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Jeep Has Patented Donut-Shaped Doors For The Wrangler
Jeep and Ford have both shown off donut doors for their respective off-road vehicles in recent years. While the Bronco will not get them due to safety concerns, a recent patent filing suggests that Wrangler owners who want doors without a middle may still have hope.
The patent, discovered by The Drive, was filed in 2017 (when Jeep was still a part of Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles) and will be published in December 2021. It includes sketches of doors that resemble the units installed on the Switchback concept (pictured above) at the 2017 Easter Jeep Safari.
They’re frameless and have a large hole in the middle, hence the delectable name. Similar doors were seen on a Wrangler displayed at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show, and Jeep clarified at the time that the design was merely a prototype.
It’s important to note that obtaining a patent or registering a trademark does not guarantee that a car, nameplate, or feature will go into production. Automobile manufacturers routinely protect their intellectual property to ensure that it does not end up in the hands of a competitor. Given that the initial patent was filed more than three years ago, it’s not too far-fetched to believe that it’s related to the Switchback concept rather than production-bound doors.
Putting these doors into production appears to be a more difficult task than it appears. According to reports, Ford decided that offering donut doors on the Bronco is more trouble than it’s worth because they don’t meet safety standards, so Jeep may face similar challenges with the Wrangler. However, both companies are working to provide more door options for enthusiasts. Earlier in 2021, Jeep made half-doors available on almost every Wrangler model, with prices ranging from $2,350 to $4,395, and the Bronco will allegedly have them as well.
