1979 Jeep CJ-5
Silver Anniversary
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Welcome to The Silver Registry!
This site was established in 2017 and is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the 1979 Jeep CJ-5 Special Silver Anniversary Edition (The Silver), the rarest AMC CJ-5 ever produced and one of the rarest Jeeps of all time.

Here, you will find an overview of the Silver, details on its special features, and the The Silver Registry TM, which lists all the known '79 Silver Anniversaries.

This site is a companion to The Jambo Registry (www.82jambo.com), which lists all known 1982 CJ-7 Jamborees. Together, the Jambo and the Silver are some of the rarest, and the coolest, AMC Jeeps ever produced.

To receive an email about additions to this site, please email  eric@79silver.com.


January 2021 Updates:
- Added #34-649 as Confirmed
- Updated #48-051 Owner/Loc.

February 2021 Updates:
- Added #29-716 as Confirmed
- Added #41-618 as Possible

March 2021 Updates:
- Added #37-873 as Confirmed

April 2021 Updates:
- Added #37-243 as Confirmed
- Added #29-386 as Confirmed
- Added #50-452 as Confirmed
- Added #50-869 as Confirmed
- Added #37-840 as Confirmed
- Added #40-550 as Confirmed
- Updated #36-643 Owner/Loc

May 2021 Updates:
- Added #45-218 as Confirmed
- Updated #36-923 Owner/Loc
- Added #37-614 as Confirmed

June 2021 Updates:
- Added #37-597 as Confirmed
- Added #45-459 as Confirmed
- Added #38-726 as Confirmed
- Added #32-702 as Confirmed
- Updated #36-612 Owner/Loc
- Added #37-896 as Confirmed

July 2021 Updates:
- Added #47-991 as Confirmed
- Added #50-451 as Confirmed

If you have any information or know of additional Silvers please email eric@79silver.com.

What is a Silver Anniversary?

 

Jeep produced the Silver Anniversary in 1979 to honor the 25th Anniversary of the CJ-5. 

Here is the 1979 Silver sales flyer!

The Silver was based on the Renegade package and painted Quicksilver Metallic (8C). This was the only CJ ever painted this color. Other Jeeps could be painted silver metallic, but not Quicksilver.

This strategy is similar to that taken with the 1982 CJ-7 Jamboree, which was supposed to be painted Topaz Gold Metallic (2H), which was otherwise reserved for the Wagoneer. A few Jambos were painted Olympic White (9B), which was available for use on other CJs.

The Silvers also had special seats and a commerative emblem on the glove box.

Unlike the Jamborees, the Silvers were not numbered.

Production Numbers

Jeep planned to produce 1000 SAs. Just how many they produced is a matter of debate. Some estimates are that only about 800 were produced. We hope The Silver Registry will be able to clear this up.

Our current estimates are rough and very likely to change:

It seems likely that Jeep did not produce 1000 Silvers. Instead, AMC insiders say that Jeep only produced about 850 Silvers before 1979 model year ended. We believe about 25%, or about 212, of these Silvers remain in existance. We currently know of at about 200 Silvers, and over 90% have their original engine. We only recently started searching for Silvers. The Jambo Registry has been searching for Jambos since 2006.

You can read more about our production estimates here.

Overview

On the exterior, all Silvers came standard with Quicksilver Metallic paint, Renegade hood lettering, chrome wheels (15x8 without center caps), black soft top, black rocker trim (not chrome or bright aluminum), and special Silver Anniversary spare tire cover. 

On the interior, Silver had special low-back black bucket seats with silver buttons (front and rear) to match the Quicksilver Metallic paint, center console, black floor and wheelhouse carpeting, rally clock, tach, and special glovebox badge.

Silvers came standard with the 258 CID 6-cylinder engine and T-150 3-speed transmission. The 304 CID V8 was an option ($342). The 258 could also be ordered with the T-18A 4-speed (for $161).

In total, the Silver Anniversary package added $1,599 to the base sticker price of $5,588.

The Silver RegistryTM

No known factory list of Silver VIN numbers exits. The Silver Registry has talked to Chrysler and they say that all Jeep records were thrown out when they acquired AMC. This makes it more difficult to verify a Silver. However, The Silver Registry has begun compiling a list of nearly 150 Silvers, with pictures. Further, we have the VIN numbers for about 60% of the Silvers on the site.

Do not buy an Silver unless it has been registered with The Silver Registry and its VIN verified! It is possible to try and fake a Silver by buying reproduced emblems and decals off eBay.

Click here for The Silver RegistryTM.

To register your Silver, please send an email to eric@79silver.com. Please include pictures of the Silver (exterior and interior), a picture of the Silver emblem, and a picture of the VIN tag (on the firewall). We will compare this tag to our VIN database of known Silvers.
Jeep is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.
© Copyright 2019. J. Eric Bickel. All rights reserved
The Silver Registry is a trademark of www.79silver.com.

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