Brenton Johns 
A recent ad listing on Classic Driver’s website has turned up an automotive oddity, and what could be considered a different kind of “crossover” than the blasé commuters mobbing today’s roads: the Jerarri. Believe it or not, it’s a Jeep Wagoneer with a Ferrari nose. And this isn’t a rendering, either.
Casino tycoon Bill Harrah commissioned this automotive chimera in 1969, it is said, after his mechanic crashed his Ferrari 365 GT. When he learned that the front end was still intact, Harrah saw a chance to bring his fantasy of a 4WD Ferrari to life. He had the undamaged portion of the Ferrari welded to the frame of a new 1969 Jeep Wagoneer, adapted the 365’s 4.4-liter V12 to the Wagoneer’s 3-speed automatic gearbox, and the Jerrari was born. Harrah then had the car painted a dark shade of green and added custom “Jerrari” badging added in the style of Ferrari’s logos for good measure.
This wild Jeep Wagoneer SUV mash up made a unique addition to Harrah’s 1,500+ car collection, and he drove it frequently. However, when the car became too recognizable on his visits to casinos, he decided to swap the Ferrari V12 into a stock 1977 Wagoneer body for daily driving. Mechanics replaced the Jerrari’s missing engine with a stock Chevrolet 390 V8 to keep it operational.
What Happened To The Jerrari
Bill Harrah passed away the very next year in 1978, and his extensive collection of classic cars was sold off piece by piece. But what became of the Jerrari, you might ask? The answer: a well-stored, rarely driven collector car. After changing hands a few times, Harrah’s famed “Green Monster” appears to have been mostly garaged over the past 43 years, as the seller lists the odometer reading at just over 9,000 miles.
Cars are made to be driven, and it would be a tragedy to keep this beautiful Frankenstein’s Monster of a car stay inside. Per the listing, this 1977 Jeep Wagoneer “Jerrari” commands a price that’s “available upon request.” So if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it.
