Year End / SEMA 2011 Wrap-Up
2011 has been a banner year for AEV. We enjoyed continued success with our DualSport Suspension Systems, HEMI conversions and upfits while releasing some great new innovations like the Hi-Lift / Pull-Pal Mount, Fuel Caddy, 2" Spacer Suspension Kit and JK Tubeless Front Bumper. All of these things have contributed to one heck of a year here at AEV, but the cherry on the sundae (some would say it's the whole sundae) is the announcement of the Brute Double Cab at SEMA 2011. After years of planning, engineering, tinkering, blood, sweat and tears nothing made us more proud than showing off the finished product. We knew that we had created something special, but we had no idea that it would be received so well by both our consumer base and media types alike. The response to the Brute Double Cab was gratifying, heart-warming and overwhelming and we can't thank everyone enough for showing their support for our continued hard work and innovation.
Looking to 2012 we're excited to get the ball rolling on production of the Brute Double Cab as well as many yet-to-be-announced products that are sure to make your off-road and overland adventures as fulfilling as possible. Below are some links to just a few of the many fantastic articles about the Brute Double Cab. Enjoy and happy new year!
Motor Trend SEMA 2011 Best of the Rest
Car and Driver Called the Brute Double Cab "The Ultimate Wrangler Pickup"
Truck Trend Covers the release of the Brute Double Cab
Autoblog has some great Brute Double Cab photos
Jalopnik thinks the Brute Double Cab is "great for families"
Jalopnik with some Brute Double Cab photos
Pickuptrucks.com has a nice video review of the Brute Double Cab
AEV Releases Brute Double Cab at SEMA 2011
When we released the TJ Brute in 2002 at the Las Vegas SEMA Show, not even Chrysler really knew it was coming and it was the absolute hit of the show. It was a great to see the reactions, because at the time nothing like it had ever been done to such a high level of quality. Well, we did it again. Introducing the AEV Brute Double Cab, a double body and separate box pickup truck conversion for JK Wranglers. This is the real deal, targeted at the Overland crowd, this is a vehicle that will perform exceptionally well off-road compared to a Dodge Ram or Dakota, while having more storage room than a four door Wrangler could ever offer.
This is the first conversion of it’s kind, but it’s never about being “first” for us; over three years in development, and like all AEV Products we had to be sure it was ready for prime time before announcing anything. And it is most definitely ready. Go on to read the Press Release and see the truck in person at the AEV Booth in the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Press Release:
American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) will debut the brand new four-door 2012 AEV Brute Double Cab at this year’s SEMA Show, nearly a decade after first introducing its Jeep based Brute pickup truck. AEV’s original Brute was unveiled at SEMA in 2002 as a Jeep pickup conversion that offered superb styling, rugged utility, and the high quality always associated with AEV. Now AEV will once again use SEMA to introduce the popular Brute’s newest incarnation, the Brute Double Cab, a four-door overland vehicle utilizing the newest JK Wrangler to deliver a powerful, unique off-road machine worthy of the Brute moniker.
“When we originally created the Brute, it appealed to off road enthusiasts looking for something different,” says AEV Founder and President Dave Harriton. “Now with the debut of the Brute Double Cab, we’re expanding the Brute series to a four-door platform that has everything people have come to expect from an AEV Brute, but with more interior room and the improved capabilities of the JK platform.” Harriton continues, “The Brute Double Cab shares its DNA with the original Brute, but also draws inspiration from the Land Rover Defender 130, and was designed specifically for the expanding overland travel market. With seating for five and the storage provided by the fold flat rear seats, it makes for an ideal camping platform, whether it be a couple weeks through the Atacama desert or just a weekend trip with the family.”
The original AEV Brute won the hearts of auto enthusiasts of all kinds and also won a Daimler-Chrysler Designer Excellence Award. The all-new Brute Double Cab will follow the same truck-conversion design principle as its predecessor. AEV starts with a four-door JK Wrangler and stretches the chassis 23 inches for a final wheelbase of 139 inches. The overall vehicle length stands at 216 inches, a total increase of 30 inches, with a small frame extension at the rear to accommodate the pickup bed. The interior dimensions of the Brute Double Cab’s truck bed are 61”L x 60”W (44 inches between the wheel houses), offering plenty of haul space in a highly capable off-roader.
Harriton is quick to point out that the Brute Double Cab is not meant to be an alternative to a traditional pickup, but is uniquely positioned to serve the overland market with more off road capability than a four-door truck and more cargo room and carrying capacity than a Jeep.
AEV will offer the Brute Double Cab as a turn-key vehicle built in its Wixom, MI facility, and expects a production release by mid-2012. The opportunity for the first orders will be given exclusively to current owners of AEV vehicles and to AEV’s authorized dealers, with orders opening to the public as production ramps up. For more information, please call 248-926-0256.
