It would take more than insults from ABC newswoman Barbara Walters to get President Reagan to abandon his “old friend,” a 1962 red Willys jeep. And now, that Jeep is headed to Washington, DC.
The Historic Vehicle Association, in partnership with the Library of Congress, has deemed President Reagan’s Jeep an important artifact of American history and will display it on the National Mall from April 20 to 26.
President Reagan’s ranch home in the mountains above Santa Barbara, California, was more than an escape from the din of Washington. It was a retreat where Ronald Reagan could ride his horses, work his land, “think things out” (as he wrote), and refresh his resolve — thanks in large part to this red Jeep and the freedom it represented.
Rancho del Cielo, the “Ranch in the Sky,” overlooks the Santa Ynez Valley on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The rolling hills, pastures, and wooded valleys inspired President Reagan. “It casts a spell,” he said of the property. “I suppose it’s the scriptural line that ‘I look to the hills from whence cometh my strength’ — I understand it a little better when I’m up here.”
President Reagan frequently used his red 1962 CJ-6 Jeep around Rancho del Cielo. Hard work out under the open skies and sweeping views of Rancho del Cielo marked much of Ronald Reagan’s time at the Ranch. Constructing fences out of old telephone poles, clearing brush, chopping wood, and working the land were all regular activities for the President.
This vehicle was not just used for work, however. It was also featured prominently in an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, who rode along with President Reagan for a 1981 news story. “This is the scroungiest Jeep I have ever — the upholstery is coming up!” exclaimed Walters as President Reagan drove along the trails. In his typical gracious way, President Reagan explained that while it had been re-upholstered before, the horses “come and chew on it” and that the Jeep “is for work,” just as the rest of the Ranch is.
Young America’s Foundation (YAF) stepped forward to save President Reagan’s beloved ranch home and “Western White House” in the spring of 1998. YAF now preserves and protects the property and the items that made it special to Ronald Reagan.
Each year, thousands of young people visit Rancho del Cielo, where they gain a better understand of Ronald Reagan’s values and lasting accomplishments.
Sharing this Jeep is an important part of keeping President Reagan’s love of freedom alive for younger generations. Policymakers continually invoke President Reagan’s memory, and for good reason. But the experience of seeing one of Reagan’s most-loved possessions, such as his work-worn red Jeep, imparts a sense of the humility that made Ronald Reagan one of our nation’s greatest leaders.
