Hey, Hey Mama Look at this Led Zeppelin Special Edition Jeep

2007 Jeep Patriot Led Zepplin is sold-out concert prize

I consider myself a somewhat jaded observer of -- and participant in -- the rampantly capitalistic social ways of the world. But even the idea of a Led Zeppelin Special Edition Jeep Patriot* reeked of opportunism and tackiness to me. And I was all for the Spice Girls reuniting!

As an anathema to what I said earlier, I grew up a huge Led Zeppelin fan. As most Zep fans know, they played their first live gig in over fifteen years last night at the 02 arena in London to a packed audience. More than packed, there were 20 million ticket requests for 18,000 seats. Talk about supply and demand.

At first, I could not understand why Jeep in the United Kingdom was releasing this model. Then I heard the kicker. The purchasers of these six 2.0 CRD Sport (a diesel in Euro speak, folks) also got two tickets to the sold-out Zeppelin show. I imagine these ordinarily slow sellers suddenly were going for amounts vastly over sticker. I mean, one man paid $197,000 for tickets to this allegedly one-time only Led Zeppelin show. And that didn’t include a faux-jeep with worse plastic moulds than you find at a Chinese toy factory.

According to an interview in Carpages.com with Ian Calderwood, the designer of the band graphics on the side of the vehicle, “The Jeep was chosen for its American ruggedness. The graphics complement the bold character of the car whilst maintaining its prestige and I feel it reflects the personality of the band excellently.” In addition to the stickers and the tickets, you also get leather seats, air conditioning, and a premium stereo. But here is the big finale, as they say. The cost: £34,860. In current dollars that comes to $71,069 exactly as of end of trading on 12/11/07. And as I said earlier, that is before any markups.

Word is the concert in London was a huge success commercially and artistically for Led Zeppelin. As for the Jeep Compass Led Zeppelin Special Edition, both the band and Jeep can do better. Much better.

*At least make it a Special Edition tie dye VW microbus with huge speakers to blast When the Levee Breaks!