Gordinier Group
Steeped in history, the Mojave Road is roughly 130 miles of remote desert two-track; most of which lies within the Mojave National Preserve. In 1983, Nissan traversed this road with a group of automotive media to showcase their new 4×4 trucks. Forty years later, Gordinier Group was tasked by Nissan USA with recreating this iconic media drive.
In preparation for this two-night, three-day trip, our team worked diligently on all the details.
- Securing all filming/photography/event permits
- Outfitting all media, clients, and staff with camping gear
- Sourcing backcountry-capable chefs for meals on-trail and in camp
- Pre-running entire route to develop proper timing and logistics for the caravan
- Staffing a trail guide, trail support team as well as an advance team for camp set-up
- Supplying recovery gear, first aid, and communication assets (both GMRS and Satellite)
- Vehicle logistics for the duration of the event
Once on the Mojave Road, our team led a group of 10, 2023 Nissan Frontier Pro4X trucks. The media were treated to a narrated history of the road throughout the drive and fresh trail-side lunches. Along the way, the group posed for photos to recreate images taken on the original trip in 1983. Each night, upon arrival in camp, media guests were escorted to their pre-built tents to drop their gear and relax. Craft cocktails preceded a gourmet dinner with wine pairings provided by our friends from Overland Cookery. On day 2, vigilant monitoring of weather radar by our trail team enabled them to route the group around some inclement weather and get to camp safely. The trip was a complete success, and our media guests enjoyed an incredible experience in the desert.
In the end, our client could not have been happier. The following is a quote from a post-event email:
I want to thank you, Jeff, and the rest of the team for the outstanding work for the event. Your guys got things done before I even thought of them and made the trip much better for everyone. You guys weren’t very visible but made things happen in the background and it was great. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the support.
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- Historical Photo Recreation
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- various photos courtesy of AJ Mueller
Some great articles and videos that captured the moments of the Nissan Mojave Road adventure:
- Full article from GearJunkie – gearjunkie.com
- TFL Off Road: 130 Miles on The Mojave Trail – YouTube
- Autoblog: Nissan Frontier Pro-4X overlanding on the Mojave Road (autoblog.com)
The Gordinier Group descended on the 2023 Chicago Auto Show to celebrate two milestones: the 20th anniversary of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the 3 millionth Camp Jeep ride.
In preparation for the reveal of the 20th Anniversary Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to the automotive media, our team choreographed the installation of a dynamic setting only a Jeep could conquer. The reveal stage buildout required the following:
- 120 tons of boulders
- 200 yards of topsoil
- 120 yards of mulch
- 30 evergreen trees
Once complete, our drivers were tasked with precisely navigating the rough terrain on cue while Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand North America, spoke about the incredible capabilities of three different 20th Anniversary Jeep Wrangler Rubicon models. The drivers nailed their spots and the resulting images and stories flooded social media channels.
After the press conference, the Camp Jeep activation kicked off with rides for the media. Once the show opened to the public, the 28,000 square foot off-road adventure went into full swing. Our professional drivers gave participants an opportunity to experience several challenging off-road obstacles that included the 28-foot high Jeep Mountain with 40-degree approach and departure angles, an extreme break-over obstacle, and a 30-degree articulation wedge.
Adding to the excitement this year was the anticipation of the 3 millionth ride at Camp Jeep and on Saturday, January 11th, 2023, our Gordinier Group drivers conquered that milestone! We can’t thank our partners at Stellantis and George P. Johnson enough. It is an incredible team, and we are so proud to be part of the Camp Jeep legacy.
Many events have been cancelled and/or postponed but we look forward to a day when we can get
back to work as we know it in a happy, healthy environment again!
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone at this time as they stay home and stay healthy.
Jeep was a proud sponsor of the Detroit 4Fest at the Holly Oaks ORV Park this summer. The Off-Road Festival in Holly, Michigan had a multitude of activities for all 4-wheel drive enthusiasts with a vendor village, off-road skills seminar and equipment demos. Showing by attendance the event was a huge hit benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Gordinier Group drivers entertained the masses at the Jeep Off-Road Course demonstrating Jeep’s 4×4 skills. The event was open to the public and guests were excited to test their own vehicle capabilities in the park as well as catch a ride in the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator as they triumphed once again through the off-road course.
