The Jeep Wrangler is one of those vehicles that owners love to customize. You can get all kinds of lift kits, chunky tires, and lighting packages to make your rig your own. You can even get all kinds of grille treatments with angry eyes or teeth to make it more vicious. Or, for whatever reason, you could buy this rather awkward grille that makes your Wrangler look like the back of an old TV set.
The grille in question is the product of Chelsea Truck Company, an aftermarket manufacturer based in London. As a British outfit, the company has a wide range of products for vehicles like the Land Rover Defender, Ineos Grenadier, and even the Mercedes G-Wagen. Now, though, it’s turning its gaze across the Atlantic to produce parts for the JL Jeep Wrangler.
The result is this—the “Heritage Lattice Grille.” It’s sure to guarantee your Wrangler looks like absolutely nothing else out there.
In the company’s own words, the Heritage Lattice Grille is “a bold reinterpretation of the Wrangler’s signature front end.” The manufacturer is well aware of just how unique this look really is. “No manufacturer, not even Jeep themselves, has ventured to evolve the front fascia with such a sophisticated, design-driven approach,” notes the press release.
I might venture a delicate, if harsh, word on the matter. There’s a reason nobody has made a Wrangler grille like this before.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I get where the designer is coming from. As the provided images show, the look is directly inspired by the barebones lattice grille that was such a striking design feature on the very first Land Rovers. Chelsea Truck Company have, to their credit, found a way to port this look to more recent models from the British automaker, with moderate levels of success.
The problem is that they’ve completely missed the mark when it came to the Wrangler version. You’re not getting a simple metal mesh that looks fit for the untrodden paths of your nearest jungle. You’re getting a hunk of what looks like black plastic peppered with square holes, along with a pair of goofy headlight cutouts that can’t decide whether they want to be round or not. If you told me this grille was made out of discarded 90s home appliances, I’d wholeheartedly believe you. It looks like it should be caked in dust at the back of a hi-fi cabinet, not stuck on the front of a Wrangler.
The company also notes there are further possibilities, too. “The distinctive lattice design also offers excellent potential for personalisation, customers can easily apply painted letters or numbers to the grille surface, allowing for a unique, vintage-inspired look tailored to individual style,” reads the press release. They include an example, too—a version emblazoned with the number 1941, presumably referencing the year the first Jeeps entered production.
I get it. It’s fun to customize cars and draw elements from one and stick them on another. The first Land Rover was a rough and tumble adventurer, and that same look would surely fit on the Wrangler. But I’d strongly advise thinking about authenticity before buying the injection molds and putting out a press release.
I reckon this concept could still be good, but it should stick true to its core roots. The Wrangler might look genuinely good with rugged steel mesh for the front grille. It suits the off-road look and hews closer to the original inspiration—in just the way a hunk of what looks like black perforated plastic just doesn’t.
Anyway, that’s my opinion, and I stick by it. Maybe yours differs, and you think this is the sharpest look going for an American off-roader in 2025. I’d be
happy to hear your thoughts below, and Chelsea Truck Company will be more than happy to accept your money, I’m sure.
Image credits: Chelsea Truck Company
Still looks better than all the silly angry eye grills I see out there.