The Sydney JP Four Wheel Drive Club (Incorporated) is a non-profit organisation formed to promote and foster the ownership, appreciation and knowledge of appropriate use of four-wheel-drive Jeep vehicles.
The club’s intention is to provide an opportunity for owners and drivers of Jeep vehicles to conduct social and four-wheel-drive associated activities with like-minded individuals. The club promotes driver skill and minimisation of the effects of recreational four-wheel driving on the environment by endorsing and adhering to the “Tread Lightly” philosophy.
The Sydney Jeep Club was founded by Mark Lamb & Lyn Ward (now Life Members) in June 2000, together with Michael Collins (who hosted the first meetings at his workshop – Suburban 4wd at Minchinbury), and others.
The club organized its first Australian National Jeep Jamboree, held at Gloucester Tops in 2002. This event, first held in Australia in 1984, attracted over 100 Jeeps, and 200 people, representing Jeep Clubs from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT.
The Club grew over the years, and since hitting 100 members in 2011, has remained about at that level since.
National Jamborees were held every two years, hosted by various other clubs, until 2012, when SJC again hosted the Jamboree, this time held at Rydal, near Lithgow.
This Jamboree attracted over 300 Jeeps, and 700 people.
The two year cycle was broken, with no Jamboree in 2014, so the club again hosted a Jamboree in 2015, at the same location as in 2012. Again, over 700 people attended, in over 300 Jeeps.
The Club also instigated the Classic Not Plastic annual Jeep meeting, designed to highlight the pre-Chrysler Jeeps. These meetings have rotated amoungst several NSW Jeep Clubs.
The Club holds regular monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month (except January). The meetings are currently held at Gladesville Sporties, 181A Ryde Rd, Gladesville, NSW, 2111.
Club trips are run regularly, with a number each year focused on new members as an introduction to off-roading. A variety of other day and weekend trips cater for the various levels of experience. Locations include Watagans, Ourimbah in the north, out through the Blue Mountains to Lithgow, and Mudgee, and South to Yalwal.
The club also hosts a number of longer touring trips each year – ranging from 5 days to four weeks.
Recent trips have included Birdsville & the Simpson Desert, Uluru & the Red Centre, the Mallee Country, Cape York, Victorian High Country, the Darling River Run, and many others. Usually about 10 Jeeps are on any touring trip.