b' Club SpotlightMelbourne Jeep Owners Clubcelebrates25 years in 2022A brief history of the Melbourne experience and stock standard XJ arriving at iconic 4WD destinationsJeep Owners Club by founding Cherokee and TJ Wranglers with a that were seen as the domain ofPresident Ian Fletcher sprinkling of ZG Grand Cherokees.traditional Toyota and Nissan 4WDs.The committee soon got to work We would often getcomments likeThe Melbourne Jeep Owners Club planning and creating trips and how did that Jeep get up here?(MJOC) started out way back in 1997 activities, and as the club was seen Remember these were the days whenas a small group of Jeep owners from out and about it started to grow with 31 tyres were considered huge. Wea Melbourne Jeep dealership. The initially 30 members and grew up to soon began running trips all arounddealership ran some customer drive 51 members in its first year. We now the state. days and many owners who partici- have a membership of more than 220 Over the years we had our meetingspated became hooked on four wheel memberships. The club soon affiliated at various locations including FWDVdriving in their Jeeps and suggested with the Victorian Association of Four at North Balwyn. To meet thewe start up a club for Jeep owners.Wheel Drive Clubs (VAFWDC) now demographic location of our membersThe first trip was organized to the known as Four Wheel Drive Victoria we moved to a more central locationToolangi State Forest. That first trip and has been a member since. to a Primary school in Chadstone andwas the start of many memorable We certainly learned how to extract then to the Ashwood Hall where ouroutings for what were a bunch of the most out of those standard Jeeps meetings are currently held. This is anovice Jeep owners with little or no and we soon became known for central location for all members.14 MARCH2022 TRACKWATCH'