Original Sales Literature
Original paper material from the ZJ's UK sales life, scanned in full. Right now that means the January 1996 dealer brochure that the launch was built on, published by Chrysler Jeep Imports UK of Dover, and a period dealer accessory price list from DBS of Crowborough. More will be added here as it turns up.
You can read the whole brochure on screen below, download either document as a PDF, browse the factory colours, price up the dealer accessories of the day, and read the original marketing copy in full.
The January 1996 UK brochure cover. The relief map is a Swiss survey sheet, used under licence from the Swiss Federal Office of Topography.
Downloads
Scanned from original paper copies. If you have other period UK Jeep literature, price lists, spec sheets or dealer material, we would like to add it. Use the form at the foot of the page.
Workshop Manuals
The two factory service manuals, converted page by page so they can be read, searched and linked to directly. Every wiring diagram has had its labels machine-read, so a circuit number, connector ID or wire colour can be searched like ordinary text. The original PDFs remain available below.
Converted from the factory PDFs. Text and figures are reproduced as printed; the wiring labels are machine-read and may contain occasional errors, so check against the original PDF before relying on a reading for diagnosis.
Read the Brochure
All twenty six pages, exactly as printed. Use the arrows or the thumbnails to move through it, or click a page to open it full size in a new tab.
What the Brochure Claimed
The 1996 brochure sold the Grand Cherokee on standard equipment and on the strength of a known engine. The pitch was that so much came as standard that the options list ran to two items. These are the figures and features as the brochure itself stated them, useful as a record of how the car was presented when new.
As Advertised, 1996
| Engine | Fuel injected 4.0 litre six cylinder |
| Maximum speed | 112 mph, where permitted |
| 0 to 60 mph | Under 10 seconds |
| Gearbox | Four speed automatic, standard |
| Four wheel drive | Quadra-Trac permanent system, dual high and low range transfer box, viscous coupling centre differential |
| Rear differential | Trac-Lok limited slip |
| Suspension | Coil sprung, tuned for Europe |
| Steering | Speed proportional power assistance |
| Brakes | Disc all round with anti lock |
| Warranty | Jeep Privileges Programme: three years or 60,000 miles, plus 12 months roadside assistance |
Standard Equipment
- Heated front seats, eight way power adjustment, powered lumbar support
- Two position memory for the driver seat and heated door mirrors, with a pair of remote fobs
- Automatic temperature controlled air conditioning
- Power windows with one touch down for the driver
- Remote central locking with alarm and engine immobiliser
- Cruise control
- Six speaker stereo system
- Wood grain and leather interior trim
- Driver and front passenger airbags, side impact protection guards
The Entire Options List
Factory Colours and Trim, January 1996
The launch brochure lists six body colours and two leather interiors for the range it covers. These are the swatches as printed, a useful reference for anyone checking an original combination. It is the range at launch rather than a complete list for the whole 1996 to 1998 run, and the Orvis Edition that arrived later carried its own colours.
Leather
| Body colour, 1996 | Saddle | Agate |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Green Metallic | Yes | Yes |
| Deep Blue Metallic | Yes | Yes |
| Light Iris Metallic | – | Yes |
| Dark Iris Metallic | Yes | Yes |
| Dark Rosewood Metallic | Yes | Yes |
| Black | Yes | Yes |
Swatches and pairings cropped and transcribed from the brochure's own colours and trims page. The 1998 Orvis that informs much of this site is Agate. See the Models page for how the range developed after launch.
Accessory Price Calculator
Tick the dealer fitted accessories you fancy and see what they would have added to the bill in 1996, before and after VAT, with a rough present day equivalent alongside. Prices are from the DBS of Crowborough price list. For context the Limited itself was £28,995.
Your 1996 Accessory Bill
| Total, ex VAT | £0.00 |
| Total, inc VAT | £0.00 |
| Roughly today | £0.00 |
Present day figure applies a Bank of England CPI multiplier of about 1.93 to the inc VAT total, consistent with the Models page. Indicative only. Dealer fitted prices were set by the dealer and varied.
Full price list, as printed
| Accessory | Fitted, ex VAT | Fitted, inc VAT |
|---|
Source: DBS of Crowborough, official Chrysler Jeep dealer. Dealer fitted prices as printed. A period record, not current values.
The Original Words
The brochure's own marketing copy, transcribed in full. Page headings are the brochure's.
The Heritage of Freedom
There's one word that encapsulates the freedom of the great outdoors, a word that commands respect the world over. It's a word that has become synonymous with ability, with toughness and with talent. The word is Jeep. For more than five decades, Jeep has been creating vehicles that can take on the toughest terrain. They are vehicles that have broken boundaries, explored new territories and opened new vistas. Jeeps always have been and always will be rugged, go anywhere vehicles that, like their owners, don't like to conform. And the newest Jeep of all, the Grand Cherokee, European built with right hand drive, is another non conformist. By combining a sumptuous specification with the heritage and pedigree of the Jeep name, the Grand Cherokee is the ultimate, go anywhere luxury car.
On Road Luxury
Luxury car comfort and driveability are just two of the many attributes of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Whether sweeping through a sinuous mountain pass, pottering along a twisting B road or pounding along a motorway, the Grand Cherokee cossets its passengers in serene tranquillity. Sophisticated coil sprung suspension, specially tuned for Europe, smoothes out the roughest roads, while the speed proportional power steering provides the driver with plenty of feel at high speeds yet gives the maximum assistance at parking speeds when it's needed most. The driving experience is enhanced by the Grand Cherokee's smooth, four speed automatic gearbox, another standard feature, and its advanced permanent four wheel drive system, which offers the ultimate in grip at all times.
Off Road Ability
A Jeep wouldn't be a Jeep if it couldn't handle the toughest terrain around. And the Grand Cherokee is a Jeep through and through. Jeep's renowned Quadra-Trac permanent four wheel drive system and dual high and low range transfer gearbox ensure that it will stop at nothing. Deep within the transmission lies an intelligent viscous coupling which automatically ensures power is fed to where it's needed most. As soon as a wheel starts spinning, power is redistributed to the other axle to drive the vehicle out of trouble. Left to its own devices a wheel spinning in soft ground will simply dig deeper into the mire. The rear axle further benefits from Jeep's proven Trac-Lok limited slip rear differential, which further helps prevent wheel spin. This added flexibility enhances off road traction, increases on road driveability and reduces component wear.
The Seat of Power
At the heart of the Grand Cherokee is Jeep's acclaimed fuel injected 4.0 litre six cylinder engine. This potent power unit, familiar to drivers of the Cherokee, is respected for its ability to combine smooth performance with lusty low speed power. It endows the Grand Cherokee with a maximum speed, where permitted, of 112 mph and a brisk 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of under 10 seconds. Huge reserves of torque, the engine's pulling power, ensures that the Grand Cherokee performs equally well off road. Why, it will even climb mountains if asked. Given the engine's sophisticated new environment, great efforts have been made to guarantee that its refinement is beyond reproach. Extra stiffening, bracing and sound deadening ensure that its manners match those expected of a true luxury car.
The Inside Story
When it comes to indulgence, the Grand Cherokee wants for nothing. As well as automatic transmission and power steering, the interior features the luxury of wood grain and leather. The front seats are heated and have eight way power adjustment and powered lumbar support. The driver's seat and heated door mirrors have two memory settings with a pair of individual remote controls, so regular drivers can find their optimum driving position at the touch of a button. Standard equipment also includes automatic temperature controlled air conditioning, power windows with one touch down feature for the driver, remote control central locking with alarm and immobiliser, cruise control and a six speaker high quality stereo system. In fact, so full is the list of standard features that the option list is short. It comprises just an electrically powered glass sunroof to complement the air conditioning, and a CD autochanger.
Safe and Secure
By its very nature, four wheel drive offers extra degrees of grip under the most testing conditions. But four wheel drive is just part of the Grand Cherokee's active and passive safety story. It starts the moment you slip behind the wheel and discover the commanding driving position, which gives an outstanding view of the road and potential hazards ahead. And it extends to the sophisticated and powerful all round disc brakes which have an electronically controlled anti lock system to prevent the wheels locking in an emergency. But should the unthinkable happen, the Grand Cherokee's passive safety features include airbags for driver and front seat passenger as well as side impact protection guards for added occupant security. And for added security of a different kind, the Grand Cherokee comes equipped as standard with a remote control alarm and engine immobiliser system.
Jeep Warranty and Publisher
Grand Cherokee is backed by the Jeep Privileges Programme, providing a three year or 60,000 mile warranty and 12 months roadside assistance. The warranty can be extended through your Jeep dealer to provide additional cover at modest cost. This is a publication of Chrysler Jeep Imports UK, Poulton Close, Dover, Kent CT17 0HP. Designed and produced by Design in Action. The map on the front and back cover is reproduced by kind permission of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, November 1 1995. Chrysler Jeep Imports UK is the founding sponsor member of the Tread Lightly programme in the UK.