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Not a Jeep... what is it?

NPC 20883467

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Saw a pic of these guys on X-- Unit 4895 of Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, also known as Avispas Negras. Cuban Special Forces, tasked with VIP protection and Elite training.

But that's not the point. Check out the rig. Kinds looks like a TJ, with a full float rear axle. but it's not. What is it? (Want.)

Jeep Wrangler JL Not a Jeep... what is it? Screenshot 2026-01-04 201515
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The Last Cowboy

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I saw plenty of them destroyed or broken down in the desert in Kuwait during Desert Storm. Simple vehicles, but poorly built.
 

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Some version of the UAZ which was a Russian design. Drove a few of them. Comparable to the CJ in terms of utility.
 
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Looks to me like a Mahindra, but the side marker aligns with the Chinese rig.
 

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nooo its not uaz, I had one and also aro.
Then it’s a clone of one. The doors are off and some of the body structure between the doors is cutaway. Also, someone welded in some surplus seating from the DMV waiting room.
 

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Then it’s a clone of one. The doors are off and some of the body structure between the doors is cutaway. Also, someone welded in some surplus seating from the DMV waiting room.
Look at A-pilar of bj212. Look the same.
Bj212
Jeep Wrangler JL Not a Jeep... what is it? 1000055001

Uaz 469
Jeep Wrangler JL Not a Jeep... what is it? 1000055002
 
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Then it’s a clone of one. The doors are off and some of the body structure between the doors is cutaway. Also, someone welded in some surplus seating from the DMV waiting room.
If Wikipedia is to be believed, the basic design was peddled around to various companies in various countries, and the design frequently modified to suit the buyer. Based on the chopped off door locations, it appears the one in my original post is a Russki version. But without a view of the front, it's hard to say for sure...

Jeep Wrangler JL Not a Jeep... what is it? 1767820610076-e9
 
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The Last Cowboy

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Look at A-pilar of bj212. Look the same.
Bj212
1000055001.webp

Uaz 469
1000055002.webp
The hood and cowl in the original picture appear to look like the Russian version, but it's a weird angle shot. The marker light looks like the Chinese version. I'm sure there have been evolutionary changes over the years. The Chinese version is a close copy/clone of the Russian vehicle anyway.

However, Russia and Cuba have been close allies for decades. And Cuba has a reputation for keeping old vehicles running by using creative retrofit filed expedient engineering. So perhaps it's a mashup of the two, combined with who knows what else. What it definitely is not, is a Jeep product.
 
 







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