Livin’ that Jeep Life with Barbie

Unless you’ve been under a rock these past few months, there’s a new Barbie movie rolling into theaters this summer. Because of the movie, all things Barbie are new again, and people are rediscovering Barbie’s past. Besides Ken, what’s Barbie’s one accessory we all wish we had? The Barbie Jeep, of course! Take one of our Jeeps out for a spin at McLarty Daniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Bentonville.

Get Your Dream Jeep Wrangler from McLarty Daniel CDJR

Barbie, of course, lives in her dream house and drives her famous rides, in particular, the Jeep Wrangler. So this begs the question — when did the Barbie Jeep become a thing? And why are we so obsessed with it? Let’s take a drive down memory lane and look at the history of Barbie and her connection with Jeep and other cars, trucks, SUVs and vans.

Barbie first made her debut in 1959, created by Ruth Handler, who wanted an alternative to baby dolls. Her philosophy behind Barbie was that through the doll, a little girl could be anything she wanted to be and that she has choices. And choices she made. Over the years, Barbie chose friends, accessories and professional careers like an astronaut and even president. But the one thing people seem to remember and talk about most is Barbie’s car choices. 

Just because Barbie is a girl doesn’t mean she can’t have fun driving. Always keeping the Barbie spirit in mind, she’s partnered up with several auto brands throughout her 60-year history. First off, in the early ’60s, she drove an Austin-Healey 3000 MKII sports car and a Mercedes-Benz.

Be Like Barbie in a Sports Car from McLarty Daniel CDJR

Barbie ventured into off-roading in the ‘70s with several ATVs and even a dune buggy while on her many camping trips in her country camper. She eventually upgraded to a Volkswagen camper and even had a boat with a trailer she could use on the lake. If she preferred a beach getaway, she had the beach bus at her dispense with over 20 pieces of equipment that came with it.

Tow Your Boat Behind a Ram from McLarty Daniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

The ‘80s is when we see Barbie’s partnership with Jeep begin. She hitches up her horse trailer to her 4WD Jeep for use in the Wild West. While the Jeep continued to be used for the dolls, it became so popular that people wanted to drive their own Barbie Jeep. Since Barbie is geared for children, the creators developed motorized, kid-friendly Jeep versions.

Barbie continued her love of Jeep over the years on animal safaris, beach parties and even mountain ski trips. Every Barbie girl needs her tunes, so eventually, a radio was introduced into the motorized Jeep that played cassette tapes. Most people consider their first vehicle the Barbie Jeep.

One favorite from the ‘90s was the Baywatch Lifeguard Rescue Jeep with the iconic yellow and red Baywatch logo on the side. Several versions of the Jeep have been released over the years, including a royal blue one with flowers and the Barbie logo on the hood. A purple Jeep with a white top and another red and black model debuted in the 2000s.  

Barbie could give Vin Diesel a run for his money, considering the amount of fast and furious cars she’s driven over the years. But the one that stands out the most and that people keep coming back to is the iconic pink Barbie Jeep Wrangler, which continues to be the most popular choice today.

In 2021, Jeep debuted the closest thing to a real Barbie Jeep with the Tuscadero exterior paint color, described as a deep and intense chromatic magenta. Many were confused why it wasn’t Barbie pink instead. No answer was given, but pop culture aficionados quickly picked up that Tuscadero was a nod to Pinky Tuscadero, a character from the TV show Happy Days, who wore all pink and was a love interest for Henry Winkler’s popular character, The Fonz. 

No matter where the color idea came from, it was popular enough that they brought it back for 2022 models. Yet to be seen again, the Barbie movie might be enough to get Jeep to bring it back one more time. Maybe this time, they’ll actually call it Barbie pink! 

While we all wish we could be a Barbie girl in the Barbie world, you can pretend when you drive off the lot in your own ‘23 Jeep Wrangler from McLarty Daniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram off Moberly Lane in Bentonville. Serving Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale, and all of Northwest Arkansas, McLarty Daniel CDJR has a car, truck, SUV or van ready for your Barbie world. Believe Barbie when she says, “Jeep life is fantastic.”  

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