari-suv-you-can-buy-this-jerrari-right-now/. Retrieved 28 May 2025.

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